Bromley Go-Ride Racing League Round 2
A young rider is encouraged and monitored by event volunteers and officials alike. Photos courtesy of Charles Potter
The second round of the Bromley Go-Ride Racing League saw some exciting action on a challenging course, with 36 riders taking part in the event hosted by Go-Ride Penge on Saturday 20th November.
An Individual time trial once again kicked off the action although Round 2 saw a change of format, with a twisting cyclo-cross course winding its way around the wet and slippery playing fields of Alexandra School in Penge, replacing the Mass Start race in Round 1.
Race One – Individual Time Trial
The first race saw riders up against the clock in a time trial around one of the less technical parts of the course. In the Under 8s race, newcomer Calum Pinder won by a narrow margin from overall league leader Cameron McIntyre on his first Go-Ride outing.
In a repeat of the result from Round 1 in Norman Park, the Under 10s category saw Imogen Meers take top spot, beating her Bigfoot team mate Irfan Zaman into second place.
In the Under 12s race, Fraser Spooncer of Penge built on his impressive second place in the Round 1 time trial to take top spot this time, with Sam Hopkins from Bigfoot taking second place.
The Under 14s was one of the closest-fought, with the lead changing hands until Liam Burns nicked the win ahead of Tom Smith, making it a Penge one-two.
Race Two – Cyclo-Cross Race
In the Under 8s race, which was held over one lap, Calum Pinder won again, while league leader Cameron McIntyre came in second, setting up an intriguing contest as the League progresses.
The second event threw some unusual obstacles at the young competitors.
The Under 10s race saw Imogen Meers once again beat Bigfoot team mate Irfan Zaman into second place, over two laps of the circuit, leaving Imogen 8 points clear at the top of the league.
League leader Callum McIntyre from Bigfoot won the three-lap Under 12s race, beating time trial winner Fraser Spooncer from Penge into second place. With both riders close together at the top of the league, Round 3 should be interesting.
With a four lap race for the Under 14s, setting a steady pace was essential. Bigfoot’s Michael Chambers started very fast, leading the first lap by some margin, but as the race progressed he paid the price for his early efforts and dropped back down the field. The race was eventually won in style by Tom Smith of Penge, followed a few lengths behind by Shaun Morrall, riding for Priory Go-Ride.
Phil Shemmings, Club Contact at Bigfoot Go-Ride club, declared the day’s action built on the exciting opening of Round 1.
“All in all, Round 2 was a great success, with a great circuit, exciting racing, and fantastic hospitality from Go-Ride Penge,” he told British Cycling. “And although the weather was cold, a supply of tea, coffee and hot dogs kept everyone very happy.
“A winding 800 metre circuit, with obstacles requiring a dismount, dips and climbs was always going to be challenging for novice riders, but across all the age categories the riders performed brilliantly. Their determination to do their best was just amazing, and every rider should be really proud of themselves.”
Round 3 will be held at Priory School in Orpington on 12 February.
Full results can be found at www.bromleygorideracing.org.uk
To read the report of the Bromley Go-Ride Racing League Round 1 click here
