The Youth Academy have had another excellent weekend’s racing starting with an Omnium at Quibell Park, this year’s first track meeting for our riders.
It was a cracking sunny day which meant the racing was pretty tough. Simon, Torin, Louise and Max all had good days, Louise with her typical hard working never give up attitude finishing 5th in the girls. Max riding probably the best race day he’s ever done, with some real quality sprinting, this is his first year as an under 14 and if he carries on in this way then things will come good later in the year.
The Youth A under 16’s was a really tough group, Simon started well by winning the 500m time trial, Torin battled in the sprints which are never his best events. The final distance race saw some brilliant team riding by Torin and Simon which secured Simon a richly deserved 2nd place overall for the day.
Sunday was back to Thoresby Hall for the last of the series of races there. Max, Louise and Will rode a tough Youth B (under 14’s race) which was again stacked with talent. All three of them did their club shirts proud, Max finishing 15th with Louise and Will 17th and 18th, all of them show a real determination and hard work. Youth racing is a really tough arena and they all get stuck in and never give up even when things really start to hurt.
Simon and Torin had a real battle in the Youth A race where the field was of a really high quality as this was a regional selection race for the East Midlands Road Team. The pace was pretty relentless and the attacks started firing off even before the proper end of the neutralised zone, as it was said to me “it’s proper tough this youth stuff”! Simon finished a brilliant 13th with Torin just squeezing into the top 20 despite riding the last 5 laps with what looks like it may be a broken toe.
A special thanks on behalf of Torin for all the help he received for the cake stall we ran on Sunday, it’s very much appreciated and he’s getting closer to the £2000 needed for Sweden.