││Day 3
Day 3 - 23 August 2011
Day three of the National Junior and Youth Track Championships was split into two sessions with heats for the Under 16 Girls Individual Pursuit, the Under 16 Boys Points Race and the Junior Scratch Race in the morning session, with the finals of all three events in the afternoon.
Morning Session
Under 16 Girls Individual Pursuit
The Individual Pursuit saw some very competitive times with the organizers doing a good job once again of seeding the faster riders in the later heats. Five riders went under two minutes 40 seconds including yesterday's Sprint title winner Danielle Khan of Solihull CC. Her time of 2:39.111 will see her face Keira McVitty - who briefly led the competition with a 2:42.208 in the second of the 5th-8th final heats. The other two riders competing for the minor places are the Under 14 Omnium champion Grace Garner who clocked an impressive 2:43.186 and Melissa Lowther of Aire Valley who finished in 2:43.273.
The ride for Bronze will be between Alice Barnes of Motorpoint Cycling (2:28.553) and Emily Nelson of Halesowen A&CC (2:37.050). There was, briefly, the prospect of an all-Halesowen, Emily vs Emily final with reigning champion Emily Kay favourite to go fastest in the final heat. She didn't disappoint - recording an excellent 2:35.412 - but neither did her opponent in the heat Amy Hill of Newport Velo who set the second fastest time of the morning with a 2:36.871 to book a re-run with Kay later in the day.
Under 16 Boys Points Race Heats
Two hotly contested Points races determined the field for the final. Individual Pursuit Champion and Scratch race runner-up Chris Lawless of Maxgear RT took the first sprint from Jake Womersley of Aire Valley, Charlie Tanfield of Velo29 Cycling Team and Matt Cross of Towy Riders.
Luc Hall of Spinergy-Kuota-GSG broke away from the pack to take the second sprint with Sean McGovern of Sportcity Velo, Sean Noon (Edinburgh RC) and James Shaw (Heanor Clarion) mopping up the remainder. The penultimate sprint went to another lone break - this time Geraint Manley (Cardiff JIF) - with Tom Armstein of EV Ecosse who'd chased him down just failing to overhaul him and having to settle for second. Cross and Lawless add to their total close behind.
The final Sprint went to Lawless who'd ridden away from the field with Hall, who took second. Andy Shackel of i-team made a brave effort to follow them but blew on the run in and the remaining points went to Ashley Dennis (VC Jubilee) and Callum Ferguson (Halesowen). Lawless topped the final points table ahead of Hall and Manley - the winners of all three sprints - and with Noon - who took third in the second sprint - two laps down at the end, all those with a positive points score made it through to the final.
In the second heat it was Zahery May of Cardiff JIF that opened the scoring, just holding off Adam Lewis of Wolverhampton Wheelers, with Jacob Ragan (Teamwallis CHH) and Christian Braybrooke (Velocity RT) taking the lesser points. After a brave solo effort by Sam Birchall (Velocity RT), it was Scratch race champion and Pursuit runner-up Oliver Wood that took the second Sprint ahead of Ragan, Jacob Scott of Planet X and Tao Geoghegan-Hart (CC Hackney).
Another fine solo effort from Dan Maslin (Prestige Velo Club) wrapped up the third set of sprint points with Ragan, again, Owen James (Towy Riders) and Jake Kelly (Royal London 360 Isle of Man) completing the points scorers.
As the final sprint came together, Maslin just hung on - crossing the line the best part of a lap clear of the bunch sprint, but hanging on to his points - while Kelly lost out. Geoghegan-Hart took the final Sprint from Scott, Mark Stewart of Discovery Junior CC and Alan Trolove of West Suffolk Wheelers - which meant that the unfortunate Kelly - tied with Braybrooke and Trolove on a single point - as the only points scorer to miss out, by virtue of finishing behind the other two on the last lap. Ragan took the win thanks to his consistency - never winning a sprint but scoring in three of the four, Geoghegan-Hart was second and Scott third.
Junior Scratch Race Heats
The two heats for the Junior Scratch race were cagey affairs with only three riders from each eliminated, nobody wanted to go too early and risk overcooking it and missing out. In the first heat Harry Strudley of AW Cycles made a break with three laps to go, with team mate Cam Swarbrick and Sean Fletcher of Sportcity Velo slotting in behind.
By the bell - which was given to Strudley as he sat behind the main bunch, Flecther and Swarbrick had half a lap on the bunch and the first three continued home. The bunch, thinking that they'd had the bell with Strudley thought they'd finished ahead of him and sat up, so rather than a mass sprint it was those who sit up hardest who were eliminated.
The second heat was similar - if more conventional at the end - with another AW Cyles rider Frazier Carr making a dash for home with four to go. With three to go, it might have worked but as the laps wound down the pace in the bunch wound up and Owain Doull (Hargroves Cycles) led the bunch past Carr to take the win from Josh Papworth (Cult Racing) and Harry Tanfield (Teamwallis CHH). Spent, Carr was one of the three riders to be eliminated.
Afternoon Session
The afternoon session saw the completion of the Under 16 Girls pursuit, the finals of the Under 16 Boys and Junior Women's Points Races and the final of the Junior Men's Scratch.
Under 16 Girls Individual Pursuit
The finals began with Grace Garner of Leicestershire Road Club securing fifth place in her ride against Melissa Lowther of Aire Valley RT. Her time of 2:39.757 was a full four seconds faster than she managed in the morning session and lifted her from seventh. Lowther's 2:40.105 was also three seconds up on her qualifying time and moved her up from seventh to eighth.
It was the riders in the second heat that suffered - particularly Keira McVitty of Kings Cliffe Flyers whose time of 2:43.038 was a second down on her effort in the morning, which saw her drop from sixth to eighth. Sprint champion Danielle Khan (Solihull CC) also dropped seven tenths of a second - and from fifth to sixth - with a time of 2:39.872.
In the Bronze medal ride-off it was Emily Nelson of Halesowen A&CC who dominated, cutting her qualifying time by two hundredths of a second to 2.37.029 but comfortably easing away from Alice Barnes (Motorpoint Cycling) who was a couple of seconds of her previous mark at 2.40.376.
The final itself was a thriller with Amy Hill of Newport Velo fast out of the gate and ahead for the first five laps. Kay was on top from the half way point, though, clawing back the deficit by three laps to go and easing ahead into what was, by the end, a lead of over a second and a half. Kay's time of 2.33.993 was two seconds faster than the time she set in qualifying while Hill's 2.35.655 was also a second up.
Under 16 Boys Points Race
The Under 16 Boys Points race was a thriller with Sunday's Individual Pursuit podium trio - Chris Lawless of Maxgear RT, Oliver Wood (Aire Valley RT) and Tao Geoghegan Hart (CC Hackney) resuming battle.
Lawless took the opening sprint from Adam Lewis of Wolverhampton Wheelers with Geoghegan Hart and Alan Trolove (West Suffolk Wheelers) rounding out the points scorers. Then he took the second, from Zachery May of Cardiff JIF, Wood and Matt Cross of Towy Riders. It looked like it might be a whitewash.
It might have been, had Luc Hall of Kuota-Spinergy-GSG and Geoghegan Hart not made a break for it. Geoghegan Hart took the sprint with Hall second, Mark Stewart (Discovery Junior CC) third and Owen James (Towy Riders) fourth. That left Lawless in the lead, but only three points clear of Geoghegan Hart. The CC Hackney rider went again, this time with Jacob Ragan of Teamwallis CHH but, although they stayed just far enough ahead of the charging bunch to take the points, it was Lawless that followed Ragan and Geoghegan Hart over the line, with Ashley Dennis (VC Jubilee) taking the last point.
With two sprints to go and only two points separating Lawless from Geoghegan Hart it was Hall that went on the attack again, this time in company with Wood. With the points looking like they were in the bag, Jacob Scott (Planet X) shot off the front to take the five points. As Scott pulled the bunch round with him, Lawless managed to get between Wood and Hall take another two points and double his lead.
With Geoghegan Hart now needing to win the remaining sprint and hope that Lawless came no higher than fourth, it was Wood that went on the attack. Geoghegan Hart chased hard but could only manage second behind the Aire Valley rider. It wouldn't have been enough anyway, but Lawless was taking no chances, shadowing Geoghegan Hart and following him over the line to take third and the title. Ragan took fourth in the final sprint which lifted him above Scott into fourth overall, with Wood's win securing him the Bronze - ensuring that he'll take home a full set of medals from this week - and Geoghegan Hart's second place giving him the Silver.
Junior Women's Points Race
Hannah Barnes took the first sprint in the Junior Women's Points race in a bunch sprint dominated - as the race would turn out to be - by her Motorpoint Cycling team. Team mates Lucy Garner and Harriet Owen took third and fourth with Amy Roberts of For Viored Brookvex spoiling the formation sprint by taking second place.
With the three Motorpoint riders controlling things from the front, Barnes won the second sprint, too, from Garner with Owen once again in fourth place. Elinor Barker (Cardiff Ajax) took third. Barker and Roberts were to the fore with 30 laps to go with Owen the sole Motorpoint points scorer in third ahead of Melissa Bury (Maxgear RT). Barker now sat in second place on seven points, three behind Barnes, with Roberts a point further back.
Barnes saw off that challenge in a break of four that ended in a win for Barnes, second for Lisa Daly of Sportcity Velo, third for Eve Dixon of Maxgear RT and fourth for Keira McVitty of Kings Cliffe Flyers - who had already completed two 2km pursuits earlier in the day.
Barker was now eight points behind with ten up for grabs, so she made a break for it.
Garner saw the danger and chased her down, coming past her on the home straight to snatch the five points and all but guarantee her team mate victory - albeit with the twist that Garner was now tied with Barker on ten points. A win for either of them with Barnes failing to score would see them on the top step of the podium.
Behind Barker, Roberts took two points to stay within two points of a Silver medal and Owen picked up one to stay fifth. In a fitting finish to a compelling race, the four main contenders fought it out in a bunch sprint. Garner took the win she needed to have any chance of Gold, but Barnes followed her over the line to secure the title. Roberts beat Barker to third place, but it wasn't enough to overtake her in the standings - Barker taking the Bronze by a single point.
Junior Men's Scratch Final
As everyone expected, the final was a very different affair from the qualifying heats. The pace was rapid, but the bunch stayed together - pretty much - for the first 40 laps. Harry Tanfield of Teamwallis CHH attacked with 54 to go - with Tom Gallacher (Welwyn Wheelers) and Jess Wieckowski of Team Nemesis GB in pursuit - but three laps later they were all back together. By half distance there was one out, one a lap down and twenty riders together as the pace began to rise.
The first of two moves that changed the race came with 32 to go when Jon Dibben of Hargroves Cycles attacked. He didn't stay away, but the injection of pace fragmented the pack and it never recovered. Initially splitting in to three groups, riders started to drop off the back and then out of the race.
With 13 laps to go, there were 13 riders left of the 22 starters. With 10 to go they were 10, but they were back together, if a little nervously. Two laps later, almost unnoticed, Robert Lambton of Brooks Cycles slipped away from what remained of the bunch. His lead kept extended, but surely he wouldn't be able to stay away to the finish.
The reaction finally came with 5 laps to go - Dibben and team mate Owain Doull - initially with Raleigh's Same Lowe and Teamwallis CHH's Matt Holmes in two - started to chase him down, but Lambton was in determined mood.
With two to go the gap was down to four seconds, but by the bell the pursuers were no closer. The gap was down to two by the finish, but Lambton, title secure, sat up as he entered the home straight and celebrated all the way to the line. Doull won the Hargroves team challenge, taking Silver ahead of Dibben with fourth placed following them home a further three seconds back. Ten riders finished of the original 22 starters - nine of them on the lead lap.
There are three days of the Championships left, but that one's going to be hard to beat. Mind you, most of these riders are back in action tomorrow (Wednesday) for the Junior Men's Points Race.
Results
Under 16 Girls Individual Pursuit
Heats
1. Emily Kay Halesowen A&CC 2:35.412
2. Amy Hill Newport Velo 2:36.871
3. Emily Nelson Halesowen A&CC 2:37.050
4. Alice Barnes Motorpoint Cycling 2:38.553
5. Danielle Khan Solihull CC 2:39.111
6. Keira McVitty Kings Cliffe Flyers 2:42.208
7. Grace Garner Leicestershire Road Club 2:43.186
8. Melissa Lowther Aire Valley RT 2:43.273
9. Bethany Hayward Welwyn Wheelers 2:44.187
10. Hannah Blount Derby Mercury RC 2:44.291
11. Rebecca Hunt Cardiff Ajax CC 2:45.175
12. Lauren O'Brien Aire Valley RT 2:46.120
13. Louise Borthwick Edinburgh RC 2:46.678
14. Kimberley English Welwyn Wheelers 2:47.116
15. Zoe Armstrong Bill Nickson Cycles RT 2:49.463
16. Ellie Gilham Bournemouth Arrow CC 2:52.661
17. Saskia Hook Heanor Clarion 2:55.708
18. Laura Cheeseman Preston Park Youth 2:57.558
19. Alexandra Sheehan Bristol Cycling Development Squad 2:57.867
20. Isabelle Clarke Lichfield City CC
21. Flora Gillies Peebles CC
Under 16 Boys Points
Heat 1
1. Chris Lawless Maxgear RT 11
2. Luc Hall Kuota-Spinergy-GSG 8
3. Geraint Manley Cardiff JIF 5
4. Matthew Cross Towy Riders CC 3
5. Jake Womersley Aire Valley RT 3
6. Sean McGovern Sportcity Velo 3
7. Tom Arnstein EV Ecosse 3
8. Ashley Dennis VC Jubilee 2
9. Charlie Tanfield Velo29 Cycline Team 2
10. Callum Ferguson Halesowen A&CC 1
11. James Shaw Heanor Clarion 1
12. Leon Gledhill Planet X
13. Euan Cattermole VC Londres
14. Tristan Robbins Cardiff JIF
15. George Withers Palmer Park Velo
16. Andy Shackel i-team
17. Rory Townsend Prestige Velo Club
18. William Thomas Velocity RT
19. Shaun Carter Newport Velo -10
20. Sean Noon Edinburgh RC -18
21. Peter Cocker Witham Wheelers -20
Heat 2
1. Jacob Ragan Teamwallis CHH RT 8
2. Tao Geoghegan-Hart CCHackney 6
3. Jacob Scott Planet X 5
4. Oliver Wood Aire Valley RT 5
5. Zachery May Cardiff JIF 5
6. Daniel Maslin Prestige Velo Club 5
7. Adam Lewis Wolverhampton Wheelers 3
8. Mark Stewart Discovery Junior CC 2
9. Owen James Towy Riders CC
10. Alan Trolove West Suffolk Wheelers 1
11. Christian Braybrooke Velocity RT 1
12. Jake Kelly Royal London 360 Isle of Man 1
13. Kristian Woolf Kings Cliffe Fluers CC
14. Gabriel Cullaigh Air Valley RT
15. Sam Francks Halesowen A&CC
16. Joseph Crolla Palmer Park Velo
17. Joseph Wiltshire Newport Velo
18. Lewis Garrity Base2racecycles
19. Kieran Laurie VC Londres
20. Joel Partington Eastlands Velo
21. Samuel Birchall Velocity RT -160
Junior Men's Scratch
Heat 1
1. Harry Strudley AW Cycles
2. Sean Fletcher Sportcity Velo
3. Cam Swarbrick AW Cycles
4. Jonathan Dibben Hargroves Cycles
5. Matthew Holmes Teamwallis CHH RT
6. Christopher Latham Planet X
7. Simon Winston VC St Raphael
8. Jack Cracknell Halesowen A&CC
9. James Claydon Sportcity Velo
10. Jordan Hargreaves Teamwallis CHH RT
11. Tom Gallacher Welwyn Wheelers
12. Brock Duncomb-Rogers Progressive CCDS
13. Daniel Pearson Port Talbot Wheelers
14. Daniel Snow Glendene CC
Heat 2
1. Owain Doull Hargroves Cycles
2. Joshua Papworth Cult Racing
3. Harry Tanfield Teamwallis CHH RT
4. Matthew Haase Cardiff JIF
5. Robert Lambton Brooks Cycles
6. Stephen Bradbury AW Cycles
7. Samuel Lowe Raleigh RT
8. Will Stephenson Bournemouth Arrow
9. Jess Wieckowski Team Nemesis GB
10. Alistair Thomas Sportcity Velo
11. Tom Neale Spalding CC
12. Angus Gillies thebicycleworks.com
13. Greg Brown Dooley's Cycles
14. Frazier Carr AW Cycles
Under 16 Girls Individual Pursuit
Finals
GOLD Emily Kay Halesowen A&CC 2.33.993
SILVER Amy Hill Newport Youth Velo 2.35.655
BRONZE Emily Nelson Halesowen A&CC 2.37.029
4. Alice Barnes Motorpoint Cycling 2.40.376
5th - 8th Places
5. Grace Garner Leicestershire RC 2.39.757
6. Danielle Khan Solihull CC 2.39.872
7. Melissa Lowther Aire Valley RT 2.40.105
8. Keira McVitty Kings Cliffe Flyers CC 2.43.038
Under 16 Boys Points Race
1. Chris Lawless Maxgear RT 16 pts
2. Tao Geoghegan Hart CC Hackney 13
3. Oliver Wood Aire Valley RT 10
4. Jacob Ragan Teamwallis CHH RT 6
5. Jacob Scott Planet X 5
6. Luc Hall Kuota-Spinergy-GSG 4
7. Zachery May Cardiff JIF 3
8. Adam Lewis Wolverhampton Wheelers 3
9. Mark Stewart Discovery Junior CC 2
10. Mathew Cross Towy Riders CC 1
11. Ashley Dennis VC Jubilee 1
12. Alan Trolove West Suffolk Wheelers 1
13. Owen James Towy Riders CC 1
14. Sean McGovern Sportcity Velo
15. Christian Braybrooke Velocity RT
16. Charlie Tanfield Velo29 Cycling Team
17. James Shaw Heanor Clarion
18. Geraint Manley Cardiff JIF
19. Jake Womersley Aire Valley RT
20. Tom Arnstein EV Ecosse -20
Junior Women's Points Race
1. Hannah Barnes Motorpoint Cycling 18 pts
2. Lucy Garner Motorpoint Pro Cycling 15
3. Elinor Barker Cardiff Ajax CC 11
4. Amy Roberts For Viored Brookvex 10
5. Harriet Owen Motorpoint Cycling 5
6. Lisa Daly Sportcity Velo 3
7. Eve Dixon Maxgear RT 2
8. Keira McVitty Kings Cliffe Flyers CC 1
9. Melissa Bury Maxgear RT 1
10. Rebecca Hunt Cardiff Ajax CC
11. Hannah Manley For Viored Brookvex
12. Stephanie May Team Quest -60
Junior Men's Scratch Race
1. Robert Lambton Brooks Cycles
2. Owain Doull Hargroves Cycles
3. Jonathan Dibben Hargroves Cycles
4. Harry Tanfield Teamwallis CHH RT
5. Matthew Haase Cardiff JIF
6. Christopher Latham Planet X
7. Samuel Lowe Raleigh RT
8. Matthew Holmes Teamwallis CHH RT
9. Harry Strudley AW Cycles
10. Will Stephenson Bournemouth Arrow CC @ 1 lap
British Cycling would like to thank the organising team, officials and everyone else who helped promote this event. Our sport could not exist without the hundreds of people, many of them unpaid volunteers, who put in many hours of hard work running events, activities and clubs.
