Junior Track Worlds
Arabella Blackburn and Erin Boothman were flying the saltire in Apeldoorn for the Junior Track Worlds.
The duo started their week with the team pursuit, with a storming time in qualifying alongside Evie Smith and Phoebe Taylor to continue the form shown at the European Champs, qualifying fastest in a time of 4:24.403; over four seconds faster than the second placed team Italy to start their title defence in earnest. Arabella Blackburn would drop out of the team for the finals, with her focus coming in other events.
The quartet flew through round one, beating Germany by over four seconds to head into gold ride off against Italy. In the final, they showed their trademark dominance, leading consistently through the 3km, never letting Italy get ahead.
Smith dropped off with seven laps to go, before Boothman delivered an epic final lap, with Taylor and substitute Miller holding her wheel with skill to deliver all three over the line safely, taking the rainbow jersey. Their time of 4:20.263 not only secured them the win but saw them beat their own world record from the UEC European Championships last month, by 0.113 seconds.
A win was never in doubt for Erin Boothman and Phoebe Taylor as they dominated the women’s Madison.
The duo started as they meant to go on, winning the first sprint as Boothman managed to get off the front. Holding off chasers Canada and France, GB picked up five more points to put them eight ahead of Denmark in second before being pulled back into the bunch. Leaders Great Britain, Denmark, Australia and Italy fought to lose each other over the next part of the race, with no nation showing weakness, while GB held a commanding lead. The sixth sprint saw another big attack from Fialla but with Boothman as her shadow using her slipstream to slingshot Taylor over the top, Denmark lost yet another sprint win to the Brits.
Keen to fully cement their position in the final double-point sprint, Taylor launched off the front like a rocket, throwing in Boothman who brought it home with a 10-point final sprint win. Putting them up to 42 points, with Denmark trailing in second with 22, Boothman took a back-to-back Madison win, this time with teammate Phoebe Taylor, in her final championship as a junior.
Arabella Blackburn (pictured) had a strong showing in the elimination where a crash before the first sprint race saw a restart, what followed by a gutsy ride from Aberdeenshire rider who had been caught up in the initial carnage. Riding well, throughout, Blackburn constantly tested her nerves on the sprints, before finally being caught out to finish eighth overall.
Scottish Champs
Sunday saw the Scottish Olympic and Youth Time Trial Championships, where Arianne Holland (Handlisng-Alba) and Matiss Robertson (RT23) claimed top honours in Arbroath – on an excellent morning on the Angus coast.
Read the full report here.
The Brits
Fifty Scots headed down the road to Cyclopark in Kent for the British BMX Championships this weekend.
It was a fantastic weekend for Cumbernauld Centurion’s Eilidh Watson, after a 13-16 cruiser silver, the young rider would become British Champion in the Female 15-16 on Sunday.
There was more Broadwood-based success with Tillie McCrum taking fourth in the Female 17-18, the same position as Cooper McCrum in the 15-16 cruisers.
Western Titans also had trips to the podium with Ruby Warren and Holly Diver finishing second and third in the Female 13 event.
Check out the full results here.
Râs Ieuenctid De Cymru
The Junior Tour of South Wales has been ongoing this weekend with Zach Barbour (Vanelli-Project Go) scoring second on the Sunday’s Stage 3, and Evan Marsh (Beeston CC RT) having had a stint in the leaders Yellow Jersey.
You can read the race reports from our friends at Beicio Cymru here.
North West Youth Tour
A number of Scots were down racing at the latest round of the British Cycling Youth Circuit Series – the North West Youth Tour.
Olivia Poole (Specialised/Deeside Thistle) claimed an excellent second place overall in the Youth A race, while there were fellow top tens for Millie Boothman (Glasgow Riderz) and Eve Fairbairn (Discovery Junior) in eighth and ninth.
Josh Stewart (SteppingStanes) and Gregor McNaught (Falkirk Junior BC) came home inside the top ten in the Youth B as did Eilidh Scally (Johnstone Wheelers).
Abroad
Some late news today, Elliot Rowe has taken victory at Stage Two of the Tour de L’Avenir. More about that on our socials.
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Logan Maclean was in action at one of Europe’s oldest track races; the Framar Grand Prix which has been held in Prague since 1938, and is now a Class 1 event. The Stirling rider produces three solid showings on day one of the meet, finishing fifth in elimination, and a good ride in the scratch and points races, to come home seventh and eighth, respectively.
The former Scottish road race champion claimed his best track result to date, with a second place in Monday’s omnium – and taking an important step towards Commonwealth Games selection standards.
Alfie George produced two excellent performances for a double podium at GP Marbriers and GP Bavay in France. The Scot has consistently been one of the best riders in the French domestic scene this season with his SCO-Dijion MaterialVelo team.