In Episode 13 of season 8 Neil, Matt and Xan review the Lievin World Champs with its magnificent team relay that was exciting even with just the live timing.

They cover all the races and The Crosscast Podium Picker competition in which Xan proved her expertise unlike Matt and Neil who didn’t have a great year!

Was the course exciting, dull, challenging, or just confusing? What do you think?

In the Laatste Ronde they look forward to a much changed National Trophy calendar and a very unchanged World Cup. Neil predicts a change in regs to allow for SEVEN Belgian rounds 😜.

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To support the show pop over to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crosscast to make a donation towards our hosting fees - every little helps! Follow us on Insta and Facebook, and share to your networks! Neil Mansfield @crosscastneil is part of Grity Sustainable Sports Apparel @gritykit, and Matt Payne @mattfixerpayne runs Full Speed Events @full_speed_events. Xan Crees @xancrees races for Team Spectra p/b DAS.

In Episode 12 of Season 8, Neil, Matt and Xan unpack a pair of tough races that rounded out the World Cup. Xan gives her on-the-ground review of just how tough they were, at the technical-tastic Maasmechelen and total classic of Hoogerheide.

They give thoughts on the World Cup as whole and whether the compressed calendar worked.

The most important competition of the year is on us all! Yes it is YOUR chance to compete in the annual Crosscast Podium Picker Competition at tinyurl.com/podium25

The Crosscast Trio give their podium picks for the upcoming World Champs... can you do better (probably), and can you do better than anyone else in your household (possibly).

Can't wait.

Support the show

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To support the show pop over to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crosscast to make a donation towards our hosting fees - every little helps! Follow us on Insta and Facebook, and share to your networks! Neil Mansfield @crosscastneil is part of Grity Sustainable Sports Apparel @gritykit, and Matt Payne @mattfixerpayne runs Full Speed Events @full_speed_events. Xan Crees @xancrees races for Team Spectra p/b DAS.

In Episode 11 of Season 8, Neil, Matt and Xan look back on the recent goings on in the world of cross. In a show that has more ups and downs than the Loenhout washboard (AKA the 'oopsie whoopsies') they travel from the ice of Cyclopark to the Mediterranean sunshine of Benidorm.

This week the National Body has received a lot of criticism and they unpack the issues surrounding World Championships Selection and the decisions not to fill places in the Elite Women and U23 Men categories. They review the selection process and consider whether it gives the best outcomes, and whether it was followed.

They also get some insight into the (lack of) TV coverage at the National Champs and talk through the hits and misses for the event as a whole.

Xan is excited to preview the World Cup finale double weekend coming from Maaaaasmechelen and Hooooogerheide where she will have a chance to admire the National Champs stripes in the famous courseside mirror wall. Don't get distracted Xan!

Support the show

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To support the show pop over to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crosscast to make a donation towards our hosting fees - every little helps! Follow us on Insta and Facebook, and share to your networks! Neil Mansfield @crosscastneil is part of Grity Sustainable Sports Apparel @gritykit, and Matt Payne @mattfixerpayne runs Full Speed Events @full_speed_events. Xan Crees @xancrees races for Team Spectra p/b DAS.

CROSSCAST LIVE from Cyclopark Gravesend. Live from the cafe, Neil Matt and Xan talk through the action from the National Champs.

The big news is that Xan did it - she is National Elite Cyclocross Champion! Awesome.

Support the show

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To support the show pop over to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crosscast to make a donation towards our hosting fees - every little helps! Follow us on Insta and Facebook, and share to your networks! Neil Mansfield @crosscastneil is part of Grity Sustainable Sports Apparel @gritykit, and Matt Payne @mattfixerpayne runs Full Speed Events @full_speed_events. Xan Crees @xancrees races for Team Spectra p/b DAS.

In Episode 9 of Season 8, Neil Matt and Xan look back on the end of the 2024-2025 Kerste Periode remembering an entertaining Baal with Van Empel only leading the race for about 1 metre (the most important 1 metre), and Iserbyt at his best. Koksijde added Sweeck to the list of legends, and Dendermonde was somehow a great watch despite some dominant rides and its usually ultra mud bath course.

The talk about Xans' peak in form with best ever result in a Belgian World Cup coming just before the National Champs.

The final round of the National Trophy partly came from Bradford with day 2 cancelled due to snow. What a disappointing season for UCI racers, especially when the younger and older riders got a full 5 races.

In the Laastse Ronde, they look forward to this weekend's National Championships; always a highlight of the season. In addition to the key Belgian and Netherlands competitions, they have a deep dive into what to expect for the British National Championships coming from Cyclopark. They are also given all the dirty details from Huw Williams, someone who knows every centimetre of the course.

With no TV expected this year, make sure that you get down to the side of the tape in Gravesend, and tune in to The Crosscast Live coming out on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Support the show

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To support the show pop over to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crosscast to make a donation towards our hosting fees - every little helps! Follow us on Insta and Facebook, and share to your networks! Neil Mansfield @crosscastneil is part of Grity Sustainable Sports Apparel @gritykit, and Matt Payne @mattfixerpayne runs Full Speed Events @full_speed_events. Xan Crees @xancrees races for Team Spectra p/b DAS.

In Episode 8 of Season 8 Neil, Matt and Xan catch up in the middle of the busiest time of the CX calendar, the Kerste Periode. With so much action they bring you a full show covering classics such as Zonhoven and Hulst, Diegem and Loenhout, with a decent look at Besancon.

Xan takes us through her experiences racing on some of the most challenging parcours of the year, and gives us insight into how she approached the barrage of huge fields, winter weather, and technical features.

Despite some dominant performances in some of the world cups, there have been a bunch of cracking races, including multiple career bests, some slow-burn races and others with gripping sections (for the men's racing, the start of Zonhoven, end of Diegem). One of the most compelling to watch had to be women's Loenhout... no spoilers here!

They preview the finale of the National Trophy Series, Baal, Koksijde and Dendermonde, and give more information on what to get excited about in the build-up to the National Champs just 2 weeks away.

With all of this World-class stuff going on, they also don't neglect local racing with Neil reporting back from his adventures. Respect to race organisers and volunteers during this busy time - chapeau.

📸MikeMazout 👌

Support the show

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To support the show pop over to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crosscast to make a donation towards our hosting fees - every little helps! Follow us on Insta and Facebook, and share to your networks! Neil Mansfield @crosscastneil is part of Grity Sustainable Sports Apparel @gritykit, and Matt Payne @mattfixerpayne runs Full Speed Events @full_speed_events. Xan Crees @xancrees races for Team Spectra p/b DAS.

In Episode 7 of Season 8 Neil, Matt and Xan catch up after a memorable few weeks… and Xan tells us how she is after her TV-time and horrible incident on the Namur bank.

They catch up on what happened and what didn’t at Clanfield National Trophy and Cabras / Namur World Cups. Neil raced day 1 of Clanfield (25th and fun had 😊) as did the regional champs crews in a very welcome and successful return to regional competitions.

The main winner of the Clanfield / Cabras UCI weekend seemed to be the weather.

Namur World Cup was certainly a huge challenge and saw a whole host of riders ejected off the front of the bike. Do they deserve a special memento like the Martin Baker Ejector Seat club membership?

They also give a full preview of Kerste Part A - the famous five, Hulst Zonhoven Mol Loenhout and Gavere.

Set your alarms and take a recovery day off CX on the 25th.

Support the show

--
To support the show pop over to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crosscast to make a donation towards our hosting fees - every little helps! Follow us on Insta and Facebook, and share to your networks! Neil Mansfield @crosscastneil is part of Grity Sustainable Sports Apparel @gritykit, and Matt Payne @mattfixerpayne runs Full Speed Events @full_speed_events. Xan Crees @xancrees races for Team Spectra p/b DAS.

In Episode 6 of Season 8 Neil and Matt are joined by Xan after her adventures at the World Cup that kicked off in Antwerp and then in Dublin.

Xan gives us all the details of the course from a rider's view with insights on the course, the atmosphere, the (lack of) grip, and we have to say it is awesome to see that Xan has got the top 50 World Ranking that has been a target for a while - ace job! Meanwhile Matt gives us insights on what they were doing to the sand that he could see while on the mic for the UCI World Coverage.

They reflect on the start of the World Cup and how Nys has not been having a nice time, how Iserbyt has not been looking relaxed and the fantastic form of Brand. Of course, they talk through the lap 1 incident when Boros' nose wheelie caused chaos behind.

Closer to home, Neil reports back on the Yorkshire league, and the destiny of his wheels that were lent to a newcomer after the sticky mud made gravel tyres a disaster.

In the Laatste Ronde they look forward to the upcoming National Trophy from Clanfield, a new venue for the Trophy and a place with a reputation already, of technical, hilly, and a rewarding race.

They also look forward to another newcomer, the World Cup from Cabras where there is not a lot of detail currently available; while there could be elements reminiscent of a Mediterranean version of Antwerp... who knows. Sadly, it seems that many of the front runners are choosing to take a break, but of course this opens up opportunity for others to show their potential.

Also coming up there is Namur - a superb classic. Just watch it.

Matt gives some early info on the UK National Champs; don't forget to save the date to race or spectate!.... watch this space for news.

Support the show

--
To support the show pop over to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crosscast to make a donation towards our hosting fees - every little helps! Follow us on Insta and Facebook, and share to your networks! Neil Mansfield @crosscastneil is part of Grity Sustainable Sports Apparel @gritykit, and Matt Payne @mattfixerpayne runs Full Speed Events @full_speed_events. Xan Crees @xancrees races for Team Spectra p/b DAS.