The pain and euphoria of cycle racing is unique. Arctic conditions, wind, rain, and mud so thick you could build a house from the stuff. This is the attraction, the harder the better. Only the strong survive, after all this is the discipline affectionately known as cyclocross. We pick up the story from Round 4 of the National Trophy Series at Mallory Park courtesy of Mike "the Badger" Warner.

"Lungs already burning and just minutes in to the race, an hour of feeling worse than death and that's if it goes well. I got a good start and was up in the top 20 when on the second off camber bend a guy went to ground two in front of me, then the rider directly in front hits him and goes over the bars. His back wheel spinning at 4000rpm shoots up and brakes suddenly on my hand which is on top of the hoods. A sudden rush of panic leaves me thinking I have a broken finger. But, being a race it doesn't affect me immediately, so I push on.

A lap later I get a good old fashioned whack on the ball of the ankle from my SPD, leaving me thinking I've chipped the bone. Not to be moved by this, I once again push on, catching a group of four that I'd been dropped by earlier. By now the pain is replaced by adrenalin and determination. My rhythm is broken as I roll a tub at full speed on the last lap. I did manage to pull it back on, but the group was gone and another chipper caught me but I couldn't respond through fears of the tub rolling again.

I languished home in a diassapointing 34th, and when I took my bloodied glove off was greeted by 3 large strips of flesh hanging off and some bad swelling. Luckily there wasn't any first aid I could find or be directed to either, but the Audi comes fully equipped (with bandages and foil blanket) so I was ok. Finger and ankle are still killing me 36 hours later, but that's cross for you.......at least it made typing this report a four hour process! Bring on Round 5 next month, I need revenge!"