East Midlands Youngsters Get A Head Start At Go-Ride Holiday Scheme
News Posted 11th August 2008
On the 4th,5th and 6th of August, as most kids they’re age will probably have been on holiday relaxing, a group of young talented and dedicated individuals, mostly from Matlock CC decided to be more active in their summer break and joined Rob Sharman for the latest Go-Ride holiday programme to hone their off road skills in preparation for the upcoming Cyclo-Cross season and get a head start on the competition. Over the three days everyone was extremely active and like the current young stars of the Great Britain Academy such as Ben Swift and Jonathan Bellis these skill and racing activities form essential foundations of hard work that makes for successful racing during the season.
The Venue was Darley Dale’s Whitworth park, a fantastic expanse of off roading opportunity. The weather was far from ideal, but it didn’t matter to this group of cyclists because even when the rain had been pouring down all day on day 2, they were still eager for more riding opportunities. The cyclists who attended were all aged between 7 – 14 and there was something for everyone as each activity was challenging and appropriate for every young person. Although they had all been exposed to 5 hours per day of skills coaching and intense racing practice, they did not seem fatigued in the slightest and thrived on the close competition and the chance to test themselves against their nearest challenger.
Over the 3 days the young people learned a lot about riding off road and if they attend their local Go-Ride Clubs coaching sessions, or return to the Go-Ride holiday programme, they will be able to expand on these skills and successfully use them in races, because as the old cliché goes, practice makes perfect.
Day 1 focussed on the individual techniques that a young person will encounter when racing off road. These techniques included a combination of cornering which in the mud and tight Cyclo-Cross courses is far removed from the normal road racing. The young people also experienced cambered riding skills and some off road technical courses to test themselves on.
Day 2 focussed on group skills and how you and other people manipulate the racing. The young people learned about bunch riding, sprint work and race tactics to test how they can use their minds as well as their strength to perform well in races.
Day 3 was all about how to use the course and the conditions to perform your best during an off road bike race. This involved the young people testing their bike handling skills and getting the most out of a racing course by focussing closely on racing lines and getting a good race start.
It was a fantastic 3 days for everybody and the improvement seen in riders between Day 1 and Day 3 was clear to see, these individuals will definitely be ones to look out for in this seasons Notts and Derby Cyclo-Cross league Races.
Well Done to all Riders who took part and we'll see you next time.
