Welcome back to Cyclocross as the Wessex Cyclocross League returned to Clanfield for the first round of the 2026 Cyclocross Season. Once again hosted by Solent Pirates, the start of September saw the kick off of the CX in the South. Another difficult course with precarious off-camber, switchback climbs and the usual power play, Clanfield returned as one of the hardest courses on our calendar.
This year the racing schedule is a little different but we still started the day with our youth cyclists. In the U8s, Max Adams claimed second, taking his first ever CX podium in his first ever CX race. Flo Boustred came third in the U10 Girls, followed by Amie Williams in sixth. Wilf Barlow finished seventh in the Open category and Harrison Hough finished fifteenth. In the U12s, Jess Barry came sixth in the Girls and Theo Plumb took sixth in the Open. Archie Frogley finished ninth, Joseph Lovegrove in eleventh, Alfie Hough in sixteenth and Rex Davies in eighteenth.
This season a few of our Sotonia riders took to the adults course for the first time. In the U14 Girls, Emily Williams came fourth, an excellent result for her first race in the U14s. Billy Dyer came tenth in the Open category. Reuben Lewis finished fifteen with James Martin not far behind in sixteenth. James Sutton came eighteenth and Ruben Davies in nineteenth. In the U16 Girls, Alexis Barry came fifth. Eve Carline suffered a mechanical and finished sixth.
Then came the schedule change. This season, the Senior Open joined the M40 and Juniors, adding to the usual cyclocross craziness. Niclas Olley took his first podium in the Seniors category, finishing second with Sam Marcade coming fourth. Andi Gardiner claimed his first win of the season, with Pete Boustred finishing third. Marit Davidse came fourth in her first Junior Women’s race. Jon Hall took twelfth in the M50s, while Jon Dudley finished fifth in the M60s.
So once again a great start to the cyclocross season with Sotonia appearing on five podiums.