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Report: Scunthorpe Youth Omnium (Northern Area Round)

Event: 14th May 2011
Promoted by: Scunthorpe Poly CC
Venue: Quibell Park Stadium, Scunthorpe
Report: John Cullaigh

The Youth Omnium at Scunthorpe's Quibell Park Velodrome last Saturday provided some excellent performances despite the cold, wind and two delays: one for a pile up in the U16 boys; and the other for a mid afternoon heavy rain shower. Riders felt the blustery wind all day as they came out of the first bend of the circuit and were harassed by it all along the back straight.

The order of competition was first a devil, then a points race, followed by a time trial and ending with a 5 sprints race in each category: U16 boys, U16 girls, U14 boys and U14 girls.

Twenty three riders took to the track for the first event, which was the U16 boys' devil. The first three laps were neutralised, after which 2 riders were eliminated every lap up to the last four riders, who then raced 1 final lap to the finish. The free laps predictably saw riders jockeying to gain advantageous positions and in consequence were bunched very tightly near the front of the peloton on the inside - too tightly as it transpired. As the whistle went to indicate the first lap of the eliminator the pace quickened. Almost immediately a wheel was clipped and in a split second three riders were down and injured. Chris Lawless (Max Gear RT), though in pain, was up and moving immediately, but Jake Womersley (Aire Valley RT) and Sam Birchall (3-in-1) were more seriously injured. The race was stopped and postponed until later in the day. Both riders went to hospital where Birchall's collar bone was found to be broken, and Womersley's legs and shoulder received extensive treatment. To the relief of the spectators and competitors alike both riders returned to the stadium later in the afternoon in good spirits.

The mood of the meeting soon improved as riders got to grips with the tasks ahead of them and the U14 boys' devil produced some excellent riding from all 12 competitors as the pace quickened and slowed lap by lap. In the sprint to the finish it was Tom Rotherham (Sports City) who held on to first place just ahead of Joey Walker (RST Racing Team-Trigon) and Alexander Braybrooke (Velocity).

Rotherham and Walker also figured strongly in the points race, along with James Risk (Weaver Valley). Rotherham again looked strong and got the win ahead of Risk who just edged in front of Walker. Risk got the fastest time in the time trial with 82.25; Stuart Balfour (Edinburgh Racers) got second with 86.16; and Rotherham got third with 86.31.

In the unforgiving sprints round Risk also got first overall, with Walker second and Rotherham third. This meant Rotherham was overall winner on the day from Walker and Risk, who must have reflected with regret on getting 10th in the devil.

Grace Garner (Leicester RC) delivered an excellent day's riding in the U14 girls winning all four events. She kept a cool head and held on to her lead in the last lap of the devil from Paige Milford (Lyme RC) who just got ahead of Abby Mae Parkinson (Aire Valley RT) at the finish. In the time trial she was the fastest home with 82.94, from Parkinson with 84.67 and Milward with 89.38. This meant she was in an excellent position as she entered the sprints event, and she did not disappoint. Despite very strong challenges from both Milward and Parkinson she emerged the winner, which gave her 1st overall on the day with Milward overall 2nd and Parkinson 3rd.

In the U16 girls Melissa Lowther (Aire Valley RT) also completed a clean sweep with four out of four wins. Intelligent positioning and a well judged attack gave her 1st place off the last lap of the devil, from team mate Lauren O'Brien and Megan Boyd (Sports City). In the points race again she positioned herself wisely and was able to launch her attack cleanly and with precision. She posted 79.56 in the time trial, from Megan Boyd with 82.5 and Jessica O'Brien (Aire Valley RT) with 87.15. The final sprints event was very close with not much to choose between all four riders lap by lap. But again Lowther stuck to her plan and ended the day overall winner, with Boyd in 2nd and Lauren O'Brien in 3rd.

Predictably the re-arranged U16 boys' devil started less frenetically than the first attempt. Tom Arnstein (Velo Ecosse) and Jacob Scott (Planet X) set the pace and kept their positions very adroitly throughout. In the last lap Arnstein launched his attack with about 120 metres to go and although Scott was closing on him he ultimately ran out of tarmac. Leon Gledhill (Planet X), who also positioned himself well in the final lap, got third.

Ollie Wood (Aire Valley RT) won the points race with both Scott and Arnstein hot on his wheel in a blistering sprint finish that saw the former again just missing the win. In the time trial Scott posted the fastest time with 72.26, from Wood on 72.82 and Will Thomas (Velocity) with 72.9. In the final sprints it was Wood who emerged the winner with some very intelligent positioning and attacking, with Thomas in 2nd and Scott in 3rd. This meant that on the day it was Scott who was overall 1st, from Arnstein and Wood.

If there was a prize for valiant riding then it would have been awarded to Jacob Gray of Derby Mercury who was the only U10 to turn out on the day and had to ride with the U 14's, on top of which he had a serious mechanical with his rear wheel before he even got on the track! He nonetheless delivered an excellent all round performance and accepted his prize with admirable humility and dignity. Well done Jacob!

Results

Youth A Boys

1 JACOB SCOTT PLANET X 9pts
2 TOM ARNSTEIN VELO ECOSSE 14pts
3 OLLIE WOOD AIRE VALLEY RC 15pts
4 WILL THOMAS VELOCITY 22pts
5 RYAN WHATMOUGH SHEPHERDS CYCLES 24pts
6 LEON GLEDHILL PLANET X 24pts
7 CALLUM ROGERS SCUNTHORPE POLY CC 27pts
8 JOE DAVISON FERRYHILL WHS 36pts
9 CHRISTIAN BRAYBROOKE VELOCITY 36pts
10 JAMES SHAW HEANOR CLARION CC 44pts

Youth B Boys

1 THOMAS ROTHERHAM SPORTS CITY 8pts
2 JOEY WALKER RST RACING TEAM-TRIGON 11pts
3 JAMES RISK WEAVER VALLEY 14pts
4 STUART BALFOUR EDINBURGH RACERS 17pts
5 REECE WOOD AIRE VALLEY RC 22pts
6 TOM WEEDS DERBY MERCURY RC 23pts
7 ALEXANDER BRAYBROOKE VELOCITY 23pts
8 DAVID PULLAN EAST BRADFORD CC 28pts
9 MATTHEW WALLS VELOCITY 40pts
10 OLLIE PECKOVER NOTTINGHAM CLARION CC 42pts

Youth A Girls

1 MELISSA LOWTHER AIRE VALLEY RC 4pts
2 MEGAN BOYD SPORTS CITY 10pts
3 LAUREN O'BRIEN AIRE VALLEY RC 11pts
4 JESSICA O'BRIEN AIRE VALLEY RC 16pts
5 SASKIA HOOK HEANOR CLARION CC 20pts
6 MEGAN RIACH DISCOVERY JUNIOR CC 27pts
7 ANA GILL HEANOR CLARION CC 3pts

Youth B Girls

1 GRACE GARNER LEICESTERSHIRE RC 4pts
2 PAIGE MILWARD LYME RC 10pts
3 ABBY-MAE PARKINSON AIRE VALLEY RC 10pts
4 VICTORIA KINRADE I.O.M 16pts
5 SALLIE BIRCHALL LYME RC 20pts
6 LOUISE BEEDHAM LINCSQUAD 24pts