Fox sisters aiming for Velopark glory

Sisters Lauren and Eva Fox aim to be the star turns for the host Mid-Devon Cycling Club at this weekend’s Third Round of the National Trophy Cyclo-Cross Series at Paignton’s Torbay Velopark.

Lauren goes into the meeting as joint-leader of the Girls’ Under-14 class – it’s the first time that the MDCC has ever had a junior rider in that position.

She won’t be wearing the overall leader’s jersey, but only because she didn’t win the last round at South Shields.

Eva will be hoping for a big ride in the Junior Women’s race after returning recently from a warm-weather training camp with the British Cycling squad in Tenerife.

In the last two years Fox would have come back from the sun to gruellingly muddy conditions at Clennon Valley, but not this time.

Recent dry weather has dried out the purpose-built Velopark track, and co-organiser Rob Woodger says: “The course is looking fantastic.

“It could be so fast by the weekend that we may have to think about extending some of the races.”

Hundreds of the best off-road riders in the country, backed up by family and support crews, will be heading for the English Riviera with important points at stake in the five-round series.

The age-group races are on Saturday and the Junior and Elite competitions on Sunday.