Location: Shrewsbury Sporets Village, Shrewsbury
Event: 11 May 2013
Report and Photos: Andy Whitehouse/Snowdon Sports
Strong winds and heavy rain greeted the riders for the third round of the National Youth Circuit series today at Shrewsbury. Again, as in the two previous rounds large fields in every category ensured a day of close racing on the tricky one kilometre Sundorne circuit and with a wet and slippy surface it made for some interesting races.
U16 BOYS (45 LAPS)
Louis Modell took a fine win in the Under 16 boys race. The East London Velo rider crossed the line first in a sprint finish that could have easily gone to any of three escapees, himself, Stuart Balfour or Oliver Peckover.
The early part of the race saw the field of fifty, which had been decided from two early morning qualifiers, finding their feet on the greasy surface, frequent attacks went but were unable to stick until Jack Escritt played his cards and managed to get a small break and with Ellis Kirkbride and Lewis Stevens for company kept the bunch at bay for a few laps.
The break didn't hold and was swallowed up by the chasers but Robert Hogg made the counter attack with ten laps gone and when Matthew Wallis made the small gap to the Chard Wheelers rider it seemed that the pair would keep away for a while but the onset of heavy rain just before the first sprint encouraged the two back to the fold.
With a third of the race gone the whistle blew for the first sprint which was taken by Joe Holt, the speed carried the long line through the next lap and gaps were beginning to appear, again WD40's Jack Escritt made a play and a quick reaction by Stuart Balfour saw the two escape the big bunch.
Luke Morgan and Tom Weeds upped the pace at the front and soon got away and across to Escritt and Balfour and the four worked well to get a useful looking gap. With twenty laps gone Balfour was back in the bunch, Morgan upped the gas and managed to ride away from his two allies but all the escapees were back in the bunch a lap before the second sprint which was taken by Louis Modell who looked in fine form and went for long ride to the finish.
Oli Peckover jumped across to the lone leader and the two managed to get a gap from the bunch who had eased up and were looking at each other, Balfour had another dig and with ten laps to go got across to the two leaders, Tom Weeds tried to get across with three laps remaining but the Derby Mercury rider had left himself too much work to do.
With the bell ringing the main bunch started to react but it was to no avail and the three escapes managed to stay away for the sprint with Modell the victor.
1. Louis Modell East London Velo 1.10.23
2. Stuart Balfour Edinburgh RC st
3. Oli Peckover Notts Clarion CC st
4. Tom Weeds Derby Mercury RC @ 7
5. James Ireson Wolverhampton Wheelers @ 8
6. Ellis Kirkbride Border City Wheelers CC st
7. Ryan Phillips Wolverhampton Wheelers st
8. Joe Holt County Cycles RT st
9. Ryan McGillick Mossley CRT st
10 Oscar Williamson Mossley CRT st
U16 GIRLS (32 LAPS)
Charlotte Broughton surprised everyone with the win in the Under 16 girls, the MG Decor rider who is still recovering after having to abandon the previous round came from out of the bunch to take the victory.
Poor conditions again affected the early laps of the contest, the bunch taking the cautious line on the wet track, Aby Mae Parkingson and Broughton made an early move to kick the race into action but were not allowed to get any further away than a couple of laps.
With the first sprint of the race in sight the pace increased and it was Squadra Donne’s Paige Millward who took the spoils, a crash coming into the sprint saw Anne Marie Hughes hit the floor and the race was stopped while the Prestige Velo rider was helped off the track.
A restart saw a nervous bunch keep the speed controlled for the next six laps but a break of three went away, Paige Millward, Lucy Shaw and Abigail Dentus looked like they may stay away but with a sprint lap fast approaching the bunch upped the gas and the three were back in the group but Dentus kept towards the front and took the second sprint of the race.
Now in the last ten laps, Broughton again went for the break and taking Grace Garner along the two looked a good bet to go all the way, Emily Haycox managed to jump the gap to the two leaders while the bunch looked at each other, Dentus took the initiative and dragged the bunch up to the three.
With two laps remaining Maisie Duckworth and Lucy Lee went for a long break but it lasted till the bell when Paige Millward and Parkinson counter attacked and it looked as though the two could stay away but Dentus wasn't going to let her hard work go to waste and sitting on the front of the chasing bunch dragged the race back together, but it was Broughton who went for a solo win jumping away on the final two bends to take a well-deserved win.
1. Charlotte Broughton MG Decor 57.00
2. Grace Garner RST Racing st
3. Emily Haycox Cardiff Ajax CC st
4. Elizabeth Holden Royal London 360 st
5. Lucy Shaw Solihull CC st
6. Paige Millward Squadra Donne Shutt VR st
7. Ellie Dickinson Beacon Wheelers st
8. Lucy Harper Welwyn Wheelers CC st
9. Abigail Dentus Palmer Park Velo st
10 Sophie Capewell Lichfield City CC st
U14 BOYS (25 LAPS)
Dan Tulett consolidated his lead in the Under 14 boys category. The Hargroves cycles rider rode a superb race to take the bunch sprint.
A frantic opening account as always in this category saw two of the main protagonists Tulett and Anthony Anderson dictate the early pace with the rest of the large field biding their time to attack.
The early sprint was taken by Anderson with Tulett happy to follow his wheel across the line for second. With the speed of the group constant it wasn't until lap twelve that Harry Hardcastle tried his luck off the front but the big hitters in the race were having none of it and again Anderson and Tullet took the initiative and tried to split the field, the race wasn't going to allow the two to escape and with the last sprint of the race approaching again they reacted and increased the speed, Anderson again took the points in the sprint.
With the race in the final ten laps the bunch started to react, Anderson was prominent on the front with Tulett and Matthew Burke in close quarters but with five laps to go it was George Mew Jensen who went off the front again to be swallowed up by the group.
With the bell ringing, Theo Hartley attacked off the front as the pace increased, the National jersey of Tulett was prominent towards the front and with crashes on the last few bends it was Tulett who came through the group to take the sprint.
1. Dan Tulett Hargroves Cycles RT 38.05
2. Will Turnbull Tyneside Vagabonds CC st
3. Anthony Anderson Kingston Wheelers st
4. Theo Hartley Bolton Hot Wheels CC st
5. Tomos Owens Brooks Cycles st
6. Charles Page Hillingdon Slipstreamers st
7. Tom Tidcock Aire Valley RT
8. Ryan White 1st Chard Wheelers st
9. Tom Mein MTS Cyclesport/Inkland st
10 Jamie Ridehalgh Airedale Chemical RT st
U14 GIRLS (20 LAPS)
Heavy rain and strong winds kept the under 14 girls together during the early laps, no one rider was strong enough to take the chance to ride off the front.
But as the wind subsided it was Maddie Gammons who took the chance to open an early gap but with the first sprint of the race approaching she was brought back to the bunch. However, she held her place in the bunch to take second behind Elizabeth Bennett.
The race remained together for the following five laps until the second sprint where Louise Surridge took the honours. The weather was playing a big part in the race and no one was really tempted to try for the break until Jess Roberts went alone with three laps to go but with the group now reacting the Towy rider was brought back.
Lowri Thomas went for broke and again to no avail and on the bell it was Emily Wadsworth who tried the attack but the bunch was happy to stay together till the line but coming out of the last bend Jess Roberts rode to the front to take the win.
1. Jess Roberts Towy Riders 35.16
2. Elizabeth Bennett Cardiff JIF @03
3. Megan James Abergavenny RC st
4, Lowri Thomas Abergavenny RC st
5. Sophie Williams Cardiff JIF st
6. Maddie Gammons Bourne Wheelers CC st
7. Jess Watts Tyneside Vagabonds CC st
8. Pfeiffer Georgi Giant Cycling Club st
9. Lucy Nelson Solihull CC st
10 Elenor Davis Royal London 360 st
U12 BOYS (20 LAPS)
Lewis Askey proved to be the strongest rider in the under 12 race, the young Lichfield rider being prominent throughout the 20 laps.
He made his first attack on the opening lap and along with Kierin Morris put the hurt down for the rest of the field. Heavy rain saw the two ease enough for the bunch to catch them and with the first sprint approaching the bunch was back as one but Askey jumped to take the sprint but didn't ease up and again went out alone.
Palmer Park's Jay Allen tried to get across but to no avail and Askey took the mid race sprint to add to his collection. Again Askey didn't ease up and had the field now stretched out in a long line, the pace eased enough for the group to re assemble for the final five laps but looked nervous.
The pace remained steady until Tim Elsmore-Martin went away with two laps remaining but it was Askey who checked the Sherwood Pines rider and the two took the bell together. But the bunch had reacted and were back chasing and although it all came back together on the final lap Askey wasn't going to let his hard work go unrewarded and jumped the bunch to take the win.
1. Lewis Askey Lichfield City CC 34.43
2. Owain Roberts Towy Riders
3. Kierin Morris Mid Shropshire Wheelers
4. Tyler Koch Bolton Hot Wheels CC
5. Guto Dafydd Towy Riders
6. George Southby East Bradford CC
7. James Codd Maindy Flyers Youth
8. Angus Hawkins Palmer Park Velo
9. Tosh Teare Royal London 360
10 Zach Bridges Newport Olympic
U12 GIRLS (16 LAPS)
Always a hotly contested category, the under 14s was an intriguing race. A quick pace saw the field soon break up, the stronger riders soon stamping their mark on proceeding, Elynor Backstedt took the first sprint, with a smiling dad, no stranger to crossing the line first, looking on.
With the race keeping together, the circuit looking huge against the small riders, it was Anna Armstrong who took the second sprint of the race. The race started to develop with six laps remaining, Elena Smith attacked over the finish line only for Poppy Wildman to see the danger and close the attack down.
With two laps remaining it was Wildman again who was in the action, attacking with Nicole Clarke but with the bell lap getting ever closer the two were brought back to the group. Clarke hit the line and upped the pace but it was Anna Armstrong who bided her time and waited for the sprint, crossing the line first ahead of Backstedt and Wildman
1. Anna Armstrong Border City Wheelers CC 29.08
2. Elynor Backstedt Maindy Flyers Youth
3. Poppy Wildman Notts Clarion
4. Elena Smith Matlock CC
5. Ava May Oxley-Szilaggi Wakefield Junior Tri
6. Becky Surridge Hillingdon Slipstreamers
7. Elena Shaw Matlock CC
8. Nicole Clarke Birkenhead North End CC
9. Eve Martin Ribble Valley juniors
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