There were quite a few folks who were curious to hear about Batty 'Cross this year so I’ll do my best to give a report!
The race was held at the Trail Hub in Uxbridge this year with the course being approx 2km in length. It featured some strong (read hard) climbs and some technical downhill slaloms coming down the ski hill that challenged many riders. No barriers were set up in the Sportif race but a soft sand hill was tossed into one of the downhill sections that required some handling skills. A few other steep descents were thrown in that would favour someone with a MTB background. Here’s a look at the course map:
For the race itself, I was in the Sportif category with 9 racers total and managed to pull out a 2nd place finish! It was a tough course for beginners with almost half the field going DNF. There was one long gravel climb about 2/3 of the way through the lap that did most people in. (thanks Heartbreaker laps for training)
The event was very family friendly with lots of Halloween decorations set up and a kids zone for riding on some ramps in a small circuit. The main spectator area was at the top of the ski hill by the Chalet where a small graveyard was set up that the racers would go through and get heckled. “It’s very disrespectful to ride through a graveyard!”
Overall it a was great time and I’d recommend it if you’re looking for something outside the OCup circuit that brings a more family focused event. Just make sure you’ve done your climbing training going in! Looking forward to the “pancake” that will be Dam Cross this weekend!
