Wheelers to welcome muddy marvels back to Fairthorne

The club welcomed almost 300 riders to the Curdridge venue when they laid on a triumphant 11th round last month.

And they are now be aiming to repeat that trick – with a few minor alterations.

Wheelers organiser Phill Chinn said: ‘The entries are rolling in again – despite it clashing with another round of the National Trophy Series.

‘The course looks like it is going to be muddier than the last one.

‘Fairthorne hosted the Hampshire Cross-Country Championships last weekend, so the ground is already cut up in places.

‘But as I said before, cyclocross riders are a hardy bunch.

‘And we will be running it in reverse, with a few other changes to the course to help out.’

Chinn has revealed almost 150 riders have pre-entered the latest round of the competition, which attracts talents from all across the south of England.

Among those to have pencilled Fareham’s latest race into their schedule is a reigning world champion.

Chinn added: ‘Dave McMullen, from Cotswold Veldrijden, has already entered.

‘He is the current world champion at masters 60-64 level.

‘He may sound a bit old but he will smash a lot of the much younger guys into the ground!’

The action begins with the under-12 race at 10am.

Races for youths, novices, juniors, veterans and women all follow before the seniors and under-23s take centre stage at 2pm.

Grab The News or visit portsmouth.co.uk on Saturday for a full race preview.