Club spotlight: Ythan Cycling Club

Club spotlight: Ythan Cycling Club

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Published on: 18th November 2013

By Peter Clark, Regional Development Officer

Club info: www.ythancc.org.uk


Each month we will be putting the spotlight on one club from each Region for the Club Newsletter. This month its the turn of the North East and Ythan CC! Read all about the club below.

Ythan Cycling Club

The lifespan of their existence may not match some of the best known cycling clubs in the North and North East of Scotland but since their creation in 1987 Ythan Cycling Club, based in Ellon, Aberdeenshire has grown in a manner that few could have predicted.

Founded 26 years ago by local cycling enthusiasts, including the late Graham Gerrard, the club maintained a presence in Ellon through its friendly club runs and a confined time trial series held on several courses on the outskirts of the town.

The 1990s saw the emergence of talented riders such as Simon Crook and Neil Gerrard both of whom made an impression locally in road races. The club briefly had the coup of having talented Northumbrian roadman Bill Hart as a member and Bill produced some fantastic performances whilst with Ythan winning both in Aberdeenshire and beyond.

During the 90s and early 00s the clubs main strength was in time trialling with riders progressing from the confined series to the established races within the Aberdeen and District area with several members securing notable performances in National Championships and the Scottish BAR.  One member whose name appeared near the top of the results on a regular basis was Fiona Duncan, a local Police Officer who had taken up the sport alongside her husband Andy.  Fiona quickly established herself as one of the most talented female time trialists in Scotland.

Club turbo training evenings ensured that the winters passed quickly but as is still the case, the family environment within the club ensured that the social side of cycling was always enjoyed with barbecues and curry nights always proving popular.

As the popularity of cycling in Britain soared after the Beijing Olympics in 2008 it also coincided with the children of several members taking up the sport and this in turn led to the club taking its first formal steps into creating a coaching system to ensure they were properly coached in a safe environment.  

2010 was a significant year for the club where the decision was taken to outline a future strategy for the club. Members were requested to put their ideas forward for where they saw the club in five years time. From the members wishes a strategy and working action plan was put together.  The plan included items such as;

  • A focus on youth cycling
  • A dedicate “home” for the club in the local community.
  • Closer links with other sports clubs in the area
  • Closer links with the local councils
  • Lobbying for cycling (sport and transport) facilities in the area

With the creation of a dedicated youth section called Ythan QL and a brand new youth race at the Grampian Transport Museum in Alford.  QL provided a community link to the Ellon area with its name representing “Quines and Loons” in the best Doric traditions and in 2011 the QL section achieved “Go Ride” status with British Cycling. The new race at Alford, The Grampian Grand Prix, was a nominee for Scottish Cycling Event of the Year 2009 having delivered a new standard of event that would then grow over the next few years to become part of a larger cycling related weekend called “Cyclefest”.  

Ythan CC has always been known as a community club and that reputation has continued with the club being involved in a number of local strategic cycling projects and more recently the consultation on the new Ellon Academy and a working relationship with Active Schools.  One of the most successful partnerships since 2010 has been the promotion of the Ellon Pedal Car races which incorporates a round of the Scottish Power Youth Cycling Series on closed roads. This event has not only provided a fantastic showcase for cycle racing but has strengthened the clubs position with the local community. 

With this success coaching became a focal point for the club and this continues to be an area for development with eight Level 2 coaches currently working with youth riders aged 4 to 16 within the Ythan QL section.  Saturday mornings see up to 40 young riders receiving coaching sessions that range from beginners to aspiring youth riders aiming for the higher echelons of the sport.   The club also prides itself on ensuring that all young cyclists have an opportunity to develop with a number of the club’s young riders participating fully in training and racing despite their disabilities. Several coaches have undertaken specific training with Scottish Disability Sport to ensure that the highest standards of coaching are reached.

The pride felt by the club is enhanced by having the Paralympic Gold Medallist Neil Fachie as a member along with his Team GB teammate Lora Turnham.  The progress of Fiona Duncan reached a high point at London 2012 when she piloted Lora at the Paralympic and on the road at various World Cup events as a Team GB member.  Neil, Fiona and Lora now look forward to Glasgow 2014 and the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome for more success.

The club now has over 130 members who enjoy everything from road racing to sportives, time trials to triathlons and whilst competitive success is celebrated it has been the dedication of the members, coaches, youths and parents that has ensured that the club has progressed.   The QL process successfully saw former member and current Scottish Junior Pursuit Champion Zak Loney join the Scottish Development Programme in 2012 and more recently Jordan Stronach has secured a place on the 2013/2014 programme.  

2013 saw Ythan CC named as “Club of the Year” at the Aberdeenshire Sports Council Awards, with this award reflecting the hard work that began in 1987, with Graham Gerrard and his fellow enthusiasts, and continues today.   As the club looks forward to 2014 the desire to progress has not changed with the club publishing a 5 year Road Race development strategy to support young riders aiming to compete at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia and the coaching team preparing to gain further qualifications ensuring that club riders of all ages can benefit from extra support and guidance.

Success has not come at the expense of enjoyment or friendships but it has enhanced the lives of the young and old riders who have been welcomed into the community that is Ythan Cycling Club.

Want your club to feature in the club newsletter? Make sure you speak to the Regional Development Officer in your area or email our Communications Officer, Gillian Lambie at communications@scottishcycling.org.uk


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