Cannock Chase played host to the second round of the British Cross Country series, with the Scots looking to make their presence known in the Midlands. Extra expectation was on this round too for the junior riders – with this race forming part of the UCI Junior World Series.
The Young Team were on fire once again, with three victories from the junior and under 16 races.
Freya Mowbray (Scotia Offroad RT) claimed her first junior national series victory in dominant fashion, winning by over two minutes on Sunday, the Edinburgh rider led from the outset – opening up a 45 second lead on the first lap that would not be challenged. In the junior open, Gus Lawson (Pedal Power) would ride to another podium – building on his victory in Plymouth last time out.
There was a Scottish one-two in the Youth Open with Zach Buchan (Pentland Racers) claiming the victory by riding away from Black Isle MTB’s Ross Allan on the final lap of the race to take the win. A superb ride to second for the Highland rider too, having made the transition to Cross Country from Enduro racing in the last 12 months.
A special word too for Olivia Poole (Specialized Development Team); having spent much of Saturday in a brutal chase on the queen stage of the Youth Tour of Scotland, the Inverness rider opted to race on the mountain bike on Sunday at Cannock – a decision that would pay dividends with yet another dominant victory by nearly two minutes in the Youth female race.
In the Juvenile (U14) categories there would great rides for Eilidh Coutts (Edinburgh RC) who claimed second and Sam Kingan (Pentland Racers) in fifth place.
Corran Carrick-Anderson led the train of Hope Factory Racing team at front of proceedings during the first lap of the elite open race, with Crieff’s Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale FR) sitting in tow. Nothing could separate the leading six riders throughout the first six laps of racing – with Canada’s Cole Punchard (Cannondale) and Norway’s Sondre Rokke now pushing the pace.
A number of attacks would follow in the final stages – with Rokke and Punchard both trying their luck. The Canadian would succeed in snapping the elastic however, with only Carrick-Anderson able to follow, with the Peebles’ native coming across in second place. Aldridge would have to settle for fourth.
Isla Short would lead the Scots charge in the elite female race, winning a fantastic battle for second on the final lap to secure her spot on the podium. Team HUP’s Grace Inglis rode to a very respectable fifth place, given the very quality of field. Daisy Taylor (The HERA Project) would also score a top ten finish in eighth place.
The first two rounds of the BMX National Series were held at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester.
Western Titans’ Ruby Warren claimed an excellent brace of victories Female 14 category – winning out in both rounds to lead the series. There was an added bonus with Warren joined by teammate Holly Diver on the podium on Sunday.
Cumbernauld Centurions would also their own success with Eilidh Watson claiming three win across the weekend – winning the Female 16 race on Saturday, as well as the Cruiser events on both days. Alexis McCartney would also head on to the podium for the Broadwood club with second place in Saturday’s 17-18’s race – as well as a brace of fourth places on Sunday.
The boys would also have success – Centurions’ Cooper McCrum making his way onto the podium for a third place in the 15-16 cruisers on Saturday.
Harrison Bell – off the back of strong rides on the continent in recent weeks – showed good form in the Superclass. Fourth on Saturday, and fifth on Sunday is very impressive riding from the Western Titans’ rider making his first ventures into the elite ages categories.
Saltburn Bank has been a constant fixture on the Elite road racing scene in recent years – and it would feature heavily once again with the East Cleveland Classic.
The brutal wind set up an enthralling 105km women’s race with Handsling-Alba in the thick of the competition. Anna Flynn and Arianne Holland would be part of the early five-rider break.
Flynn, the reigning British Cyclocross Champion, would be left out front alone with Katie Scott (Paralloy RT), after Holland would set a high tempo that whittled away the rest of the front group – and build a sizeable advantage on an increasingly strung out peloton.
A number of riders tried and failed to bridge over to the leading duo – with Handsling-Alba marking each and every one of them, Kate Richardson being increasingly visible at the front of the windswept bunch.
Edinburgh’s Flynn rode the race situation perfectly, working well with Scott and seeing the advantage to the peloton balloon to over four minutes with teammate Beth Morrow marking the only successful counter-attack to escape – ensuring that the Scottish team were well represented at the front of the race.
On the final ascent of Saltburn Bank to the finish, Flynn would drop behind Scott, coming home in a valiant second place; it would be a role reversal in the battle for third with Morrow attacking Jo Tindley on the final climb to claim the last step on the podium – over two minutes behind the leading duo. Kate Richardson would take sixth place, ensuring Handsling-Alba claim the team prize in Cleveland. Gifford Road Race winner Melanie Rowe would come in eighth for camsmajaco – another fantastic showing from the star junior.
In the open race, Cameron Mason (Alpecin-Premier Tech Dev) was out front and attacking throughout the early part of the race, while Aaron King would come home top Scot in 15th place. A word too for Liam Scott Douglas (Edinburgh Bike Fitting RT) managing to finish in 39th – last of the finishers – in a brutal day where nearly 90 of the starting 130-strong startlist failed to finish.
Two riders giving it their all, it was without a doubt a special and historic version of Paris-Roubaix.
That’s right Callum Thornley (Red Bull-BORA Hansgrohe) and Mark Stewart (Modern Adventure) both made their debuts in Hell on Sunday afternoon.
A strong effort from Thornley in the opening sectors was able to deliver his Red Bull teammates in a strong position, with Jordi Meeus, Lawrence Pithie, Gianni Vermeersch and Mick van Dijke all playing major roles in the business end of the race – with van Dijke finishing in sixth.
Thornley won the battle of the Scots, very narrowly, arriving in the Velodrome in 100th place, just 11 seconds and 13 places ahead of Stewart.
Stay tuned for later this week for some more thoughts from inside the peloton at the world’s toughest one day classic.
Over in Turkey, Calum Johnston (Li Ning Star) claimed his first professional win at the opening stage of the Tour of Mersin (2.2), the Scot would finish fifth on the overall general classification and spent the majority of the final 120km stage in the breakaway trying to recoup the 41 seconds he needed to retake yellow.
In the United States, Tim Shoreman claimed third place at the Sunny King Chocco Road Race in Anniston, Alabama.
Youth Tour of Scotland
An incredible weekend of racing at the Youth Tour of Scotland, you can check out our reports below:
- Stage 1 – Comrie Moor Time Trial
- Stage 2 – Forteviot Road Race
- Stage 3 – Fife Cycle Park
- Images