The Youth Tour of Scotland is now in its eighth year, and is a flagship event on the youth racing calendar in the UK. The best young riders in Britain, and further afield will be heading to Perthshire in April for four days of racing, and the event continues to grow in size and stature each year.

The Youth Tour of Scotland has been a stepping stone for some of Scotland’s most promising young cyclists, who have now firmly established themselves as elite riders both domestically and internationally.

With the 2019 Youth Tour of Scotland fast approaching, we spoke to the Ulster Boys Team to get an insight into their preparation leading up to Scotland’s biggest youth stage race.

Team Name: Cycling Ulster Boys

Team Members Names:

Boys: Darren Rafferty, Odhran Doogan, Joseph Owens, Somharile Fisher

Has the team taken part in the Youth Tour of Scotland (YTOS) before?

Ulster Boys: Half of us have, for the others it’s their first time.

Which of the 4 stages is the team most looking forward to?

Ulster Boys:  The last stage

What are the team’s ambitions for the event?

Ulster Boys: Take the win

How will the team be preparing ahead of the event?

Ulster Boys: Training together every weekend

What is the team most looking forward to about YTOS?

Ulster Boys: Having the craic, enjoying the experience

What challenges does the team think YTOS will bring?

Ulster Boys: Answering these questions :)

Quick Fire Questions

Favourite breakfast on race day?

Boys: Nutella

Any special warm up routines?

Boys: no

Hilly or flat courses?

Ulster Boys: both

To sum up Ulster Cycling Boys

Do we talk about anything other than cycling – that is the question. We’ve been together for a few years and have trained together whenever possible.

Good luck to the Ulster Boys at the Youth Tour of Scotland!

For updates on everything related to the event, follow @YouthTourScot on Twitter and Like Youth Tour of Scotland on Facebook.