An enthralling Youth A Female race was kicked off by the polka dot jersey of Carys Hughes (Secret Training) launching an early attack. Hughes built a lead of around 30 seconds over the chasers when a move behind was launched.
Sensing her 37 second lead from stage one could be in danger, Aisling Charlesworth (Fibrax Fenwick’s Wrexham CC) would attack from the main group, and joined by the green jersey Olivia Smallshaw (Secret Training) and blue jersey Olivia Poole (Specialized Development), the trio would bridge across to the sole leader at the end of the third lap of racing – with over a minute to the peloton.
Poole would soon be dropped from the group and end up in chase patate between the break and the peloton.
The leaders would press on – with their lead reaching three minutes as they entered the final two six-kilometre tours – this trio were proving their class once again. The Secret Training duo would do their best to dislodge the yellow jersey – with Hughes doing big turns and Smallshaw trying her best to force the Welsh rider to the front, but ultimately they couldn’t prevent what was abou to unfold.
Preparing for an attack, Charlesworth emptied her bidons and would make her move at the foot of the penultimate climb. Hughes and Smallshaw were clearly spent from their earlier efforts and would have to settle for the minor places on the stage podium.
Charlesworth – who came close to losing the race lead at the midpoint of the stage – would extend her lead by over a minute with her second stage win in as many days. Hughes would ride to second, with Smallshaw coming across the line solo in third.
Six minutes after the stage winner had crossed the line, Katie Robertson (Clifton CC) would win the bunch sprint for fourth. Charlesworth would top the standings in the QoM as well as the GC, whilst her move off the front would put Carys Hughes into the green jersey.
The largest field of this year’s race, the Youth A Open, tackled eight and half laps of the 6.7km circuit around Forteviot.
After a brief neutralisation due to a crash, the race opened with a high pace set at the front by the leaders. The field of 72 riders would be whittled down each lap showing the attritional nature of the racing.
Daniel Shipton (Harrogate Nova) and the yellow jersey of Daniel Minay (Team 360 Isle of Man) would be notable in their presence at the front of the race.
With one lap to go it would be Asher Gray (Welwyn Wheelers) that made his move off the front of the peloton, but it would be brought back on the descent into the Perthshire village.
No moves would stick on the final climb with a bunch sprint ensuing. It would be Daniel Shipton that claimed the stage win from Andrew Levinson (Shibden Apex), with Jack Barden-Beatty (Team Ohten).
With that, Levinson would keep hold of the blue Best Scottish rider jersey, whilst Minay was safely in the lead group and held onto the lead by a mere second from the Scot – all to play for tomorrow! Hedd Griffiths (Maindy Flyers) kept hold of the KoM jersey, whilst Thomas Hutchinson (Team RL360 Isle of Man) took the first sprint prime, as well as second on the second to don the green jersey.
Olivia Laing (Southport CC) would produce an excellent attacking display in the Youth B race on the opening race of Saturday.
The Merseyside based rider of Scottish ancestry would launch her move halfway through the four and a half laps of the circuit – quickly assembling a lead of around 30 seconds.
Behind, the chase would lack enthusiasm. Laing who started the day 47 seconds off the race lead would find herself in genuine contention to head into the Impsport leaders’ jersey.
With a lap to go, Laing’s lead would be north of the minute threshold, but the Southport-Scot would have a battle to hold on to her virtual maillot jaune.
An intermediate time check on the final lap would see that advantage drop to around 50 seconds. There would be no doubt to who would claim stage honours but there would a wait for who would take the race lead.
25 seconds behind Laing, the bunch would be led by Evie Cox (Palmer Park Velo RT) and Eilidh Scally (Johnstone Jets), with race leader Elizabeth Whall (Colchester Rovers) safely in the bunch. Cox would hold onto her Polka Dot jersey, Scally the blue jersey and Whall the yellow, whilst Laing donned the green jersey on the podium and will lead that category heading into the final day of racing.
The Youth B Open saw a similar outcome; Red Johnson (360cycling) holding on to the Impsport yellow jersey he had secured on the opening Time Trial, finishing safely in the bunch to maintain a 12 second cushion heading into tomorrow’s criterium.
On the day top honours went to Jake Thornton (Harrogate Nova), who prevailed in the uphill sprint to the line; he held off a charge from Tommy Bass (Team 360 Isle of Man RT), with Dorian Molnar (Clancy Briggs Cycling Academy) just half a bike length back. All told, 23 riders would finish in the lead group.
Thornton would also take three points at the first sprint mark and that was enough to take the lead in the Perthshire Zoo green jersey competition heading into tomorrow’s stage. There was no change to the Mountain classification, Lukas Humplik (Beeston CC) holding onto the polka dot jersey, whilst Matthew Moran (Deeside Thistle) is still top of the best Scot competition.