The 2022/23 season has been a standout one for OUCC, with our riders putting in several stellar performances to achieve a bounty of BUCS medals over the course of the year. This is an outline of our BUCS and Varsity results over the season so far, with hopefully more to come at the BUCS 10 mile TT and road race!
Varsity took place on the 26th of March. As has been the case in recent years, the race was integrated into the BUCS 25 time trial event hosted near to Newmarket by CUCC.
- Overall BUCS Race: Oxford won both men’s and women’s team gold, plus took the women’s individual win with a storming ride from Laura John. Matt Coulson took a well-deserved second in the men’s race amongst a strong field, adding to his gold medal from the BUCS Hill Climb champs back in November.
- Varsity: The above results, as well as great strength in depth from the whole Oxford team, saw both individual Varsity trophies go to Oxford (Laura & Matt), as well as the men’s team shield being won by Matt Coulson, Alex Herd, & George Hale. Sadly, Cambridge took home the newly minted women’s team shield – kindly sponsored by club kit supplier Le Col, though they had an Olympic rower racing for them which was arguably somewhat of an advantage!
You can find some great photos of the racing and awards ceremony here and here – ceremony pictures at the end of each album.
On the 18th of March, we sent four teams to the BUCS 3-up team time trial. Despite a puncture and broken disc wheel on the final climb, Oxford took home gold in the men’s championships with our 1st team – consisting of Alex Herd, Matt Coulson, and Max Bolton – resoundingly beating out 2nd place Bath by 47sec. Unfortunately, the women’s 1st team suffered a puncture so DNFed (to record a time you have to finish with all three riders). The time set by our remaining two riders though, who continued racing, would have placed them third overall – so they’d certainly have been competing for the overall win without their misfortune! Despite this, a quick time from the women’s 2nd team saw OUCC still take 3rd in the combined team event.
On the 15th and 16th of March, our resident DH star Hugo de Boissard put in a storming ride in tough conditions to take the overall bronze at the BUCS Downhill MTB Championships from a field of 125 riders!
For the weekend of the 4th & 5th of March we had a number of riders racing at the BUCS Track championships in Newport. There were impressive performances all round, with Max Bolton taking 5th in the men’s elimination race and Maisy Vasic taking 8th in the women’s IP.
On Sunday the 19th of February, we took on Cambridge for the MTB Varsity – in the form of a XC race. Despite overall wins by CUCC in both team competitions, OUCC riders produced impressive performances and the men’s 1st & 2nd place positions were taken by Max Bolton & Tom Long respectively. The women’s second place was also taken by Oxford’s Elizabeth Hayman – racing aboard on a newly purchased club bike no less!