EXCLUSIVE Xan Crees’ rise to the top has been remarkable and the British cyclocross star is ready to take her talents back the continent for the new season
Xan Crees pondered the question for a second, thinking about the long road she had taken to the top of her chosen sport.
“Maybe it’s that stubbornness that it’s got me through the last few years,” she told Daily Star Sport , breaking the momentary silence with a poignant moment of reflection.
It’s early October, and summer has already faded into autumn, as brown leaves drift from the trees. This is Crees’ favourite time of year – one she has been anticipating since January.
Seven months have passed since Crees, 24, won the British cyclocross national championship – a gruelling discipline that throws riders through mud, sand, and everything in between – but she still can’t quite believe it.
“You can physically see it,” she said with a small laugh. “There are about four emotion shifts in under one second.
“I crashed quite close to the end, on the last lap, and up until that point, I was feeling really confident..It was like a lifelong dream coming true.
“There’s just the pure disbelief that ‘how on earth did that just happen? Did that actually just happen?’”
It was the realisation of a childhood dream that had once been threatened by a crash. After being hit by a car while out on her bike, Crees struggled with anxiety while out on the road.
She credits off-road disciplines like cyclocross and gravel racing with helping her fall back in love with being on two wheels.
But even with that renewed passion, she was juggling cyclocross alongside her day job – working 9-5 before training in the evening. “I was travelling constantly,” Crees continued.
“Because I had to work midweek, I’d be flying out to Europe on Fridays, racing at the weekend, and coming straight back.”
It was a lot, and Crees admitted she had thought about packing it all in last summer: “I had a really tough season. I started the year with an injury, and in the first few races after returning, I was out on the first lap of both.
“After another injury in October, I decided to focus on the national championships, thinking I could make it a highlight of the year.
“But on the first lap – actually, probably within the first 30 seconds – I dropped my chain and fell from third to last place.
“That season was just so hard. My partner encouraged me to do one more year, saying, ‘You can’t end it like this.’ So I committed fully to one more season.”
Still working while racing, Crees took her bike around the UK, Sweden, Belgium, and the Netherlands en route to the national championships in Gravesend.
“It wasn’t like I went into that race thinking, ‘I’m going to win this; no one can beat me; I’m the best by a mile’.
“But there was this moment of thought – ‘I think I can do this. I think I could win this bike race’,” Crees continued.
There were strong riders on the start line: Cat Ferguson and Imogen Wolff have both had breakout seasons on the road, while Anna Kay has been something of a force of nature on the British cross fields.
Crees took the lead on the first lap, telling herself quietly: “‘Okay, you’ve got this. You can do it’,” and never let up.
And now with the British bands across her chest, Crees has taken the bold decision to go full-time – launching her own team to support her this season.
It’s a big decision, and one she was thankful for all the brands that have believed in her heading into the new season.
Crees explained how she used her salary to fund her racing – but with the backing of sponsors, she’s now able to book her trips months in advance and can plan everything properly.
“It’s really nice not having to worry about whether I can afford to go to a race – I can just go and do it,” she admitted.
Crees started her season in the UK, before jetting over to Sweden for a block of racing – taking the chequered flag at Varberg Cyclocross Day 2 on Sunday (October 19).
It was that block in Sweden that Crees credited with learning how to win races. She also admitted she wants to show off the stripes in the UK before heading to cross’ heartlands: Belgium and the Netherlands.
Cyclocross peaks over the festive period – the locals call it the Kerstperiode – with 11 races over 16 days and free-flowing beer in Belgian fields.
“There are more races, more spectators, and a really special atmosphere. We also get a lot more Brits coming over – some to race in other categories, and others just to watch and make a bit of a Christmas trip out of it.
“Getting to spend that period wearing the national champion’s jersey is going to be incredible. I don’t think I’ll even be able to put it into words until I’m there.
Fanatics Premier League kit and merch sale
Various
Fanatics
Shop the sale here
Fanatics has slashed the price of football kits and merch from Premier League clubs including Man United, Man City, Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal, Spurs and more.
“It’s going to be such a surreal and emotional moment. I think it’ll really hit me – that feeling of pride, of seeing how far I’ve come and where I am now.
And there’s one race that stands out for Crees when she’s on the continent: “To think that a few years ago Loenhout was where I first started racing in Europe.
“And now I’ll be returning in the national stripes, with my family coming out to watch over Christmas – that’s just really special. It’s going to be such a proud and meaningful moment for all of us.”
#Xan #Crees #inspirational #rise #national #champion #set #cyclocross #return
