Thomas Mein, Xan Crees and Luke Trafford delivered a superb day for British cyclocross on Saturday, claiming three victories at the Stockholm Cyclocross Weekend in Sweden.
The UCI C2 event, held at Täby Park just north of Stockholm, attracted an international field, with British riders enjoying an outstanding opening day of racing.
In the elite men’s race, Hope Factory Racing’s Thomas Mein took a hard-fought victory over Belgium’s Kenay De Moyer, crossing the line just five seconds ahead of his rival after almost an hour of racing.
Dutch rider Bailey Groenendaal completed the podium, finishing 16 seconds behind Mein, with Belgium’s Clément Horny fourth.
There was further British success in the elite women’s race, where Xan Crees, riding for Spectra Racing p/b DAS, produced an impressive performance to take victory in 51 minutes and 34 seconds.
Crees finished 26 seconds ahead of Norway’s Oda Laforce, while fellow Briton Amy Perryman ensured two British riders stood on the podium, claiming third place just 48 seconds behind the winner.
However, the most convincing British victory of the day came in the junior men’s race, where Luke Trafford dominated the competition to finish 53 seconds clear of Sweden’s Melvin Pålsson Gustafsson.
Denmark’s Philip Hyldtoft took third, while two more British youngsters demonstrated the strength of the travelling contingent. Joseph Wooliscroft finished fourth, just over a minute behind Trafford, with Xander Graham completing the top five only four seconds further back.
The results represent an encouraging start to the international cyclocross season for Britain’s riders, particularly with valuable UCI ranking points available at the Swedish events.
With three victories, an additional podium finish and two more riders inside the junior top five, Saturday’s racing provided plenty of reasons for optimism.
The Stockholm Cyclocross Weekend continues on Sunday, offering Britain’s riders another opportunity to build on their impressive performances.
