SpotChat: Oli Beckingsale in Yellow

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Endura’s Oli Beckingsale found himself in Yellow after a second place at the Shrewsbury National Trophy.

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It’s full steam ahead to the final round of the National Trophy and then the British Cyclo-Cross Championships says all round racer Oli Beckingsale. The Endura rider admitted that Belgian winner Hofman was in a different class at Shrewsbury. “He’s an International rider and I’m a national ‘cross rider. He showed what the difference was between us out there.”

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Above: Oli (left) leads the National Trophy by two points from Paul Oldham (right) with one round (Derby) to go. 

Oli explained that he had a good start and on that opening lap, opened up a gap but then a slipped chain put him back in the second group while Hofman pressed on at the front giving no-one a chance of catching him. “I’m back in the overall lead and it’s all down to Derby so it’s going to be interesting. For the senior race to come down to the wire between Paul and myself can only be a good thing.”

“It’s been nip and tuck. In the last round I was involved in that close gallop for second and they gave that to the Belgian and that was enough to keep me back and then today, I just wanted to try and win one of these before the season’s done but the series overall was the priority. I was happy to do a consistent ride and get a place up on Paul. At one point, he did slip back to a small group so I was hoping the guys would do him over but that didn’t happen.”

“With each race, I feel I am getting better. I want to get through Christmas healthy now and also have a good nationals as well as win the series. Mountain Bike and Cyclo-Cross series in the same season would not be a bad little achievement!”

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A determined Oli Beckingsale at Shrewsbury

Asked what is more important, Trophy series or National Champs, Oli doesn’t need time to think about it … “the National Championships is ahead of the National series. Same with mountain bike and same with the road. That one day championship means a lot to riders. It is going to be difficult and me and Paul Oldham are setting ourselves up for a fight.”

“Then you have Ian Field who is Belgium based. You’d put him as favourite but round Bradford, I know I have ridden alright round there before and me and Oldham will make a good account of ourselves.”

“I have couple of weeks to train now and I probably won’t race now until Derby (National Trophy, Jan 6). I decided I wasn’t going to run round the country like an idiot and there isn’t a load of racing down in the South West, so its Derby and then the Nationals. To win the cyclo-cross nationals, I’d be chuffed to bits to do that. It’s a big aim”.

Oli confirmed he’ll be riding for Endura again in 2013 doing mountain bike races as well road. “Endura Racing have moved on to join NetApp and that’s a great move and will be great for both parties” Oli says.

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Oli is first to the hurdles on lap 1 of the race at Shrewsbury.

“I will still be riding for Endura with a couple of new sponsors. I did a bit of road this year and will do a bit of road next year too. Lincoln, maybe Rutland if I can get a ride, nationals again. I’m not racing internationally next year, just domestically as that is where I am better off at my stage of my career. I think I can still do a good job, not just for myself but also for Endura.”

“One of my main roles at Endura for the last two years has been to help them develop their high end MTR clothing range for mountain biking kit and that has been sold for the last four months and is going really well. So that is a big goal to keep pushing that product. At this stage of my career, it’s nice to have other things going on like that. I’ve been with them for two years and it’s been like a fresh start and they’ve been the best sponsor I’ve had.”

“I’m enjoying my roles on the race track and off it.”

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Oli Beckingsale is much more than just a cross and mountain biker. On the right, Oli was part of the big break in the British Road Race Championship in North Yorkshire.

 

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