Bright and Young are glorious in Hillingdon

Bright and Young are glorious in Hillingdon

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Ben Bright, Eva Young and Jed Smithson were among the winners as the National Youth Series pulled into north-west London as Hillingdon Cycle Circuit played host to a thrilling day of racing.

The notoriously tricky track typically encourages bunch-sprint finales, but the likes of Bright and Isobal Sharp took it to the field in devastating fashion.

Smithson, for his part, wrapped up a fourth triumph of the season to keep up his phenomenal form so far on the circuit.

Bright-spark Ben

Bright (Marsh Tracks-Trek) took his first win of the National Youth Series earlier from a two-up sprint with Ben Harris (Maindy Flyers) after the pair jumped away from the main field in the closing laps, with Rory Knowles wrapping up third.

The one-mile Hillingdon circuit has always proved a difficult circuit for any real breaks to escape and the youth A boys once again proved the fact correct.

Any effort to escape the clutches of a big field proved unfruitful on a hot, still day and even though a group of 4 riders tried their luck after some 20 minutes it was never going to prove a race-defining move.

Finlay Pickering (Vive Le Velo), already with two wins in the series tried to get away at the mid-point of the race but it was to no avail and the field were not going to allow the likes of Pickering any slack.

It would not be until the last five laps until any real moves proved useful. Bright and Harris moved away, and the only reaction was from Knowles and Jamie Witcher (Bmth Cycleworks) who tried to bridge across but the gap from the lead pair proved too far and the chasers had to be content with the battle for third. Dan Kain (Squadra Scozzee) took 5th from the bunch sprint.

Young holds off the pack

Eva Young took a fine win in the Youth A girls race as the Pedal Power rider held her line to take the sprint from the series names after a race where no rider was given any quarter.

It was a slow first half of the race once again no one able to make any attacks stick, but it was with some 35 minutes gone that arguably the strongest riders of the field made their break.

Young along with Wolverhampton’s Grace Lister, Imani Pereira-James (East Kilbride) and Kinga Ingham (Halesowen) made a gap that could have proved useful, but it would be short-lived, and the main field worked to move up to the leaders.

Ingham tried to escape as the laps ticked by and got the combative award for her efforts but as expected from the outset the race would come down to a bunch gallop, with Young prevailing

Smithson is champion-elect

Jed Smithson (WORX Factory Racing) notched his fourth win of the series to all but secure the overall series victory after a race where no one was allowed to make any notable gap off the head.

Any moves were chased down which, suggesting that from the early laps the result would come from a bunch sprint.

Matt Gilmore (Southern Race Team) used his sprint prowess to take all three primes on the day and take fourth in the race.

Fin Mead (Propello) took second from Matt Brennan (Stockton Wheelers)

Isobal razor-sharp out in front

Isobal Sharp (Estrella Bikes) proved unbeatable in the Youth B Girls race. Attacking the race after some 25 minutes along with Niamh Murphy (Cotswold Veldrijden), the pace proved too much for Murphy and Sharp went on a lone ride, increasing her gap to the bunch lap on lap.

With no real effort to chase the race leader down it was Sharp who savoured a lone victory across the line to add to her opening round victory at Pembrey.

Murphy took the bunch kick from Carys Lloyd (Lee Vally YCC) and Towy Riders’ Awen Roberts.

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HSBC UK 2019 | NATIONAL YOUTH SERIES RND 4 HILLINGDON