The South West Go-Ride team are hosting their own Go-Ride Racing series throughout the summer, offering young people in the region who are new to cycle sport a fantastic opportunity to take part in a series of four Go-Ride races. The series is now fast approaching the third meeting on the 28th July, where riders will tackle a challenging course through Haldon Woods in Exeter.
The previous rounds held in Idless Woods in Truro and Newnham Park, Plymouth proved to be a great success. The series is getting stronger and stronger as riders begin to develop their skills and new faces come to increase the field and make the competition more exciting, this is entry level racing at its best.
Activity/training sessions:
- Saturday 10th April, Idless Woods, Truro
- Saturday 12th June, Newnham Park, Plymouth
- Wednesday 28th July, Haldon Woods, Exeter
- Thursday 19th August, Haldon Woods, Exeter
Go-Ride Racing South West Series:
- Sunday 11th April, Idless Woods, Truro
- Thursday 13th May, Newnham Park, Plymouth
- Sunday 13th June, Newnham Park, Plymouth
- Thursday 19th August, Haldon Woods, Exeter
As well as the opportunity to race, Go-Ride Coach Jodi Vickery is offering training and activity sessions at the same venues to prepare the riders taking part in their first race. Jodi commented on the reasoning behind offering pre-race coaching, saying "We all know how daunting the concept of your first race can be, when everyone looks like they have far greater experience and what looks like very specialist equipment. This often proves a barrier to competition for many riders new to the sport. This is where the races and training/activity days are aimed, at novice riders from ages 8-16yrs who may be totally new to the sport, only just joined a Go-Ride club, or simply taken part in few school coaching sessions but wanted to get more involved."
The opportunity to hold the series arose when South West's Go-Ride Coach Jodi Vickery decided to approach ex race pals Jay and Maddie Horton of Fully Sussed who were organising a Regional Cross-Country Mountain Bike series. Now the Go-Ride Racing South West Series is added to the bill giving youth riders under the age of 16 an opportunity to race as part of a big event. This gives the riders the chance to watch how it is done at a regional level as the Regional Cross-Country Mountain Bike Series gets under way straight after the Go-Ride series has finished.
