Youth A Boys
Gabriel Cullaigh (RST Race Team) took a fine victory from a bunch sprint to claim the title of National Youth A Champion today at the new Cyclopark circuit in Kent.
A field of over 100 riders battled it out for the honours over 16 laps of the challenging 2.5km circuit, an attack from the gun saw Poole Wheelers' Harrison Fielding open up a useful 15 second gap over the rest of the field which he managed to hang on to for the opening five laps before surrendering to the chasing bunch. A crash on the second lap saw a large part of the field caught up in the mealy with VO2 DEVAL's Joshua Simpson retiring from the race with a suspected shoulder injury.
The chasing group from the crash didn't manage to catch the lead group even though they chased hard all race and with nine laps to go they were within 20 seconds to the head of the race but the organisation faltered and by the next lap had dropped away. With the time ticking away attacks had started to go, Joe Holt (Bynea C.C) made a move with eight to go but to no avail and was soon chased down, Levi Moody(Pendlesport C.C) broke away with Derby Mercury's Harry Crew the following lap but were only allowed to go for half a lap before being chased down . With five laps remaining it was eventual race winner Cullaigh who made the break with Ben Champman(Team Corley Cycles) and it looked like they would stay away but after two laps the bunch wanted the race to come down to a sprint and brought the two escapees back only for Joe Evans and Joe Fry to attack over the top but again to no avail.
With the bell ringing Velocity RT Christian Braybrooke went for broke but such was the bunch speed he was soon caught. With a tail wind pushing the riders up the finishing straight victory could have gone to anyone of the bunch but it was Cullaigh who put in a final kick to secure the win from the middle of the field.
After the race, winner Gabriel Cullough: “I was pretty confident in my sprint if it came down to it, I've won a couple of National series races from a sprint. I got away with Ben (Chapman) towards the end of the race and I would have rather won like that then a bunch sprint just because it felt safer to be away,
“There could have been a lot of crashes in the bunch sprint because everyone is fighting for that perfect position coming out of the bottom bend. I knew I had to be second wheel coming out of that and I saw someone come past me so I just committed and I knew with that tail wind no one was going to come round me.”
Result
1. Gabriel Cullaigh RST RT 59.54
2. Charlie Tanfield VELO 29 same
3. Joe Evans Velocity RT same
4. Matt Gibson BC NW Region same
5. James Shaw Cycleshack/Forme Coaching 59.55
6. Jacob Kelly Lichfield CC same
7. Leon Gledhill BBM Revolution CC same
8. Staurt Balfour Edinburgh RC same
9. Fabio Close Velocity RT same
10. Louis Magnani Pretsige Velo Club same
Youth A Girls
Melissa Lowther (Aire Valley RT) took home the Youth A girls National Championships title from a bunch sprint after a hard fought 12 laps with saw almost a quarter of the field lapped.
A fast couple of opening laps soon saw riders dropping out the back of the bunch, their race all but over. The first useful looking attack of the race came after three laps when Emily Haycox (Team Wales), Martha Gill (Bolton Hot Wheels) and a favourite for the title Halesowen's Emily Nelson rode away and worked well to get a 10 second advantage.
The break was allowed a lap away before they were chased down and for the following couple of laps the bunch rode as one. Grace Garner(RST RT) tried to stir things up with a jump off the front on lap six but again the bunch were content to reel any attacks back and keep the race as one. Megan Barker Team Wales) tried her luck with four laps to go but RST Trigon's Abby Mae Parkinson dragged the field up to the Welsh girl. The final three laps saw the bunch keep together and it was Lowther who took the sprint from Barker and Kim English (Welwyn Wheelers).
Result
1. Melissa Lowther Aire Valley RT
2. Megan Barker Team Wales
3. Kim English Welwyn Wheelers
4. Grace Garner RST RT
5. Elizabeth Holden Royal London 360 IOM
6. Emily Haycox Team Wales
7. Lauren O'Brien RST RT
8. Sophie Black Royal London 360 IOM
9. Bethany Hayward Welwyn Wheelers
10. Frencesca Morgans-Slater Lee Valley Youth CC
Youth B Boys
A fine sprint victory from Dan Tulett saw the young Hargroves Cycles rider take the Youth B boys title after 10 laps of a drying circuit. An early attack from Condor cycles' David Barnes on the second lap saw the field having to chase down only for Matt Draper (Royal London 360 IOM) to attack over the top on the following lap.
Tullet is never work shy in a race and soon orchestrated the chase to bring the large field back together which remained pretty much as one until 3 laps to go when Etienne Georgi (Giant Cycling/Halo) tried his luck off the front only to be chased down for the bunch to race to the finish as one.
Result
1. Dan Tulett Hargroves Cycles/Specialized
2. Matthew Walls Velocity RT
3. Sebastian Dickens Cycle Sport South Hams
4. Reece Wood Aire Valley RT
5. Jack Plumley Welwyn Wheelers
6. Matt Draper Royal London 360 IOM
7. David Barnes Condor Cycles
8. Thomas Finch VC De Londres
9. Oliver Peckover Nottingham Clarion
10. James Ambrose-Parish Lee Valley Youth CC
Youth B Girls
Charlotte Broughton took the win in the youth B girls race but it wasn't going to be an easy day on the bike for the Leicestershire youngster. Eleanor Dickenson (Beacon Wheelers) and Jess Roberts (Towy Riders) both rode well and any of the three girls could have taken the victory.
After a slow opening two laps of the race Broughton increased the pace on the third lap and with Dickenson and Roberts in tow the field were soon strung out with riders being dropped from the bunch.
The following laps were quick and with the race at half way Broughton attacked and managed to get a gap on the bunch but it was short lived and with four laps to go the bunch was back together. With two laps remaining the three main protagonists attacked the bunch and managed to break the elastic, the only real response coming from VC de Londres Charlotte Cole- Hossain who tried to make the gap but the small break proved too strong and with the bell ringing they were 25 seconds away. Broughton took the sprint from Dickenson and Roberts.
Result
1. Charlotte Broughton Leicester RC
2. Eleanor Dickenson Beacon wheelers
3. Jess Roberts Towy Riders
4 Henrietta Colbourne Beacon wheelers
5. Lowri Thomas
6. Rhona Callander Stirling Bike Club
7. Lauren Murphy Team Milton Keynes
8. Rachel Jary VC de Londres
9. Charlotte Cole-Hossain VC de Londres
10. Madeline Gammons Bourne Wheelers CC
Youth C races
In the Youth C category William Draper(Royal London 360 IOM) took a fine victory from the bunch sprint. Two riders were disqualified after the race when it was deemed they were over geared which gave Alex Elms(VC de Londres) and Matt Lewis (Wolverhampton Wheelers) second and third respectively.
In the girls race it was a strong looking Megan James (Abergavenny RC) who rode away in the closing laps to take a fine solo win from Corrine Side (Bolton Hot Wheelers) and Pfeiffer Georgi (Giant CC/Halo).
Result
Boys
1. William Draper Royal London 360 IOM
2. Alex Elms VC de Londres
3. Matt Lewis Wolverhampton Wheelers
4. Harry Tadman Hillingdon Slipstreamers
5. Matthew Shaw Solihull CC
6. Ben Tulett Hargroves Cycles/Specialized
7. Logan de Monchaux0Irons CC Hackney
8. William Manfield Wolverhampton Wheelers
9. Bob Longstaff Colchester Rovers CC
10. Matthew Ellis Spalding CC
Girls
1. Megan James Abergavenny RC
2. Corrine Side Bolton Hot Wheelers CC
3. Pfeiffer Georgi Giant CC/Halo Films
4. Caitlin Peters Fareham Wheelers CC
5. Anna Armstrong Border City Wheelers CC
