Posted:03 March 2014
The Youth racing season in Scotland got off to a great start at Ingliston on Saturday 1st March. Over 160 competitors were met with a bright, cold day at the racing circuit, and with all races run on the full circuit, the youngsters had to content with the usual Ingliston headwind on the back straight.
This year we changed the format to a one day stage, with the eventual winner decided on a combined time from a short Time Trial and longer crit race. This made for some interesting racing with young riders learning a lesson that time advantages or deficits from the TT had to be protected or overturned in the crit race.
In Race 1, Under 16 Boys, Matthias Barnet of ERC/MCRT effectively handed the rest of the field a 1 minute start in the crit race. A slipped chain at the start of the TT put him right at the back of the overall for the crit race. The bunch race stayed together for the first 10 minutes or so but when Matthias attacked a got a gap, he realized that overturning his deficit might be on. The bunch failed to organize a sustained chase, and with too many settling in for a bunch sprint, Matthias was able to take the crit win by well over a minute which gave him overall first place. Stephen Dent, Nevis Cycles placed 2nd with a 1st in the TT and a 2nd in the crit, and although Innes Johnstone, Glasgow Riderz, finished 3rd in the Crit, he was unable to overturn a 3 second TT deficit and Joe Nally, Hardie Bikes took the 3rd spot on the GC podium.
Not surprisingly Barnet took the Combativity Award for his courageous solo effort.
Kiera Johnston took the Junior Women honours and it would be great to see more Junior Woman taking up the challenge of racing in with the speedy Youth A Boys.
Race 2 saw the Under 14s and Under 16 Girls take to the start line. In what must have been one of the biggest youth bunch races in Scotland for many a year, we saw some fine tactical riding with a lead bunch testing each other out and being chased by a 2nd and 3rd groups on the road. Sean Flynn, ERC/MCRT took a TT lead in to the Crit and, despite the efforts of his competitors, managed to take the Crit and Overall win in the bunch sprint. Sean Dupree, EKRC took 2nd in the crit, but was unable to put enough distance between himself and Jack Cruden, Glasgow Riderz to overturn a 4 second TT deficit.
Rhona Callander, Wallace Warriors and Sarah Bradford, Johnstone Wheelers were part of the leading bunch, with Rhona, 3rd overall and 1st Girl to take the Overall prize. Sarah finished just behind the lead group to take 2nd overall with Jess Miller, Johnstone Wheelers, overturning a TT deficit to take 3rd.
Ellie Park, Glasgow Riderz, was dominant in the Under 14 Girls race. She took 9 second advantage in to the Crit race and, with some very determined riding, which saw her finish just behind the lead group of Boys and Older Girls she took the overall by a over a lap.
The Combativity Award went to Struan Pryde of Deeside Thistle who displayed great spirit by attacking the lead group throughout the race to try and overcome a slim TT deficit.
In the Under 12 Girls, the TT times reflected the final finish order with Anna Flynn, ERC MCRT taking the win, Rhona Samphier, Wallace Warriors, Second with Elena McGorum, Peebles CC in Third. Same story in the Under 12 Boys with Hamish Armitt, Glasgow Riderz, Jamie Johnston, Team Thomson and Hamish MacLaren, Johnstone Wheelers taking the 1, 2, 3 in both the TT and the Crit.
In the Under 10 race it was a case of clean sweeps, with the Glasgow Riderz trio of Imani Pereira-James, Kasha Butz and Skye Donnelly taking the Girls First, Second and Third, in that order and the ERC trio of Fredrick Fuller, Archie Ellen and Alfie Atterton doing the same in the Boys race.
There were lots of happy faces in the Under 8 race – that was despite a few going off course at times. The 1, 2, 3 in the Girls were again from ERC - Rudie Shearer, Kristin Piel and Orla MacInnes. Elliot Rowe, Ythan CC, Alasdair Easton, Velo Club Garvald and Struan Shaw, Royal Albert took the honours in the Boys.
Finally many thanks to Edinburgh Activcity and Renner for sponsoring the event and prizes, Scottish Cycling and Scottish Power for providing the results service and the many volunteers who helped out on the day.
The races are running again on March 8 – with entry filling up fast.
Scottish Cycling underpins and co-ordinates the organisation of over 644 events each year. This provides a full calendar of competition within the six core cycling disciplines across the length and breadth of the country.
