Bromley Go-Ride League Up and Running
It's all go as the young riders push for a good start in Race 2's Mass Start
Round 1 Report
The newly-established Bromley Go-Ride Racing League got off to a flying start with 36 riders attending the first race meeting, hosted by Bigfoot Go-Ride in Bromley, Kent.
On a cold, October Saturday morning, riders from three Bromley Go-Ride clubs, along with a small number of independent riders, came along to Norman Park in Bromley to race on a 200m oval grass track circuit and for Phil Shemmings, Bigfoot’s Go-Ride club contact, the day was a great success.
He told British Cycling: “The racing all went really well - we had 36 riders, dry weather, 8 races (plus heats) and no crashes!”
Go-Ride Racing is British Cycling’s initiative to help young riders make the transition from school or club coaching sessions to inter-club and open regional competition. For their efforts, registered clubs are provided with prizes, practical resources and guidance to successfully stage race events which caters for young, novice riders.
To give newcomers to racing the chance to shine, the event offered two races for each age category: an individual time trial and a mass start race and already, after just two races, the league table is now taking shape.
Round 2 of competition, which is being hosted by Go-Ride Penge, is due to take place on Saturday 20th November, but here is a breakdown of the high-flyers from the action-packed racing of Round 1.
Race One – Individual Time Trial
The Under 8s category saw five riders complete one 200 metre lap, with Cameron McIntyre (Bigfoot Go-Ride) taking first place, followed by George Harding (Go-Ride Penge) in second place.
With 16 riders, competition in the Under 10s category was fierce as again the riders competed over 200m, and the winner was Imogen Meers from Bigfoot, with Irfan Zaman coming in second to complete a 1-2 for the club.
The Under 12s had more work to do with the distance increased to two laps to a total of 400 metres.
Bigfoots’s Callum McIntyre came in first, living up to the standard set by his younger brother in the Under 8s category, while a good performance from Fraser Spooncer (Go-Ride Penge) saw him take second place.
First place in the Under 14s went to Bigfoot’s Ella Deighton, who flew around the two lap circuit to narrowly beat the next-fastest time set by runner up Liam Burns (Go-Ride Penge).
Race Two – Mass Start Race
Racing over one lap, the Under 8s race saw a reversal of the time trial result, with George Harding beating Cameron McIntyre.
The large field in the Under 10s category meant that two heats were required, followed by a two lap final. Imogen Meers took first place in the final, completing a superb double. She was followed in second place by Irfan Zaman, in a repeat of the time trial result.
The Under 12s race proved to be the tightest race of the day as once again two heats were required to keep the field to a reasonable size on the relatively tight circuit. Not getting the best start, Callum McIntyre had to work hard to move up the field over the course of the two lap final. His persistence paid off when he took the lead on the back straight of the final lap, and held on to win ahead of Bigfoot team-mate Sam Hopkins.
The under 14s race was another tightly-fought affair, with a closely-packed bunch turning the three lap race into an interesting tactical battle. In the end it was a win for Shaun Morrall from Priory Go-Ride, closely followed by Tom Smith from Go-Ride Penge.
Full results and photos can be found on the League website at http://bromleyracing.goride.org.uk
