Location: Richard Dunn Sports Centre, Bradford
Event: 23 May 2012

Two weeks ago, cold driving rain made conditions pretty miserable for round one of the White Rose Youth League at Richard Dunn. For round two we couldn’t have wished for more contrasting conditions with a warm sunny evening bringing out good numbers of riders in all categories.

Racing got under way with one lap individual time trials for the youth C, D, and E categories. In the D/E category Addam Hathaway was the fastest boy with Ava Oxley the fastest girl. In the C’s, Euan Cameron from East Bradford was the fastest boy with Felicity Gledhill clocking the quickest girls time.

Time trials quickly done and dusted and it was straight into the bunch races. Starting with the youngest age groups, the D and E category riders got things going with a four lap race. As the laps quickly passed, a small group managed to stay together at the head of the race. Into the last lap and it was Wakefield Tri’s Eva Oxley leading the bunch into the final bend and sprinting into the uphill finish. She crossed the line as the leading girl but was just pipped for the overall win by winning boy George Southby.

Next up were the boys and girls in the under twelve C category. After a frantic start, a group of around 12 riders settled into a good pace. As the race developed there were a few attacks with Mason Hollyman trying to get a way on a number of occasions but always getting pulled back by the chasing group. As they came into the bell lap the pace lifted but it was still a large group that came round the last corner to contest the sprint. First over the line was Nathan Hawthorne with Euan Cameron in second and Jack Ford taking third place. Felicity Gledhill was the first girl, who’d worked hard throughout the race to stay with the leading bunch of boys.

Eighteen laps awaited the under fourteen boys and girls. A similar pattern unfolded with a fast start before a group settled into a good pace. From the start it was the Aire Valley riders of Reece Wood, Jake Beach and Tom Pidcock who were the most active with Jake and Reece both making strong attacks off the front of the group. Once again it was a bunch finish which would settle things and it was an Aire Valley top three with Reece Wood, Tom Pidcock and Jake Beach coming over the line first. Hannah Banks was the first girl with Sophie Thackray finishing strongly to take second place not far behind with Mia Richardson in third.

Onto the Youth A category which had strong line-ups for both boys and girls including many of the riders who had recently become Inter-regional Road Champions in London. The racing got under way and it really was fast. Not just from the start but virtually right the way through the twenty four laps. In the lead bunch Levi Moody was making most of the moves, trying on a number of occasions to make a break but Leon Gledhill was always there to pull him back. For the Girls Melissa Lowther, Abby Mae Parkinson and Lauren O’Brien rode strongly managing to hang onto the boys for much of the race with Melissa staying with the lead bunch right up until the last lap. There was a great sprint to finish off the night’s racing with Leon Gledhill and Levi Moody shoulder to shoulder right up to the line with Levi just nudging ahead to take the win. Chris Barnes came home just behind in third with the top three girls, Melissa Lowther, Abby Mae Parkinson and Lauren O’Brien.

For more details about the White Rose Youth League visit: www.whiteroseyouthleague.co.uk