The second season of the Bromley Go-Ride Racing League kicked off with a fantastic turnout of 50 riders for Round 1 at Pickhurst School in West Wickham, Kent. Hosted by Bigfoot Go-Ride, the event featured a technical cyclo-cross circuit, where cornering skills and positioning were tested to the full.
Round 2 saw an even bigger turnout, with riders signing on at Alexandra School in Penge for a cyclo-cross and time trial event hosted by Penge CC. With some of last year’s champions having just made the move up to the next age group, some competitive racing was on the cards.
Round 2
3 December 2011
Individual time trial
In the Under 8s category, Bigfoot took all three podium places, with Sannah Zaman continuing her winning streak, closely followed by Lily Meers, who finished one second ahead of her sister Rosie.
With 21 riders, the Under 10s category is looking to be this season’s toughest group. Despite having just moved up from the Under 8s, Penge’s George Harding again took first place, with Luke Cornelius six seconds behind. Kristian Malcomb of Penge took third place.
A close battle is already developing in the Under 12s category, with Imogen Meers finishing first in the time trial, less than a second ahead of Gabriel Roberts. Third place went to another close rival Irfan Zaman.
With two riders in the Under 14s race, it was just a question of who would take the honours. Tom Smith, riding for the first time this season won the first event ahead of Fraser Spooncer, with the fastest time of the day across all the age groups.
Cyclo-Cross race
The exposed circuit contained a couple of tricky corners a short steep climb, both of which tested the younger riders to the fully. In a one lap race, the sixteen Under 8s spread out from the start, with Henry Harding of Penge taking an early lead which he kept all the way to the finish for his first race victory. Sannah Zaman rode well to finish in second place, which puts her at the top of the league table, while Bigfoot’s Kathryn Pearce finished in third place.
With 21 riders the Under 10s category required two heats and then a two-lap final. George Harding is already looking like the rider to beat, taking an impressive first place, to add to his tally. Second place went to Luke Cornelius, who now sits 11 points behind George in the league table. Third place went to Penge’s Joseph Wilson, who moves up into third place in the league, alongside Bigfoot’s Milly Shemmings.
The Under 12s category is also looking interesting already, with a reverse of the time trial result - Gabriel Roberts finishing ahead of Imogen Meers. Bigfoot’s Irfan Zaman again finished third. After two rounds Imogen and Gabriel jointly lead the league with 91 points each.
The Under 14s race saw Tom Smith beat Fraser Spooncer, although Fraser still heads up the league table after two rounds.
Round 1
8 October 2011
Individual time trial
In the Under 8s category, Sannah Zaman of Bigfoot beat team mate Lochlan McDonald, with Penge’s Henry Harding coming a close third.
In the busy Under 10s category, with 21 riders, George Harding of Penge, and unattached rider Luke Cornelius shared the honours after finishing in exactly the same time. Bigfoot’s Jack Harradine took third place, three seconds behind.
In the Under 12s category, Hannah Buckley of Bigfoot took first place, with the fastest time of the day across all age groups. Gabriel Roberts took a very close second place with last year’s Under 10s champion Imogen Meers coming in joint third, alongside last year’s rival Irfan Zaman.
With three riders, the Under 14s podium was already decided with the only question being the finishing order. The answer was provided by Penge’s Fraser Spooncer, with team mate Georgina Williams finishing second, and Bigfoot’s Emily Ogden finishing third.
Cyclo-Cross
One lap of the circuit was to prove enough for the Under 8s and two heats were required to get the 17 riders around the technical circuit safely. In the final, Lily Meers from Bigfoot took first place, beating the time trial winner and team mate Sannah Zaman. Third place went to Rosie Meers, making it a successful morning’s work for the Meers sisters.
Following two Under 10s heats, the final saw George Harding get his season off to a fine start, with a cyclo-cross win to match his joint first place in the time trial. After winning the Under 8s championship last year, George is already making an impression on the Under 10s. Bigfoot’s Jack Friend rode well to take second place, while newcomer Luke Cornelius will be another rider to watch this season, taking third place to add to his joint first in the time trial.
The Under 12s race included two hurdles that required a dismount and carry, which added an extra dimension to the race. Despite a poor start, Imogen Meers won the three lap race convincingly, with Gabriel Roberts matching his second place in the time trial. Bigfoot’s Robert Mills rode well to take third place.
The Under 14s race saw Fraser Spooncer take first again, with Emily Ogden in second and Georgina Williams in third.
Check out The Hub's new Facebook page for more photos and Go-Ride updates. The more 'Likes' we get the better!
