Well what a summer season the youth riders have had this year. Full of friendship, training, racing and supporting.
We are all incredibly grateful to the coaches, Bob, Jody, Mark, Becky and Roger who give up their time on a Wednesday evening for training. This year we welcome Molly and Dylan up from the tennis court gang and welcome back Theo, Toby, Freya, Alex, Lucas, Jude, Dominic, Alexander, both Charlies, Arthur, Simon, Oliver, Ollie and Candela. Sessions focus on skill, technique and of course some race practice. The older riders support and encourage the younger riders and a great time is had by all.
The session generally ends with a time trial and an update of the Top Gear style leader board (you even get a ‘W’ after your time if it was wet). A bit of rain doesn’t stop our lot.
Each week the coaches award a trophy to the Rider of the Week, this can be for anything from smashing their previous time trial time to being kind and supportive to the younger riders.
Roger’s Saturday ride is also very popular, starting at Stamp End and heading down the cycle track, they rack up some impressive miles. Candela, Alex, Dominic, Theo, Freya, Charlie, Alex and Ellie have all joined Roger throughout the summer and dragged a parent along too! This year the target was 50 miles, next year it’s 100! Bring it on!
Through the summer a number of races are held in memory of a former VC Lincoln rider Gav Daley. This year there were four races in the series. The club was well represented with most of our youth riders taking part. Oliver had some great rides, taking a win and a second place. Arthur rode well to gain him a second place and Dominic and Theo also rode home to a third place each. Well done guys!
Slightly further afield Toby, Alex, Oliver and Ollie travelled to the Friday night Newark Town Centre Crit. A tight, technical circuit around the centre of Newark, taking in lots of changes of surface including cobbles. All rode well and enjoyed the evening. Unfortunately Theo was unwell and unable to ride, but still turned out to cheer his club mates on. Ollie rode to an impressive fourth place. He then went on to ride the Dudley town centre crit and upped his position to second! Well done Ollie!
The next day saw Ellie and Toby at Heckington show riding grass track. No brakes and only one gear. Both had a great day and a love of the fixed wheel. A team event, with Ellie’s team taking the win.
New this year was a series of races at the go-ride events at Tattershall organised by Boston Wheelers and the East Midlands Youth League. The go kart track at Tattersall is an excellent venue, a tight technical circuit that saw Theo and Toby bring home first and second for the boys and Freya and Alex bringing home first and second for the girls in the Under 12 category. Jude bagged a second in the Under 10s. Then in the Under 14s Oliver claimed a first and a second and Arthur came away with a fourth. Awesome riding!
The East Midlands Youth League was a series of four circuit races. The first at Ashbourne, followed by Nottingham, Yarborough and then Leicester. Theo, Alex, Ellie, Toby, Oliver and Ollie all competed. Ollie had brilliant rides to take the win at Nottingham and Leicester, with a solo break that saw him lap the field! Nice one Ollie.
Ollie continued his good form and stepped up a level onto the national scene. After a bad start at Loughborough he chased his way back to the front group, coming in thirteen. He then made the trip up to Scotland and to Fife, finishing a very impressive fifth overall in the GC and bagging a third in the time trial.
Underpinning these amazing results Ollie had been riding the regular Tuesday night series at Mallory Park. Finding himself on the podium on a number of occasions this resulted in an awesome achievement of third place in the overall league. You are one to watch Ollie!!
Over the summer Oliver and Arthur got a cheeky bit of cross practice in. The Burkicross events held at Washingborough were a series of summer cross races, great fun had by all (not much mud though!)
Oliver also turned his hand to some Mountain Biking this summer, competing in both the Crank It and Focus Ride events. Both involved technical courses that he enjoyed conquering. He had a brilliant ride at Withcall with a fantastic second in the juvenile category.
Going back to the track Ellie has been riding at Glasgow, Derby, Newport and Manchester, honing her skills and gaining her accreditation. Well done Ellie.
All our youth riders are incredibly inspired by Georgette’s amazing achievements on the track. Her talent, determination and dedication have led her to win not only the National Junior Sprint, 500m TT and Kierin titles but also the European Team Sprint and 500m Time Trial titles plus a bronze medal in the individual sprint. She is on fire! Huge congratulations to Georgette, we can’t wait to see what the future holds for you.
We rounded off the summer season with a club night at Yarborough and a one mile time trial competition. A brilliant turn out led to some impressive efforts. With trophies for the winner and runner up in each age category the stakes were high! In the Under 12s there was just one second in it with Toby pipping Freya to the win. So close! Charlie Taylor took home the winners trophy in the Under 14 category. Well done Charlie! Moving on to the Under 16s, Ollie put in an impressive ride to win and Alex just snook in front of his brother Dominic to take the runners up trophy. Well done all. Ollie's ride was so quick that he also took home the club Time Trial trophy as he was fastest overall, ahead of the seniors! A great end to the season.
A huge thanks to all the organisers, marshals, commissaires, coaches and parents that make this all happen. Without you, none of this would be possible.
After all that the summer season draws to a close, the shorts and T-shirts are packed away and the base layers and waterproofs come out, because, cross is coming! Bring on the rain and the mud. #crossisboss
