YORKSHIRE Cyclo-Cross Association Fred Rothwell described them as “sporting royalty”.

Lizzie Deignan, who earned more global recognition recently as the first female winner of the Paris-Roubaix, was a spectator at Myrtle Park in 2019.

However, the sporting royalty that Rothwell was referring to in 2021 at the fourth round of the YCCA Points Series at the Bingley venue were competing in the women’s event - namely Great Britain triathletes Vicky Holland, Georgia Taylor-Brown and Nom Stanford.

Taylor-Brown, World Traithlon champion in 2020, finished fourth; Stanford, world champion in 2013, was fifth, and Holland, world champion in 2018, was seventh, but they were no match for classy winner Millie Couzens (Crelan-IKO).

However, it was just good for Yorkshire cyclo-cross that the trio were taking part.

Calverley-based Taylor-Brown, 27, said: “We have three weeks until our last triathlon of the season in Abu Dhabi so we thought to help with the motivation levels we would enter a ‘cross’ race and mix things up and have fun instead of doing a Sunday bike session.

“And it was fun and I think that I will be back after what was my first ‘cross’ race ever, but I think that I need a bit more skill.”

Leeds-based Stanford, 32, was level with her GB team-mate Taylor-Brown until the former crashed, saying: “I just slid out on a corner and was probably getting a bit too ambitious.

“I realised that you need good brakes for a ‘cross’ race and mine weren’t functioning very well so there were a few lessons learnt, but we hope to be back if it fits in with our training schedule.”

Taylor-Brown added: “We rode here and we are going to ride back along the canal and find a cafe.”

Stanford said: “We enjoyed ourselves and it was a friendly environment so thanks for having us.”

The women’s race started three minutes before the men’s over-50 race, and Couzens, who opened up a gap of 14 seconds on the shorter women’s opening lap, was never caught by man or woman.

By the end the Oxfordshire-based rider was ahead of runner-up Libby Greatorex (www.cyclocrossrider.com) by almost two-and-a-half minutes.

Couzens, whose grandparents live in Baildon, said: “It was good to hold off the men. I was happy with that and it was a good course, quite hard and twisty, with some hills that made it difficult.

“I am still at school doing my A-levels, but I think that cycle full-time for a year or two and see how it goes.”

The gutsiest ride of the day in many ways, however, came from 15-year-old Florence Greenhalgh, who overcame longer-term health issues and a cold to win the under-16 girls’ race.

The Menston teenager, who is a pupil at St Mary’s Menston, said: “It was a good race and I led from the start to take my first win of the season.”

Charlotte Lissaman (Newark Castle CC) was the under-14 girls’ winner, Jacob Steed (Sherwood Pines Cycles Forme) took the equivalent boys’ title, while Mackenzie Riley (Shibden Cycling Club) was the under-16 boys’ winner.

Matilda McKibben (Team SB Hub) was top female junior, while Alison Kinloch (PH-MAS-Paul Milnes Cycles) rode determinedly to take the women’s over-40 crown, with Liz Rylott (York Cycleworks) was the over-50 winner, ahead of Nicky Hartle (PH-MAS-Paul Milnes Cycles).

Shibden Cycling Club’s Joe Coukham won the men’s race, while team-mate Bjorn Koerdt from Bramhope was runner-up and took the junior men’s crown, with Shipley-based Chris Young’s nephew Jenson (Saint Piran) taking bronze.

Former Ilkley CC rider Stefan Macina (Shibden Cycling Club) was the men’s over-50 winner, while Roy Hunt (Team Bottechia) was first men’s over-60.

First-year over-50 Macina said: “It was really hard but I cannot believe that it was this warm and dry as I was expecting mud everywhere.

“I was helped by a little crash off the line which help some guys up so I the advantage of going hard, but Millie was brilliant. It was an amazing ride by her.

“But I have podiumed in every Yorkshire race so far and am aiming for the top ten in national races.”

There was a double for Clifton CC at under-12 level with Lily Speak (ahead of Shibden CC’s Elsie Hughes) and Zac Hutchinson, while Leo Barker, of promoting club Bronte Tykes, was third in the latter race behind Casey Jackson (Shibden CC).

The classy Louis Stanton-Spencer took the under-10 boys’ race, 17 seconds clear of Jake Thornton (Ilkley CC), while Elodie Geall (Shibden CC) won the equivalent girls’ race.

Under-eight champions were Isaac Spencer (Shibden CC) and Eva Ridley.