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Report: White Rose Youth League Round 1
Event: 11th May 2011
Promoted by: Holme Valley Wheelers
Venue: Richard Dunn Sports Centre, Bradford
Report: John Cullaigh
Event Details and Results
The White Rose Youth League got off to a flying start last Wednesday evening at the Richard Dunn Sports Centre in Bradford. Conditions were overcast but dry, with a medium but cold head wind up the descent on the northerly straight.
The races were preceded by a one-lap time trial for cats E, D and C only.
The boys U8's was dominated by three riders who finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd in both the time trial and the 5 lap race. Despite a very strong challenge from Jack Mayes (Wakefield Junior Tri), Bjorn Koerdt (Otley CC) proved unbeatable on the night. Soljay Waterman (Kirklees Cycling Academy) rode another valiant race to get third. And in the U8 girls sister Elphina Waterman (KCA) also rode a very determined TT and race to finish first in both events.
It was a similar story in the U10's events, with Billy Lazenby (East Bradford CC), club mate Alex Grice and Sam Watson getting 1st, 2nd and 3rd in both events. These three riders dominated the lead group throughout the race and did their best to test each other with sudden and testing attacks. But they are now familiar with each other's tactics and it was left to Lazenby's burst of speed up the final 100 metre finishing straight to differentiate at the finish.
In the U10 girls Ava Oxley (Wakefield Junior Tri) and Sophie Aldridge (East Bradford CC) also dominated proceedings finishing 1st and 2nd in both events.
Brad Dransfield (NMYS) was fastest home in the boys U12's TT, but got edged into 3rd place in a very exciting sprint finish. A group of nine riders soon broke away and maintained their lead throughout the 10 laps. Most of these riders did their share at the front but the pace soon took its toll and it was Tom Pidcock who proved the strongest in the sprint home, from Thomas Humphrey (Wakefield Junior Tri).
In the girls U12's Tilly Brown (Holme Valley Wheelers) made a fantastic TT debut coming home fastest in 1:21. And in the 10 lap it was Hannah Banks (East Bradford CC) who rode another finely calibrated race to get an impressive win from sisters Erica and Lucy Byram (Holme Valley Wheelers).
The girls U14's provided some fine examples of intelligent riding from Abby Mae Parkinson (Aire Valley RT), Amira Mellor (Holme Valley Wheelers) and Bronwen Owen (Planet X). Respecting each other's strengths these three sustained a fantastic pace throughout by doing their share at the front. At the finish it was Parkinson who had the legs to take the win from Mellor, whose overall performance signalled this category is going to be very lively this year. Owen got third with a very focused and determined performance.
The boys U14's looked as though it was going to be a cannier affair for the first couple of laps, but new kid on the block Joey Walker (RST Racing Team) wanted to race. He launched a testing attack coming into lap three and stretched the field momentarily. Wisely he pulled back and rode co-operatively with four other riders who had given chase. Two laps later it was Lewis Byram (Holme Valley Wheelers) who shook the group with an impressive attack from the bottom corner, but he too decided it was too early to be heroic and eventually sat back to allow the group to do their share. The group then stayed together for the remainder of the race and provided a spectacular sprint finish in which Walker got the win from Chris Barnes (Seacroft Wheelers) with Byram in third.
Recent movement between clubs meant that Aire Valley RT dominated proceedings in both the girls and boys U16's. Melissa Lowther (ex Planet X) and sisters Lauren and Jessica O'Brien (ex Wakefield Junior Tri) are now riding for them; and Gabz Cullaigh (ex Holme Valley Wheelers) has joined Ollie Wood and Jake Womersley in the boys squad.
In the boys race five riders, Womersley, Wood, Cullaigh, Jacob Scott (Planet X) and Leon Gledhill (Planet X), were soon off the front and established a handsome lead over the rest of the field. All of these riders know each other very well so this race was always going to be an intriguing mix of testosterone and wit as first one, then another rider launched impressive but bluff attacks for 17 of the 20 laps. As the group entered the final right and left S bend and emerged onto the final straight it was Scott who kept the pressure on the group to take the win from Womersley, Wood, Gledhill and Cullaigh in a tight and blistering finish.
Nor did the girls disappoint. Mel Lowther, Lauren O'Brien, Jessica O'Brien and Caitlin Tromans (East Bradford) rode brilliantly and co-operatively. It was mainly Lowther and Lauren O'Brien who set a quick and unforgiving pace which meant slowly but surely first Tromans then Jessica O'Brien got dropped. Despite their valiant efforts to make up ground in the last lap it was Lowther and Lauren O'Brien who got 1st and 2nd in another blistering sprint.
The season is only young but it looks like this series is going to provide some fine and fierce riding. Many thanks to Mark Wilcox and his volunteers from Holme Valley Wheelers, and to Paul Banks and Mandy Parker from East Bradford CC, for their organisation of an evening of quality racing.
