Now in its 5th year, the Wales Open Criterium Town Centre Youth Races take place on Friday 13th July in Abergavenny.
Despite always seeming to clash with a busy weekend of National Series youth events elsewhere in the UK, the event continues to attract very strong fields. This year is no exception and many of the youngsters will be hoping to add their name to the list of winners. A quick glance at the list of previous winners is reads like a who’s who of British Cycling’s rising stars.
Even in the inaugural event back in 2008 when there were only 56 competitors, two of the winners were Sam Harrison and Sam Lowe. In 2009, Owain Doull and newly crowned European Junior Individual Pursuit Champion Elinor Barker were amongst the winners. There was a very classy win by Joe Fox in 2010 in the Under 16 Boys’ race and his brother Danny came up one short to Zach May in 2011. This year Danny will no doubt be hoping to go one better, but rising Welsh star Joe Holt is amongst the many riders who will be looking to beat him.
The Under 14s Boys’ field looks to be very strong indeed. It will be interesting to see how Tomos Owens, who has won impressively on a number of occasions in the younger age categories on his favourite race circuit, performs against the likes of Peter Kibble, Ryan White and many more. Recent form would tend to suggest Peter Kibble might be the slight favourite, but it is genuinely too close to call.
In the girls’ categories, Emily Haycox and Ffion James, who both recently represented Wales at the UK School Games will be there to battle it out. In the Under 14 Girls the very talented Jessica Roberts who is often racing up amongst the Under 16 girls will be the one to watch.
There will also be a very competitive Under 12s race and a combined Under 10s and Under 8s race. Over 100 entries have been received to date. There will be no entry on the line, but if anyone wishes to race, entries will be accepted up until Monday July 9th.
A number of competitors will be racing fresh from their exploits at the National Youth Circuit Race Championships in Kent on July 8th. Despite the previous list of talented winners, the event has not yet had the benefit of seeing a current National Champion compete. So for anyone racing in Kent this weekend, best of luck and hopefully we’ll get to see at least one competitor wearing the National Champion’s jersey in Abergavenny!
Entries received to date 3/7/2012
Under 8 Boys |
|
Jacob Allen |
Maindy Flyers |
James Bullar |
Brooks Cycles |
Daniel Wylie-Morris |
Abergavenny RC |
Harry Codd |
Maindy Flyers |
Garan Jones |
Towy Riders |
Ashley Cole |
Abergavenny RC |
Sean Finucane |
Towy Riders |
Kyle Jones |
Maindy Flyers |
Iolo Dafydd |
Towy Riders |
Ben Robinson |
Abergavenny RC |
Morgan Lloyd |
Towy Riders |
Under 8 Girls |
|
Elen Price |
Maindy Flyers |
Zoe Backstedt |
Maindy Flyers |
Evelyn Higgins-Worrall |
Abergavenny RC |
Rosie Watson |
Private Member |
Awen Roberts |
Towy Riders |
Heledd Hunt |
Towy Riders |
Under 10 Boys |
|
Ayrton Smith |
Maindy Flyers |
Bevan Smith |
Maindy Flyers |
Gethin Price |
Maindy Flyers |
Aled Trott |
Abergavenny RC |
Thomas Crapper |
Abergavenny RC |
Joe Nethell |
Maindy Flyers |
Kai Mcilquham |
Maindy Flyers |
Jack Roberts |
Maindy Flyers |
Jim Smith |
Abergavenny RC |
Alexander Hughes |
Abergavenny RC |
Dyfan Roberts |
Towy Riders |
Guto Dafydd |
Towy Riders |
Rhys Thomas |
Abergavenny RC |
Ollie Harrison |
Maindy Flyers |
Under 10 Girls |
|
Emma Finucane |
Towy Riders |
Rosie Finucane |
Towy Riders |
Anna Doheny |
Abergavenny RC |
Nikita Bayliss |
Abergavenny RC |
Under 12 Boys |
|
Oliver Beere |
Maindy Flyers |
Tomos Lane |
Abergavenny RC |
Joe Rees |
Maindy Flyers |
James Codd |
Maindy Flyers |
Huw Higgins-Worrall |
Abergavenny RC |
Mitchel Cole |
Abergavenny RC |
Harry Harvey |
Newport Velo |
Daniel Watson |
Private Member |
Owain Roberts |
Towy Riders |
Jake Young |
Maindy Flyers |
Thomas Chaplin |
Abergavenny RC |
Joe Beckingsale |
Abergavenny RC |
Llewellyn Price |
Abergavenny RC |
Joel Bayliss |
Abergavenny RC |
Kieran Morris |
Mid Shropshire Wheelers |
Under 12 Girls |
|
Elynor Backstedt |
Maindy Flyers |
Felicity Allen |
Maindy Flyers |
Lauren Booth |
Chippenham Wheelers |
Ella Doheny |
Abergavenny RC |
Megan James |
Abergavenny RC |
Elena Shaw |
Maindy Flyers |
Pfeiffer Georgi |
Giant Cycling Club |
Under 14 Boys |
|
Peter Kibble |
Cycology Bikes |
Jack Broadley |
Cardiff Ajax |
Samuel Tillet |
Cardiff Jif |
James Tillet |
Cardiff Ajax |
Teifion Best |
Abergavenny RC |
Iuean Best |
Abergavenny RC |
Tomos Nesham |
Newport Velo |
Brett Nethell |
Maindy Flyers |
Jourdain Mcilquham |
Maindy Flyers |
Scott Pearce |
Newport Velo |
Tomos Owens |
Brooks Cycles |
Rhys Britton |
Cardiff Jif |
Etienne Georgi |
Giant Cycling Club |
Ryan White |
1st Chard Wheelers |
Brynley Kerry |
Abergavenny RC |
Under 14 Girls |
|
Emily Tillet |
Cardiff Jif |
Tanwen Jones |
Towy Riders |
Sophie Jo Wylie-Morris |
Abergavenny RC |
Caitlin Shaw |
Maindy Flyers |
Megan Chard |
Bush Healthcare CRT |
Lowri Thomas |
Abergavenny RC |
Jessica Roberts |
Towy Riders |
Under 16 Boys |
|
Danny Fox |
Solihull CC |
Evan Edwards |
Maindy Flyers |
Euan Davies |
Maindy Flyers |
Harry Lock |
Maindy Flyers |
Sam Rees |
Maindy Flyers |
Nicholas Jones |
TRCC |
Matthew Gibbs |
Cardiff Ajax |
Kinsey Mcilquham |
Maindy Flyers |
Jacob Phelps |
Maindy Flyers |
Hefin Evans |
Towy Riders |
Stephen Williams |
Ystwyth CC |
Samuel Sturt |
Newport Velo |
Joe Holt |
Team Tredz |
Alex Harvey |
Rhos on Sea CC |
Jake Brockwell |
Brecon Wheelers |
Dominic Davies |
Private Member |
Huw Thomas |
Abergavenny RC |
Under 16 Girls |
|
Ffion James |
Abergavenny RC |
Molly Maunders |
Cardiff Jif |
Emily Haycox |
Cardiff Ajax |
Manon Lloyd |
Towy Riders |