The West Riding Track League Gears up for the Olympics in its 65th Year with another full programme of competitive grass track cycling in what is expected to be a bumper season. Running from the second week in May to the second week in August (barring Bank Holidays).
Following on from the success of last year, the WRTL are hosting the National Men’s 400m Championships and a National Endurance round on the 22 July together with the BSCA National Grass Track Champs.
The WRTL is also branching out of its West Yorkshire comfort zone by adding an additional open event at the Scarborough Festival of Cycling on the 14 of July 2012.
It is hoped that the new event at Scarborough, coupled with a handsome prize pot, will encourage Senior, Junior, Youth and Vet riders to check out the venue at Oliver’s Mount. This is part of a spectacular three day cycling festival which will include BMX, hill climbs, all categories road racing and culminating in a round of the National Youth Circuit Series on the Sunday.
The WRTL Grass Track Open event on the Saturday will include a full programme of fixed wheel track events with substantial prize money for adults including sprints, endurance events and handicap races. There will also be racing for children (on any bike in good working order with brakes) to include sprints, a time trial and fun races.
With the numbers of riders increasing year on year, particularly in the Youth categories, the league intends to capitalise on the Olympic fever hitting Britain by encouraging even more youngsters to emulate their track heroes. Current Olympians such as Lizzie Armistead and Ben Swift rode our league in their younger days, and current Olympic Development Programme rider Matt Rotherham, a regular with our league for many years, has every intention in joining them at the next one.
Grass track riding is a fantastic way to experience all the events found in hard track and velodrome events, even if you are far from a track. The Roundhay Park arena surrounding the Cricket Oval is the only summer league running on a banked grass track in the country.
The WRTL has embraced the new BC entry system with entries already being received for both the National Men’s 400m, the BC Yorkshire Regional Champs and Scarborough. The regular league is just enter on the day as usual.
The first event will be Monday 14 May 2012 with a full programme of scratch races, handicaps and sprints. Under 12s starting racing at 7pm with a time trial followed by a series of other events (on free wheel bikes in good working order with brakes). Under 14s, Under 16s and all other riders including Seniors and vets ride fixed wheel bikes and will start at 7.30pm.
