For anyone who didn’t know what cyclo-cross is it proved a real eye-opener.
A form of bicycle racing, races consist of many laps of a short course featuring a variety of surfaces including wooded trails, grass, steep hills and obstacles requiring the rider to quickly dismount and carry the bike while navigating the obstruction then remount.
Elite and under-23 riders from across Britain navigated the course on Saturday in a bid for the coveted national champions’ jerseys, as did the junior and open veteran 50+ and 60+ riders. On Sunday, youth riders, female veterans and open veteran 40+ riders were racing.
But on both days large crowds of spectators turned out in bitterly cold conditions to cheer on all the riders.
Falkirk Junior Bike Club also played a significant role, helping with the running and organisation of the event – an event which the club said wasn’t just a seismic moment for cycling in Falkirk but actually for Scotland as a whole.