Report: Partnership Brings Go-Ride Racing to Oxford
Young competitors line-up for the start of the Go-Ride 'Devil take the hindmost' race.
Cycle Oxford CC and Cherwell Go-Ride school club recently joined forces to host their first Go-Ride Racing event with assistance from British Cycling.
A total of 22 competitors, aged between six and 15-years-old, took part in an Omnium contest along with 15 adults taking part in the British Cycling Central Region Senior Omnium Championship.
The formula for the meeting was a grass track Omnium Go-Ride Race followed by a senior fixed or freewheel competition. Events included 100 and 400 metre scratch races, keirin and a devil take the hindmost.
The day’s racing was supported by the young volunteers from Cherwell School and Oxford Cycle CC, who had recently undergone their Cycling Award for Young Volunteers (CAYV) training provided by British Cycling Regional Staff. From signing on to holding up riders on the start line, the level of expertise shown by these young people was encouraging for the future of the sport of cycling in Oxford according to Tony Gray, a teacher at Cherwell school.
Gray said: “This event is our celebration of cycling achievement this year. A great amount of our achievements has come from the help of Cycle Oxford and British Cycling. The least we hope for is that the same Cherwell students that cycle to school every day will have an opportunity also to enjoy cycling as a sport.”
The day’s winners were: Johnny Kruip (under 16); Ben Gregorio (under 14 boy); Ines Rahtz (under 14 girl); Edward Gronbech (under 12 boy); Rio Avery (under 12 girl) and Ethan Smith (under 8).
As part of a wider initiative, the school has been successful in obtaining funding from Sport England to buy grass track fixed wheel bikes and as a result are hoping that this will encourage more young people inside and outside the school to take up cycling as a sport.
Tony Gray’s sentiments have been echoed by representatives from British Cycling and Cycle Oxford.
Jonty Semper from Cycle Oxford said: “We are delighted to help organise this fun event for young people to be able to race in a safe environment. We believe that events like this are central to our aim to promote a cycling Oxford.”
Josie Heffernan, British Cycling’s Central Regional Development Manager said: “I welcome this exciting opportunity to bring a British Cycling event and get more young people involved in volunteering as well as competing.”
