This week the Cyclo-Cross race was going to be interesting after being laid low last week with the cold.
The Race was the T.L.I British Cyclo-Cross Championships and held at Heath Hall woods Dumfries. The course was a great mixture of technical single track, run up's, open fast bit's and plenty of mud!
The start went well with myself leading the pack into the first bit of singletrack although I got passed by a few as we ploughed into the mud I did come out third, at this point Ross was on his way in first with Steve Ward chasing and me chasing Steve in third.
Going onto the second lap I had got myself into second and got a gap although Ross had about 30secs up front I battled on to see if I could make any inroads in the gap.

All in I felt pretty good considering that I was on my back with a bad cold last week, so I am chuffed that the fitness/form is still there meaning I should finish the season strongly.
Next week is the double header on the Isle of Mull at Glengorm Castle held over Sat and Sun
(www.crossatthecastle.co.uk)
1st - Ross Creber
2nd - Craig Hardie
3rd - Steve Ward

Well I knew it would hit me sometime this season, yes I have got a stinker of a cold which puts me out of racing this weekend at the Cross in Rosyth.
This is a bit of a blow as I had a good run of form and the Rosyth Cross is my local event, I am now just going to concentrate in getting fit and ready for the rest of the season.
The cold started to get a hold on Wed night but I felt a bit better on Thursday so was quite confident in racing at the weekend, by Friday though the cold had really got a hold and it only seems to be getting a bit better tonight (Sat). Anyway better to miss one race than four or five later.
The picture is of myself and Adrian at Dunfermline Glen Gates ready for the Thursday night run to start.
See ya,
Craig. ATTISHOO......ATTISHOO......ATTISHOO

This weeks Cyclo-Cross race took place at the Auchentoshen circuit nr Glasgow and run by the Glasgow United Cycling Club.
I had been at the Scottish Highland Games Association presentaion awards last night (Sat) meaning I stayed out a bit later than I would normally if I had a race the next day, so once up in the morning I was not sure if I would feel alright after getting a bit less sleep even though I had not been drinking.
Once getting to the race site I took a few laps to get used to the course and felt pretty good. The course was a bit of a cracker with all the Cyclo-X elements included, the off camber banking going round a tree into a fast chute section being one of the highlights for me.
The Race started and after about half a lap I hit the front and went for a break into the technical section only to take a wrong turn and let the chasers pass me again. After catching up with James I hit the front again and pulled away to about a 40 Sec gap which I kept till the finish.
Next weekend is my local Cyclo-X event which is going to be held at the Roysth europarc meaning that I will have plenty time to get ready as the course is only about 4 miles from my house.
Thanks to Alan Quinn, Glasgow United and all the helpers, cheers.
1st - Craig Hardie
2nd - James Fraser Moodie
3rd - Ian Nimmo

Well now the Cyclo-Cross Scottish Championships are over I can go over my performance to take out the good and bad from the race.
I got a good start and ended up in first place looking back at the bunch seeing Ross Creber on my wheel, as we got down to the bottom of the course Ross took to the front with Gareth in 2nd and myself in 3rd we then went on to pull out a gap mostly down to Ross's savage pace at the front dragging Gareth and myself away from the chasing pack.
After the first few laps Gareth started dropping off the pace and as I found out later had suffered a puncture which he change a wheel to get going again all be it down the field slightly. Once Gareth had dropped away I tried to go with Ross but struggled to stay on his wheel so dropped to my on pace, in the meantime Dan Whitehead was catching me every lap and was as close as 4 secs at one point only to snap his chain!
I was then thinking that I was on for a solid silver medal but Gareth was not having any of it as he pulled me back towards the last three laps, once he caught and passed me I was sitting comfortable behind him waiting for the attack but for what ever reason Gareth did not go for it so then it was going to go down to a sprint on the last lap.
The last few corners were on grass on a banking off camber making it very interesting, going into the second off camber corner only two corners from the finish I passed Gareth on the inside to get a better line but thrown into the mix was a back marker. At this point I had to take a tighter line up the banking when the tyres gave way sliding me down the banking and as I held on to the bike it dug in to the grass to right myself and the bike upright again to get back up an away!
Gareth at this time had to try and avoid the bodies and bikes which held him up enough that I had a gap and was over to the finish line to claim the second place hopefully entertaining the crowd into the bargin.
So a great course, great racing and all well organised by Graham Barclay and all the helpers who without there would be no racing, so thank you.
Scottish Cyclo-Cross Championships
1st - Ross Creber
2nd - Craig Hardie
3rd - Gareth Montgomerie

I have again been racing Cyclo-Cross but this time it was at night on Wed 1st Nov at Plean country park nr Stirling.
After checking out the course which was quite fast going given the rain over the last few days I got ready at the start. After going into the lead in the first few laps I got passed by James and he then went on to pull out a lead which was the last I seen of him. Going on to the last two laps I tired very badly to the point of seeing double, this meant that Paul caught and passed me in the last lap making me 3rd on the night which I am well chuffed with since I could hardly turn the pedals towards the end.
So you ask what went wrong? well I do not know but the only thing I can put the tiring down to was that it was nearly freezing and it felt like the energy had been drawn from me. All I can say is if 3rd is my worst result then I will take that quite happly.(pic is from the start)
Positions:
1st - James Fraser Moodie
2nd - Paul Mcinally
3rd - Craig Hardie

I took part in my first off-road event for about 3 years on Sun the 29th Nov which was a Cyclo-Cross race at Mugdock park nr Glasgow.

The course was fantastic with a bit of technical sections and fast open thrown in for good measure. I started off with a fall in the second corner which was not good but I remounted quick and slotted in to about 6th or 7th place, I battled through back up to 3rd and then made it up to 1st where I pulled a gap on James to hold till the finish and win with a big grin on my face.

Here are some pics from the race above (I am the one in the yellow and blue Dunfermline CC colours) The last pic shows me after the finish with my daughter Lois.
Positions:
1st - Craig Hardie
2nd - James Fraser Moodie
3rd - Andy Wardman

Well this is the first time I have posted since the start of the year which means I have been well busy in the shop at hardie-bikes.
I have now started racing after about a year, the racing is Cyclo-Cross which is a toss up between Mountain biking and road cycling as it is done off-road on a dropped bar bike, my new steed for the Cyclo-Cross racing coming up is the Trek XO-2 pictured above.