WEM cyclocross star Isaac Vickery was in familiar territory on the top step of the podium following round two of the winter series.

Hosted by Shibden Cycle Club in partnership with Yorkshire Cyclo-Cross Association, round two of the No Nonsense Winter Cyclo Cross took place on October 10 at the Hunsworth Show Ground in Bradford.

Isaac road the first round on September 19 in bright sunshine and was beaten by the Northern under-10 cyclocross champion from Derwentside Cycle Club.

With this in mind Isaac travelled back to Yorkshire for round two hoping to reverse the first round result.

With high hopes for the race, the heavens opened making for a truer run-cross race.

The second round was very well attended with 50 boys and girls in Isaac's race but unfortunately no northern champion.

For the rice the riders lined up on a Covid-safe grid with 70 two metre by two metre boxes.

Isaac was in grid-slot one, with the absence of the Derwentside boy, so had the prime position and he made it tell with a flying start.

The course suited Isaac with deep sticky drying mud and by the first corner no rider had any tread showing with their tyres struggling to clear the mud.

This made it very slippery and hard to climb or descend so the rider that can stay on his bike for the longest without having to dismount and run had the advantage.

This advantage fell to Isaac and by the end of the second lap he had not had to dismount and had a minute's lead.

As the race continued Isaac picked his way through the backmarkers, occasionally having to dismount and climb one especially steep mud bank if his racing line was blocked.

By the end of the sixth lap Isaac had built a lead of 1 minute and 25 seconds and had lapped all but seven of the competitors to win with ease.

It will be a different challenge again in round three on the October 28 if the Northern Champion returns but Isaac says he is looking forward to the race and hopes it is again wet, muddy and tough.