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Report: Welsh Cycling Omnium Icebreaker Round 3
20th March 2010, Newport Velodrome | Report: Michael Heaven/Gayle Howells
The third and final round of the Welsh Cycling Icebreaker Series in conjunction with Newport Velo produced the best racing of the series helped by a bumper entry of 109 youth riders from all over the UK.
Over the three rounds riders have been battling for the title of overall Icebreaker series winner. The competition has been tough with the events focusing on endurance events to help the young riders build their fitness ahead of the long track racing season.
Organiser Michael Heaven said: The support for this new series has been amazing and the racing action has been a really high standard. Welsh Cycling want to make the events an annual series to help develop track racing in Wales and give the riders a high quality event early in the year. We have tried to make the as events friendly and as fun as possible for the riders, parents and volunteers. The series has been a great success and I hope next year it will be bigger and better.
"I'd like to thank Cycling Weekly, Action Medical Research, For Goodness Shakes and Bottlesport for the excellent prizes they gave for this event,"
In a change from the two previous rounds the Youth C riders events all took place in the morning session before the Velodrome welcomed the Youth A and B riders to the boards.
After an issue with the derny the Kierin heats were postponed and riders went straight into the point's race events. It was the usual suspects from the first 2 rounds who were battling it out at the head of affairs. Series Leader Tomos Owens - Mid Shropshire Wheelers, James Tillett - Newport Velo, David Barnes - Palmer Park and James Minto of Newport Velo.
Youth C Boys
Tomos Owens and James Tillett continued to battle it out as they have done for the whole series. The points race was an evenly matched afair, both riders sharing the points over the three sprints with James finally producing a superb finish to take the final sprint and it was first blood to Tillett with the points tied but the final positions were decided on the final sprint.
Tomos Owens heads the field
The Youth C boys Kierin heats saw some of the best racing of the day take place. With none of the riders willing to make the heats easy for the series leaders its was the turn of David Barnes and James Minto to get the elbows out and show a clean pair of wheels to finish 1st and 2nd ahead William Gadd - Maindy Flyers, Tomos Owens, James Tillett and Jack Plumley of Welwyn Wheelers.
The 25 lap scratch race went off from the whistle with Tomos Owens, James and Samual Tillett ripping it up at the front making it hard for attacks to come from the rest of the field. Going into the last few laps the riders started to jockey for position with Tomos Owens leading from the front. Last lap and coming into the home straight James Tillett produced a great turn of speed to take the win with ease ahead of Tomos Owens with his brother coming home in 3rd place.
Youth C Girls
Cori Robbins of Newport Velo had developed a healthy lead going into the third and final round but Bethany Maunders of Newport Velo and Team mates Jessica Roberts and Mererid Hunt were not going to give her and easy time in the final round
The Kierin and the point's race were won by Robbins but Bethany Maunders certainly made the wins harder to come by than in previous rounds. Robbins short burst power helped to get to the line ahead of the rest but it was not long before Jessica Roberts in the Scratch race took a long one and managed to hold on for a solo victory ahead of Robbins and the hard charging Maunders.
Robbins two wins and a second helped boost her healthy lead in the final overall standings with Bethany Maunders consistency in the final races of series moving her into 2nd ahead of Mererid Hunt of Towy Riders in 3rd.
Youth B Boys
The youth C boys saw another dominant performance from Max Nethell. Max managed to take victory in all 3 events and Max certainly proved his track skills when he managed to save himself from having a nasty crash when he wheel was taken away from him by another rider. This earned Max a special prize for ‘save of the day'
Oliver Plumley of Welwyn Wheelers was also having a consistent day in the saddle taking three 2nd places behind Nethell. Plumley ran Nethell close on a few occasions throughout the day. Tristan Robbins of Newport Velo has never been outside of the top 5 positions for the majority of the race series and this round was going to prove to be no different. Robbins consistency and strength during the series helped make the Youth C boys racing some of the best of the series despite the dominance of Nethell.
Final overall standings would see Nethell take the win with Plumley in second and Robbins in third. Consistency has certainly been key in the youth B age group and this trend was carried over into the Youth B Girls.
Youth B Girls
Emily Haycox of Maindy Flyers proved she will be one to watch in the future. Her gutsy style of riding has helped her to two 1st places and a fourth in the points. Emily was pushed all of the way by Bethany Hayward of Welwyn Wheelers. Hayward and Haycox were in day long battle for the round points lead and after the final event both riders were tied on points. This meant that last event of the day which was the Kierin would decide the final round positions. Haycox who finished 1st in the Kierin ahead of Hayward would take the round win.
Emily Haycox was the clear winner in the final overall standings with Kimberly English in a comfortable second and Page Milward in 3rd.
Youth A Boys
Zachery May of Newport Velo who is in his first year in the Youth A category and the youngest in the event has proved over the 3 race series that age and size does not mean anything. Zachery's aggressive style of riding has kept him at the head of each event for the whole series and with the return of Matt Cross and Robbie Westwood for the final round this did not seem to faze the young rider.
The 3rd and final round welcomed back Talent Team riders Matt Cross and Robbie Westwood who both shared the 1st and 2nd spots over the 3 events. Both riders managed to gain a lap during the points race event which lead to the battle for 3rd being between Zachery May and Edward Bird of Glendene. This would prove to be the most entertaining battle of the day with Zachery May taking 3rd on points and giving himself a healthy lead in the overall GC.
Zachery narrowly missed out on the final of the Kierin but he had managed to do enough to secure his overall victory over the consistent Cameron Swarbrick of Team Terminator and Joeseph Anstice of Newport Velo.
Youth A Girls
Rebecca Hunt of Newport Velo demonstrated why she was the series leader and worthy winner of the final overall in the 3rd round. The young rider was up against tough competition in the forms of Sarah Crowley and Amy Hill both of which are Talent team members.
All three riders were locked in battle throughout the day with each rider demonstrating why they are three of the top riders in the UK. The racing was fast and exciting with Crowley's turn of speed over the last 100mtrs and Hill's speed over the longer events such as the point's race. Hunt came close in the scratch event but was narrowly beaten to the line by the strong finishing Crowley on the home straight. The Kierin final was an exciting and enthralling event. Emily Barnes of Palmer Park Velo mixed it up with the 3 lead riders and finished a creditable 3rd in a fast event with Hill taking 2nd and Crowley taking her 2nd win.
Hunt managed to gain a 4th in the Kierin which secured her overall win ahead of Lauren Antoniw of Newport Velo and Sarah Crowley.
For round 3 results and overall standings, please go to www.welshcycling.co.uk
Welsh Cycling would like to say a huge thank you to the riders and parents for supporting the events and the series. Next year Welsh Cycling will aim to make the event even bigger and better. Most importantly a huge thank you goes out to the volunteers and officials who help make the events. Their work behind the scenes is often overlooked by many and without them none of the events would have been possible.
Welsh Cycling would also like to thank Action Medical, Cycling Weekly Bottlesport, Champion Systems and For Goodness Shakes for their support and prizes during the series.
Please remember to view the galleries from all three events at IJC Sports Photography - www.photoshelter.com
Welsh Cycling wishes all of the riders a great and safe season in 2010.
Summer Sizzler events on the 18/07/10 - 08/08/10 and the Winter Warmer event on the 23/10/2010
