The second day of round four of the British Cycling National Youth Circuit Series got underway bright and early as the Screentek International North West Youth Tour took place on the edge of Lancaster city centre.
The Green Jersey junior girls race stayed together for the first lap and a half before riders started to drop out of the back on the long, twisting climb to the finish but then things really started to break apart and a lead group of eight riders, which swelled to 10 a lap later, was gradually whittled down to four – Eleanor Dickinson, Henrietta Colborne, Connie Hudson and Jessica Roberts.
With three to go, Sarah Bradford bridged across but dropped off again on the climb but she never lost touch and at the bell was hot on their heels again. On the final climb Colbourne attacked but it was Roberts who rounded the final bend ahead to take the win with Dickenson pipping Colbourne for second.
The result means that Roberts retains her lead on general classification, six seconds ahead of Dickinson with Calbourne just four seconds further back.
The under 16 boys race had a much larger field and took longer to break apart but the process started just as quickly with riders falling out of the back of the bunch on the first climb.
By the halfway point a lead group had formed and had pulled out a couple of minutes on the fragmented remains of the field. With five laps to go there was a long break but he only got six seconds clear before being swept up by the bunch.
Lewis Askey of RST Racing Team and Alex Ridehalgh of Speedflex Race Team pulled 50 metres ahead on the climb coming up to four to go but, once again, they all came back together. Next to try his luck was Struan Pryde of Deeside Thistle CC – but he couldn’t make anything stick either.
At the bell, Askey was back on the front but it was Pryde who was strongest on the final climb and pulled away on the run in to take the win ahead of Jack Ford of Albion CC and Ridehalgh.
That lifted Pryde to second place on general classification – just three seconds behind Matthew Shaw of Solihull CC who finished fifth. William Tidball of 1st Chard Wheelers crashed on the last lap and was given the same time as the main bunch, leaving him tied on time with Pryde.
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Under 16 girls leader Anna Docherty took her place at the front of the bunch in the opening stages of the race which managed to stay together for almost two laps. On the second time up the climb Lily Greenhalgh of East Bradford CC, Pfeiffer Georgi of Liv Cycling Club-Epic Coaching, Amelia Sharpe of RL360 Isle of Man and Ellie Russell of Sportcity Velo broke away and opened a substantial lead.
Greenhaugh couldn’t quite hold the pace of the other three leaders and after she dropped off would ride the rest of the race alone but would hold on for fourth place. The podium places looked like a three-way fight until Georgi went off the front with three to go. In a stunning display of strength she’d pulled out a 47 second gap after a lap and stretched that to 1.16 at the bell.
She pulled out almost 30 seconds on the final lap to take an impressive win. Russell broke clear on the last climb to head Sharpe home by three seconds with Greenhalgh over two minutes further back.
Unsurprisingly, the top three on today’s stage are now the top three on general classification with Pfeiffer taking over the leader’s jersey, a minute and forty three ahead of Russell with Sharpe twelve seconds further back.
The under 14 girls followed a similar pattern with the race holding its shape in the early stages but splitting apart on the second run up the climb. As in the under 16 girls race, a group emerged at the head of the race containing the main contenders on GC- and as in the under 16 girls race, the national series leader rode away from the rest of the field.
Impressively, in the shortest race of the day, VC Londres’ Becky Surridge managed to pull out the biggest winning margin of the day coming home an impressive two minutes and 18 second ahead of second-placed Eva Young of Pedal Power RT.
Charlotte-Louise McGregor of WXC World Racing followed Young home three seconds later, four seconds ahead of overnight general classification leader Fleur Nagtegaal of AXA Valleirenners.
Surridge, of course, takes over the leader’s Jersey and has a two minutes and 22 second lead over Young who moves ahead of Nagtegaal, 11 seconds further behind.
The under 14 boys also saw a decisive breakaway with Emile Alexander of Lichfield City CC and Finlay Pickering of Hull Thursday the only survivors of a six-month break.
Whether he’d watched the earlier races or not, Alexander decided a solo break was possible and dropped Pickering with three to go.
Pickering stayed almost within reach but couldn’t do anything about Alexander’s lead. The rangy Lichfield rider took the win by 27 seconds with Oliver Stockwell of Welwyn Wheelers CC leading home the remnants of the breakaway a minute and a half later.
Alexander goes in to the final day’s sprint double header 27 seconds ahead of Pickering with Stockwell third, two minutes and two seconds off the lead.
Results:
Junior girls stage 2 result:
1 Jessica Roberts Liv Cycling Club - Epic Coaching 01:28:05
2 Eleanor Dickinson Drops Cycling Development Team at 00:05
3 Henrietta Colborne Team Ford Ecoboost at 00:07
4 Connie Hudson Liv Cycling Club - Epic Coaching at 00:09
5 Sarah Bradford Team Jadan-Weldtite at 00:31
6 Emily Tillett Liv Cycling Club - Epic Coaching at 01:58
7 Jenny Holl Team Jadan-Weldtite at 02:03
8 Savannah Morgan Team 22 at 03:16
9 Phoebe Martin Team 22 st
10 Sophie Enever Speedflex Race Team at 03:35
General classification:
1 Jessica Roberts Liv Cycling Club - Epic Coaching 01:31:12
2 Eleanor Dickinson Drops Cycling Development Team at 00:09
3 Henrietta Colborne Team Ford Ecoboost at 00:13
4 Connie Hudson Liv Cycling Club - Epic Coaching at 00:27
5 Sarah Bradford Team Jadan-Weldtite at 00:46
6 Emily Tillett Liv Cycling Club - Epic Coaching at 02:10
7 Jenny Holl Team Jadan-Weldtite at 02:15
8 Savannah Morgan Team 22 at 03:26
9 Phoebe Martin Team 22 at 03:29
10 Sophie Enever Speedflex Race Team at 03:47
Youth A boys stage 2 result:
1 Struan Pryde Deeside Thistle CC 01:12:55
2 Jack Ford Albion CC at 00:04
3 Alex Ridehalgh Speedflex Race Team at 00:06
4 Jim Brown VCUK PH-MAS Cycling Team at 00:09
5 Matthew Shaw Solihull CC at 00:10
6 William Draper Team RL360 Isle Of Man at 00:11
7 Dylan Westley Chevin Cycles.com Trek at 00:12
8 Adam Kelly Team RL360 Isle Of Man st
9 Lewis Askey RST Racing Team st
10 Oliver Rees Holmfirth Cycling Club st
General classification:
1 Matthew Shaw Solihull CC 01:15:58
2 Struan Pryde Deeside Thistle CC at 00:03
3 William Tidball 1st Chard Whls st
4 Jack Ford Albion CC at 00:03
5 Alex Ridehalgh Speedflex Race Team at 00:04
6 Samuel Watson Chevin Cycles.com Trek at 00:05
7 Nathan Huynh Cotswold Veldrijden at 00:06
8 Lewis Askey RST Racing Team st
9 Jim Brown VCUK PH-MAS Cycling Team at 00:07
10 William Draper Team RL360 Isle Of Man at 00:09
Youth A girls stage 2 result:
1 Pfeiffer Georgi Liv Cycling Club - Epic Coaching 01:08:36
2 Ellie Russell Sportcity Velo at 01:42
3 Amelia Sharpe Team RL360 Isle Of Man at 01:45
4 Lily Greenhalgh East Bradford CC at 03:36
5 April Tacey Leicestershire Road Club at 03:44
6 Anna Docherty Clifton CC at 03:46
7 Gabriella Homer Wolverhampton Whls at 03:49
8 Lucy Horrocks Speedflex Race Team at 03:51
9 Alana Prior Manilla Cycling st
10 Poppy Wildman Sram Youth Development st
General classification:
1 Pfeiffer Georgi Liv Cycling Club - Epic Coaching 01:11:46
2 Ellie Russell Sportcity Velo at 01:43
3 Amelia Sharpe Team RL360 Isle Of Man at 01:55
4 Anna Docherty Clifton CC at 03:45
5 April Tacey Leicestershire Road Club at 03:54
6 Lily Greenhalgh East Bradford CC st
7 Georgia Ashworth Cycle Sport Pendle at 04:04
8 Gabriella Homer Wolverhampton Whls at 04:06
9 Isabel Ellis Backstedt Cycling at 04:08
10 Jessica Woodworth Bourne Whls CC st
Youth B girls stage 2 result:
1 Becky Surridge VC Londres 00:51:48
2 Eva Young Pedal Power RT at 02:18
3 Charlotte-Louise McGreevy WXC World Racing at 02:21
4 Fleur Nagtegaal AXA Valleirenners at 02:35
5 Jasmine Kent Speedflex Race Team at 02:58
6 Maisy Vasic Sportcity Velo at 03:06
7 Danielle Parker Cycle Specific at 03:26
8 Sophie Lewis Cycle Club Ashwell (CCA) at 03:33
9 Isabella Escalera VC Londres at 03:34
10 Laura Curle Bristol Cycling Development Squad st
General classification:
1 Becky Surridge VC Londres 00:55:12
2 Eva Young Pedal Power RT at 02:22
3 Fleur Nagtegaal AXA Valleirenners at 02:33
4 Charlotte-Louise McGreevy WXC World Racing at 02:40
5 Jasmine Kent Speedflex Race Team at 03:08
6 Maisy Vasic Sportcity Velo at 03:15
7 Danielle Parker Cycle Specific at 03:33
8 Sophie Lewis Cycle Club Ashwell (CCA) at 03:39
9 Isabella Escalera VC Londres at 03:42
10 Laura Curle Bristol Cycling Development Squad at 03:46
Youth B boy stage 2 result:
1 Emile Alexander Lichfield City CC 00:50:42
2 Finlay Pickering Hull Thursday RC at 00:20
3 Joseph Pidcock Chevin Cycles.com Trek at 01:58
4 William Corkill Team RL360 Isle Of Man at 02:00
5 Oliver Stockwell Welwyn Wheelers CC at 02:04
6 Max Poole Bike Box Alan at 02:09
7 Alec Gregory Leicestershire Road Club at 03:16
8 Bryn Davies Towy Riders st
9 Billy Lazenby Chevin Cycles.com Trek st
10 Guto Dafydd Towy Riders st
General classification:
1 Emile Alexander Lichfield City CC 00:53:49
2 Finlay Pickering Hull Thursday RC at 00:27
3 Oliver Stockwell Welwyn Wheelers CC at 02:02
4 Joseph Pidcock Chevin Cycles.com Trek at 02:03
5 William Corkill Team RL360 Isle Of Man at 02:05
6 Max Poole Bike Box Alan at 02:18
7 Alec Gregory Leicestershire Road Club at 03:16
8 Bryn Davies Towy Riders at 03:18
9 Guto Dafydd Towy Riders at 03:25
10 Jack Rutland Beacon Wheelers at 03:33
