PHOTOS BY RICHARD ROBOTHAM
British Cycling Youth Circuit Race Championships 2007
June 16, Curborough Sprint Circuit, Staffordshire
Pictures and report by Richard Robotham
Curborough, was the former RAF Lichfield base up to the 1950’s and since the 1960’s has hosted Motor Sports Sprint Racing Events with such stars as the late World Formula 1 Champion James Hunt competing. Saturday, June 16 saw British Cycling’s future World Championship hopes take to the race circuit to race the circuit on two wheels. Changeable weather conditions were to plague the proceedings with sunshine at times and severe down pours during the last five laps of each and every championship event. This caused quite a few accidents at the beginning and ends of nearly every event.
Youth C Boys and C Girls Championships
The first of the six National Championships was Youth C Boys and C Girls Championships which was run on the circuit concurrently. The Boys started off first and then ten seconds later the Girls started. Emily Kay (Halesowen A&CC) started off at a blistering pace and caught up with the Boys Championship. Then she dominated the event by continually attacking or counter-attacking and even chased down when she needed to.
Kay was first over the line to take the Girls Championship ahead of the Boys new Champion Jack Sadler (Ribble Valley Juniors). Rob Westwood (Maindy Flyer Youth CC) took the Boys Silver and Daniel Maslin (Hillingdon Slipstreamers) took the Bronze. Emily Barnes and Alice Barnes (both Palmer Park Velo) took Silver & Bronze in the C Girls category.
Youth C Girls
1. Emily Kay, Halesowen A & CC
2. Emily Barnes, Palmer Park Velo
3. Alice Barnes, Palmer Park Velo
Youth C Boys
1. Jack Sadler, Ribble ValleyJuniors
2. Rob Westwood, Maindy Flyer Youth CC
3. Daniel Maslin, Hillingdon Slipstreamers
Youth A Boys Heats
The Youth A Boys Championship qualifing heats followed with two heats each over 20 minutes would qualify a total of 40 Riders for the Final from the 78 entires. Heat 1 winner was Christopher Whorrall (Manx Road Club) and Heat 2 Winner was Rhys Matcham (Brook Cycles).
Youth A Boys Heat 1
1. Christopher Whorrall, Manx Road Club
2. Ewen McDonald, Ludlow CC
3. Alexander King, Twickenham CC
Youth A Boys Heat 2
1. Rhys Matcham, Brooks Cycles
2. Kian Emadi, Tunstall Wheelers
3. Perry Bowater, CC Giro
Youth B Girls
The Youth B Girls Championship didn’t see any significant breaks take place due to the high pace set by the favourites for the title. The heavens opened during the final laps which led to cautious cornering and resulted in a bunch sprint finish with Harriet Owen (Palmer Park Velo) taking the glory and Gold Medal. Her Team Mate Hannah Barnes narrowly missed out in the close finish but took the Silver. Lucy Garner (Leicester RC) was third taking the Bronze Medal.
Youth B Girls
1. Harriet Owen, Palmer Park Velo
2. Hannah Barnes, Palmer Park Velo
3. Lucy Garner, Leicester RC
Youth B Boys
The Youth B Boys Championship was run in very similar fastion to that of the previous race with each of the favourites taking turns on the front to keep the pace high. Again the heavens opened during the final laps. Josh Papworth (Halesowen A&CC) bided his time and waited to launch his sprint for the finish line and took the Gold by a clear length from Jonathan Dibben (I-Team.co.uk) for Silver and Jordan Hargreaves (Eastlands Velo) in third place for Bronze.
Youth B Boys Result:
1. Josh Papworth, Halesowen A & CC
2. Jonathan Dibben, I-Team.co.uk
3. Jordan Hargreaves, Eastlands Velo
Youth A Girls
The Youth A Girls event got off to a poor start with two crashes in two separate locations on the first lap and the Commissaires had no alternative but to declare the race neutralised and ordered a restart. Those Riders suffering the falls were Sarah Reynolds (Evans Cycles Race Team), Katie Fearnehough (Sportcity Velo) and Gabrella Shaw (Team Chevin Cycles).
Sarah Reynolds and Katie Fearnehough both managed to make the restart but Gabrella Shaw was taken away by the first aiders with a suspected broken collar bone. The VC Londres Team forced the pace at the head of the race which eventually split the field wide apart leaving just two riders out in front, these being Laura Trott and Corrine Hall (both VC Londres).
The early fall by Sarah Reynolds (Evans Cycles Race Team) didn’t stop her and she was able to increase her pace and finally managed to make it back to the leading VC Londres pair. At this point Laura Trott upped the speed dropping both her Team Mate and Sarah Reynolds. With blood pouring from her knee, Sarah Reynolds was unable to maintain a high enough pace to stay with Corrine Hall and slowly dropped back.
15 year old Laura Trott, who was second in a senior race last week at Brentwood and looks to be a real star of the future, was unstoppable despite the heavens opening once again and she maintained her lead up to the finish to take the Gold. Corrine Hall (VC Londres) finished in second place to take the Silver and Sarah Reynolds (Evans Cycle Race Team) finished in third for the Bronze.
Youth A Girls Result:
1. Laura Trott, VC Londres
2. Corrine Hall, VC Londres
3. Sarah Reynolds, Evans Cycles RT
Youth A Boys
The Youth A Boys event was also stopped by the Commissaires on the first lap because of a crash. Once restarted caution seemed to be adopted by the Riders and the event was run rather sedately with very few attacks. Although the pace was high enough to string the bunch out it was not fast enough to loose many out of the back.
With three laps to go, Alexander King (Twickenham CC) launched an attack as the rain started to fall again. This change in the weather was to Alexander advantage as again caution set in and the chase down was not forthcoming until the final lap. But it was not enough and Alexander King, who has only been racing for two years won through to take the Gold from Kian Emadi (Tunstall Wheelers) in Silver position and Matthew Bailey (Halesowen A&CC) in third for the Bronze Medal.
Youth A Boys Result:
1. Alexander King, Twickenham CC
2. Kian Emadi, Tunstall Wheelers
3. Matthew Bailey, Halesowen A & CC
Left: The rider with the rainbow stripes to his name already, Peter Kennaugh just edges Mark McNally out in the sprint for first whilst a star of the future, Alex King, wins the Under 16 Boys title.
Junior National Series Event
From the start of the Junior National Road Race Series event, it was clear that the World Scratch Race Champion amongst the field was going to dominate the event. Early on Peter Kennaugh (Pinarello) attacked forcing a high pace at which only four other riders were able to keep up with. These being: Andrew Williams (Cwmcarn Paragon RC) and the Liverpool Mercury Trio of Rhys Lloyd, Mark McNally and Richard Meadows. Despite numerous attempts from the bunch, no Riders were able to breach the gap. This was how the race was to finish with Peter Kennaugh taking first place in the sprint finish with Mark McNally in second and Rhys Lloyd in the third spot.
Juniors National Road Race Series Result:
1. Peter Kennaugh, Pinarello
2. Mark McNally, Liverpool Mercury
3. Rhys Lloyd, Liverpool Mercury
Non Championship Men’s 2/3/4 cats
1. Harry Penn, Interbike RT
2. Lewis Cowley, Plan B racing
3. David Perry, Heanor CC
RELATED LINKS
Youth Circuit Race Champs (2006)