Becky James may have retired, but the family tradition continues with younger sister Ffion the latest to pick up a notable victory.
James junior made it back-to-back triumphs in the HSBC UK Cyclo-Cross National Trophy as she followed up here win in Kent with another sensational triumph in round five in snow swept Bradford.
Her second win in a row at the weekend came in the senior elite category, but she also won the Under 23 race. The Abergavenny RC rider clawed back early leader Bethany Crumpton before riding clear for victory in the later stages.
Crumpton, who leads James in the overall series, took the lead from the starting ramp and only her rival could live with her fast pace on the opening loop. As the snow began to fall Redditch-based Crumpton powered away in the mud and edged out a gap of a few seconds after the opening lap.
Local rider Amira Mellor led a solo battle behind the leading two but, as in the previous round in Kent, James used her endurance to bridge back up to the leader before taking the lead with two laps to go as both riders suffered crashes in the Bradford mud.
At the bell James’ advantage had grown to 40 seconds to secure her the victory. Crumpton kept hold of her leader’s jersey in the series.
“Early on Beth had a gap and the conditions were completely different to riding earlier in the day,” said James. “It was so much more slippy and muddy and the lines I took in practice were just not suitable for the race.
“To win again is great. The leader’s jersey will come down to the last round between me and Beth. I haven’t thought about it until now, but I will try my best to clinch the series.”
The 19-year-old James raced at the UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup in the Netherlands and the European Cyclo-Cross Championships, held in Pont-Chateau in France, last year. In January this year she finished 11th in the women’s Under-23 event at the UCI World Championships in Luxembourg – her second tilt at a world title.
The 2018 world championships return to the Netherlands on the first weekend of February.