The British University Sports Association Mountain Bike Championships (inter-university sport not just being rowing, apparently) are this weekend (or 28-30 March to give it its full and proper title) at Hopton Woods, Shropshire. There’re downhill and XC events with 380 riders from 50 “institutions” (it says here) taking part. DH champ Rowan Sorrell will be representing Glamorgan, while over in XC Andy Oliver (Teesside) and Sara Whelan (Loughborough) will both be back to defend their titles.

That’s the serious side. On the less serious side, look out for BM regulars, Team Sperm’s DaSilva virtual family. They promise that at least some of them will be racing in suits, which is as good a way of indicating that you have no intention of winning as any. They’re representing various Manchester universities (there’s now about ninety of them, we think) although their best rider, ex-MBUK/Scott Scholarship winner Dave Duggan, is out injured.

“It’ll still be a great race and a massive party,” says Team Sperm’s Mike Hall. Might have guessed that there’d be cheap booze involved somewhere…