The final day saw medals won and records broken as our young cyclists once again rolled up to the line and showed just what they can do.
It was the third and final day of the Scottish National Youth and Junior Track Championship and we had a full schedule ahead of the riders. Up first was the Youth A Boys Sprint Qualifying TT and Alfie George (Discovery Juniors) was at it again. First to go under 12 seconds was Jack Cruden (Glasgow Cycle Team) in 11.710 but he was followed by George who set a time of 11.410 and once again set a new Scottish record for the Flying Start 200m, previously held by John Paul.
In the Youth A Boys Sprint Quarter Finals A we had Alfie George up against James Corcoran (Edinburgh RC), Jack Cruden paired against Alexander Ball (West Lothian Clarion CC), Jamie Penny (Discovery Juniors) against Louie Doig (Edinburgh RC) and Oran McConville (East Kilbride RC) against Jack Wicklow (Glasgow Riderz)
Alfie George took the first sprint against James Corcoran and Jack Cruden bested Alexander Ball in their first heat. It was closer between Jamie Penny and Louie Doig but Penny led and made sure the Edinburgh RC rider couldn’t come around him. In the final pairing Jack Wicklow went early but Oran McConville pulled him back and took the win by half a wheel on the line.
It was best of three and in the second matches James Corcoran went for a long one but Alfie George came around him and won the race to progress to the Semi-Finals. Cat and mouse with Jack Cruden on the front in the next heat. Alex Ball dived to the front before the bell but Cruden matched him down the back straight and came past on the turn to also progress to the Semi-Finals.
It was a similar story in Heat 3 between Jamie Penny and Louie Doig with Penny coming around his opponent and leaving him on the home straight. He also progressed to the Semi-Finals. In another fantastic sprint Oran McConville held Jack Wicklow on the final turn and took the win by half a wheel and he also went through to the Semi-Finals.
In the Minor Final James Corcoran took up the running but he was quickly outpaced by Louie Doig with Jack Wicklow on his wheel. These two led into the final turn but Wicklow had the legs and the speed and took the win to end 5th in the overall competition.
In the Youth A Boys Sprint Semi-Finals we had Alfie George drawn against Oran McConville and Jack Cruden drawn against Jamie Penny. First blood to both Alfie George and Jack Cruden as they overcame their opponents in the first match. In the second match Oran McConville went early but Alfie George pulled back to him on the home straight and measured his effort to win by a wheel. Alfie George moved into the final, ready to see who he would face. In the second pairing Jack Cruden led it out with Jamie Penny looking menacing as he came off the banking before the bell. Ultimately, he faded before the line and Cruden went through to face Alfie George in the Final.
In the run-off for the Bronze Jamie Penny went early and held on to take the first heat, all the more impressive as he was suffering with a hamstring injury. In the second heat Penny again led from the front but Oran McConville was wise to this move and began to pull back the deficit. Onto the finishing straight and Penny found something extra to keep his opponent at bay, taking the win and the Bronze medal.
In the fight for Gold Jack Cruden made Alfie George go low on the inside and it was a win to George by a tyre on the line. In the second heat, George again led it out and they were shoulder to shoulder as they came off the final turn. George again dug deep and found just enough to take the win and the Gold medal with Silver going to Jack Cruden.
In the Junior Women Sprint Qualifying TT it was between Georgia Young (East Kilbride RC) and Lusia Steele (Glasgow Cycle Team) with the honours going to Lusia Steele. In the first final, Lusia Steele took the lead with a lap to go and held it all the way to the line, finishing in a time of 12.240. In the second heat victory went once again to Lusia Steele in a time of 12.460 but Georgia Young put up a great fight. Gold to the Glasgow CT rider.
Times were getting faster and faster in the Junior Men Kilometre Time Trial but nobody could compete with KiloMan himself Alexander MacRae (Pro Vision Scotland). He dug deep and came home in a time of 1-07.280, so fast that he needed a lie down afterwards. Closest to him were Innes Johnston (Glasgow Cycle Team) in 1-8.480 to take Silver with Matthew Burke (Team Backstedt/Hotchillee) in 1-8.810 to take Bronze. Victory and Gold to Alexander MacRae.
In the Youth C Girls 500m Time Trial (Omnium Event 1) the fastest time went to Isla McCutcheon (Johnstone Wheelers CC) in 45.220 with Fiona Hay (East Kilbride RC) in 46.950. Molly Evans (Grampian Tigers) was third in 47.180.
In the Youth C Boys 500m Time Trial (Omnium Event 1) the fastest time by some margin went to Tom Wicklow (Glasgow Riderz) in 41.940 with Luis Ryder (Edinburgh RC) next in 44.220. There were quite a few 44’s with Oliver Kelly (Johnstone Wheelers), Harvey Kay (Edinburgh RC) and Connor Livingstone (Johnstone Wheelers) all getting undet the 45 second mark in that order.
Next up was the Youth C Girls Keirin (Omnium Event 2) and again the win went to Isla McCutcheon in a time of 16.33, Millie Thomson (Deeside Thistle CC) coming home in second and Molly Evans in third to keep the Omnuium progress interesting.
In the Junior Men Keirin Final it was a Glasgow CT affair as Danny Mulholland made the running for most of the race. He was eventually passed by his teammates Jack Cruden and Innes Johnstone and it was a very close fight to the line, Cruden just edging it in a time of 11.64 for Gold.
In the Junior Women 2000m Individual Pursuit Round 1 saw another new Scottish record in a time of 2-34.21 set by Team Jaden-Weldtite’s Jenny Holl. This set up a final between Holl and her teammate Rhona Callander who got the better of her opponent Georgia Mansfield (RT23).
The final was fantastically close between the two Team Jaden-Weldtite riders with Jenny Holl getting the win in a time of 2-35.250, also inside her old record for this event. Rhona Callander’s time was 2-37.620.
With Dave Urquhart’s derny taking to the track we had the Youth C Boys Keirin (Omnium Event 2) we had 3 heats. Heat 1 went to Aidan Smith (Johnstone Wheelers) in a time 19.4. In the second heat it was Glasgow Riderz’ Patrick Barnes who overcame Cormac McConville in a time of 16.71. And in the third heat the win went to Tom Wicklow (Glasgow Riderz) in a time of 15.44 from Harvey Kay (Edinburgh RC) and Oliver Kelly Johnstone Wheelers).
This kept Tom Wicklow at the top of the Omnium standings with one event to run. Oliver Kelly was in second place on 6 points with Harvey Kay also sitting on 6 points.
In the Youth A Girls 2000m Individual Pursuit Final we had Anna Shackley up against her teammate Abby Stewart (Glasgow Riderz) and it was Anna Shackley who posted the faster time of 2-41.820 to take the title.
Another superb performance saw Alfie George take Joe Nally’s Standing Start 2k record in a time of 2-19.600 in his heat of the Youth A Boys Individual Pursuit. This was a 7 second beating of second fastest (2-26.950) Aaron King (Speedflex RT) with Matti Dobbins posting 2-27.420.
This set up the Final between George and King with Dobbins competing against Daniel Kain for Bronze. It was to come down to less than two tenths of a second in the decider between Daniel Kain and Matti Dobbins…the victory, and Bronze, going to Daniel Kain.
In the final Alfie George once again flew and in the end Aaron King just couldn’t hold him with the win, and Gold, going to George in a time of 2-24.500 Silver to Aaron King in a time of 2-27.550. Another day of Golds and a national record to add to his tally.
It was a mixed race in the Youth C Boys and Girls Scratch Race (Omnium Event 3) and the riders stayed more or less together for the whole event. It’s always quite vocal as the young riders fight hard to hold their positions on the track but the win went once again to Tom Wicklow from Oliver Kelly and Cormac McConville (East Kilbride RC) in third.
When the points were worked out Tom Wicklow had taken Gold in the Omnium, Oliver Kelly in Silver and Harvey Kay in Bronze.
Fiona Hay triumphed in the Girls event but with Isla McCutcheon finishing in second spot she had done enough to take Gold in the Omnium. Fiona Hay was now on the podium in the Silver medal position.
The last race on the schedule was the Junior Men 20k Scratch Race and 11 riders fought it out. Once again Matti Dobbins and Alfie George were taking on the older riders. As the riders settled into the 80 lap race, a number of them tried their hand…Dylan Hughes (Spokes RT) giving it several goes. Calum Shackley (Glasgow Cycle Team) tried to pull him back but with the bunch not reacting, he fell back.
Hughes was left to hang out front for a huge number of laps but eventually he decided he’d had enough and eased back into the bunch. Meanwhile, Matti Dobbins had given everything and retired from the race. Halfway through and Calum Shackley and Dylan Hughes tried again but it didn’t come to anything.
Moves were attempted but with 3 laps to run Glasgow Cycle Team launched the bid but everyone was going for it. Alfie George hit the front with just over one lap to run and it came down to a matched sprint between him and Matthew Burke. Super close on the line but another superb win for the Youth A Discovery Juniors rider. Matthew Burke made it a successful weekend by taking Silver with Alexander MacRae (Pro Vision Scotland) winning the dash for third and Bronze.
Another superb championship and with records broken and medals won we move to the next championship on the calendar.
