Follow britishcycling.org.uk on

Centenary celebrations fund the BC National Open 400m Championship and Endurance League Round at Roundhay Park

West Riding Open Track Meeting 
Event: Sunday 31st July 2011
Event promoted by: West Riding Track League
Event Details

The West Riding Track League event is benefiting from a local club's centenary celebration after receiving over £1100 in sponsorship for the prize fund for the day's event.

Incorporating the British Schools National Championship, it will mean a fabulous prize pot for the day for all ages of grass track cyclists. Additional sponsorship has also been secured from Fensham Howes, local specialists in financial investment with close links to cycling.

The closing date for all the events is the 1st July so get your entries in now. Details are on the BC website here or contact Mandy Parker on mandyparker2@ntlworld.com.

To enter the schools competition, forms are available from Mandy. There are gear restrictions in place and the age categories slightly different from the BC ages. All age categories (BSCA) U14 and below use freewheel bikes. Only U16's and U18's use track bikes. Full details are available from either Mandy or to be found on the BCSA website: www.bsca.org.uk

If you are a Yorkshire rider, then why not try out the track at the BC Yorkshire Grass Track Championships on Monday night on the 11th July (Closing date 27th June 2011). This will include the return of the 800m and 8k regional championships. This includes a youth Omnium for U8 to U16's.

The league is delighted to once again host national events, after a gap of many years, on the historic banked grass track built for the purpose in 1894. It is the only league still running annually on such a circuit. With the support of the Leeds Parks staff, the circuit is in the best condition for many years and sees a regular weekly attendance of over 50 competitors from four years of age to 50+ at the track. With numbers falling drastically in the 1980's, the league is now enjoying a huge resurgence in popularity, especially with the youth riders, to the dedication of the volunteers and riders.

Grass track is an ideal competition environment for children, quick to set up with a few posts and pegs on any grass playground or park, it is an easy way for everyone to gain track experience without the distances often needed to travel to reach a hard track or velodrome.

Famous cyclists who have raced on our track include Lizzie Armistead, Anna Blyth, Adam Blythe and rising ODP star Matt Rotherham.

Our main sponsors are the Leeds Kirkgate Cycling Club (1911 - 2011).

The Leeds Kirkgate Cycling Club celebrates 100 years this year after forming In 1911 as the Leeds Kirkgate Market Traders C & AC, meeting in a pub called the Royal Oak situated close to the now famous Kirkgate Markets. After the Second World War, the club then became more biased toward the popular grass tracks under the guidance of the President, Ellis Brown and brother George. The Kirkgate was a very strong force on the grass tracks around the West and South Yorkshire. The home track being the superb National Amphitheatre at Roundhay Park, Leeds where, in the 1950's, 2,000-3,0000 spectators could be watching on Tuesday evening Track League meetings

In the late 60's the club disbanded and a farewell Kirkgate party was organised in 1970 but the club refused to die, the solid friendships forged in that era were too strong. Although cycling did not feature so strongly, Kirkgate mates still kept in touch and from time to time reunions were held at Moor Allerton, Leeds, where family affairs and health featured in conversation rather than best tubulars and frame tubing!

Although the Leeds Kirkgate Cycling Club is no longer a competing club it still supports the West Riding Track League that holds an annual league between May, June and July for anyone who is interested in taking park in track racing at Roundhay Park and particularly aimed at encouraging children to become involved in cycling. It is from this close association that the Open meeting with the National Men's 400m Championship and Endurance League round has benefited from the centenary celebrations which included the presentation of seven track bikes for the use of the league as well as generous sponsorship for prizes.