BUDE’s Tom Fox was the winner of this year’s Cornish Nutcracker Cycle Race, sponsored by Ride It Cycles of Bude, which took place on the final weekend of September.

The event can be described as a ‘hillclimb endurance’ race as competitors race up eight of the most demanding coastal hills between Bude and Boscastle and back.

Despite the wet weather, for the second year in a row, the race maintains its safety as the riders work hard on the slow uphill sections but can take their time to slowly negotiate the steep descents in-between.

Riders met at Bude Surf Life Saving Club at Crooklets Beach in Bude for registration and pre-race briefings and then rolled out to start the race properly at Bude’s Crescent car park.

The hills from then on included the first climb out of the town from the Crescent following Lynstone Road to the top of Upton. Cyclists then continued on the coast road for the next hill starting at Widemouth Bay and climbing up to the Widemouth Manor.

At this point the riders picked up the narrower road leading to Millook. Next hill was from Wanson Mouth to the northern car park above Millook, then a slow descent into Millook itself before climbing up the southern side of this impressive valley. 

Riders then carried on to Crackington to take on the longest hill at High Cliff before descending down to Boscastle for the start of the return leg. First the long drag out of Boscastle, followed by Crackington and then the final and steepest of all, Millook northside.

The race provides overall positions as well as category winners for each of the eight separate hills.

Winners of the separate categories included Tom Fox at Upton for the fastest 30s, George Bright at Widemouth for the fastest 20s, Charlie Stainton-Bygrave at Wanson won the Marshals Award, Dean Wickett at Millook South won the ‘Best Newcomer’ award, Simon Hammond at High Cliff was the fastest 50s, Lee Sampson at Boscastle was the fastest 40s, George Bright at Crackington won the ‘Non-resident’ award and Tom Fox at Millook won the fastest local resident award.

When all the times were collected and checked, the top three were:

Winner: Tom Fox — 51 minutes and nine seconds; Runner-up: Chris Hammond — 56:06; 3rd: Lee

Sampson — 56:45.

Event organisers Shoreline Extreme Sports expressed their thanks to Ride It Cycles for their sponsorship of this event and to Bude Surf Life Saving Club and all the marshals and time keepers who helped on the day.

One of the organisers, Simon Hammond, said: “It was probably a worse day for them than the riders who might not have appreciated the rain, but did stay cool on the exhausting climbs. Nicola (Simon’s wife) and I would also like to thank the volunteer marshals that have helped out all year with the Junior Triathlon, the Shoreline Triathlon and the Awesome Foursome Quadrathlon.

“Next year’s Nutcracker will probably stay in September and we’re hopeful of even more local riders coming along to have a go.

“Keep your eyes on the Shoreline website for more information.”