The National Youth and Junior Track Championships will be running from Monday 24 July to Friday 28 July in Newport's Geraint Thomas Velodrome of Wales, displaying the best young British talent on offer! For day-by-day updates, check out the below.
Day One
In the junior men's sprint, Oliver Pettifer (Enhanced) claimed the win after a brilliant battle with Will Munday (Glasgow Track Racing Team). Pettifer qualified fastest in a time of 10.482, while Munday was hot on his heels. Munday challenger Pettifer all the way to the line in the gold medal ride off, but the Enhanced rider proved to be the strongest, winning on both occassions. Third place went to fellow Enhanced rider Harry Radford after a fantastic battle for bronze against Isaac Small.
Georgette Rand (Velo Club Lincoln) was dominant from start to finish in the junior women's sprint, clocking the fastest flying 200m in a time of 11.320 as Anna Whitworth Hay (SES Racing) qualified in second. Sarah Johnson (Edinburgh RC) overcome Whitworth Hay in the repechages to make it to the gold medal ride off, but Rand was the strongest rider to take the national championship jersey. Christina Smith claimed the bronze to round off the podium.
In the under-16 girls individual pursuit, Carys Blowers (JRC-INTERFLON) secured the win in 2:29.822, just ahead of Millie Salmon (Clifton CC), who finished the 2km pursuit in 2:30.650. Ella Tandy (Solihull CC) took the bronze medal.
Henry Hobbs (Welwyn Wheelers) added another national title to his palmares with a win in the under-16 boy's scratch race. Hobbs, who claimed a stripy jersey at the National Youth Omnium Championships last weekend, took the win ahead of Oliver Gill (Poole Wheelers CC) and Alex Rowles (Hillingdon Slipstream).
An exciting junior women's points race was the highlight of the day, with Evie White (Alba Road Development Team) securing a dominant win as the only rider to lap the field. White claimed 33 points to finish ahead of Millie Thomson (Deeside Thistle CC) and recent National Circuit Series winner Lucy Glover (Shibden Hope Tech Apex).
Day Two
Georgette Rand (Velo Club Lincoln) continued her dominance in the sprint events with a win in the junior women's keirin. Rand took the victory ahead of Sarah Johnson (Edinburgh RC) and Katie-Anne Calton (JRC-INTERFLON).
In the under-16 boy's 2km pursuit, Hobbs stormed to another national championship jersey, clocking a time of 2:13.150, four seconds ahead of second placed Hendry Hudson (Beeston Cycling Club). James Sweeney (Edinburgh RC) took third place.
Ben Marsh (BCC Race Team) secured the win in the junior men's scratch race after lapping the field in the 20km race.Will Gillbank (Lee Valley Youth CC) finished in second ahead of Calum Moir (Zappi Junior RT).
In the under-16 girl's points race, Phoebe Taylor (ESV Manchester) finished in first after securing 21 points, six points ahead of Ella Tandy (Solihull CC) who took the silver. Rebecca Gardiner (Lee Valley Youth CC) claimed bronze on 12 points.
Day Three
Tom Morrisey (ESV Manchester) took the under-16 men's sprint victory, clocking a new national record of 10.832 in the flying 200m qualifying. Morrissey secured the national jersey ahead of Adam Murray (East Kilbride Road Club), while Ryan Oldfield (Cystic Fibrosis Race) won the bronze ahead of Ioan Hepburn.
In the under-16 women's sprint, Phoebe Taylor (ESV Manchester) took the win after qualifying fastest in the flying 200m. Taylor was challenged by Anna Birrell (Edinburgh RC) in the fight for gold, with Birrell winning one round before Taylor won the next two to take the overall victory. Ellie Mitchinson (Welwyn Wheelers) took the bronze ahead of Gabriella McHugh (VC Londres).
Ben Marsh (BCC Race Team) was crowned the junior men's individual pursuit national champion, beating tough competition from Finlay Tarling (Willebrord Wil Vooruit) and Calum Moir (Zappi Junior RT).
Lucy Glover (Shibden Hope Apex Tech) took her second podium of the competition, winning the junior women's scratch race to take the national title. Lowri Richards (Toufati Everyone Active) claimed the silver ahead of Evie Smith (Shibden Cycling Club).
Day Four
William Munday (Glasgow Track Racing Club) was the winner of the junior men’s keirin on the penultimate day of the championships, adding to his sprint silver from day one of the championships. Munday was impressive throughout, winning all three of his races on the day, with Monday’s sprint champion Oliver Pettifer (Enhanced) taking silver and Isaac Small (Deeside Thistle CC) bronze.
Oliver Gill (Poole Wheelers CC) won a close-fought youth men’s points race on the very last sprint, with James Sweeney (Edinburgh RC) agonisingly close to the national title just two points behind. Gill and Sweeney were the only two riders to take a lap on the bunch during the race and with double points up for grabs in the final sprint Gill proved strongest to take the maximum 10 points and the national title. Securing maximum points in the first three sprints was enough for Henry Hobbs (Welwyn Wheelers CC) to take bronze, adding to his scratch race victory from the opening day of the championships.
Georgette Rand (Velo Club Lincoln) completed a hattrick of sprint titles by winning the junior women’s 500m time-trial, following earlier victories in the sprint and keirin. Her time of 35.066 comfortably the quickest on the day, while Sarah Johnson (Edinburgh RC) took silver in 36.848, and Christina Smith) bronze in 37.336.
A crash in the youth women’s scratch race caused a lengthy delay in the day’s proceedings, but Phoebe Taylor (ESV Manchester) composed herself to take another impressive victory, adding another national jersey to her collection following victories in the points race and sprint this week. Rebecca Gardiner (Lee Valley Youth) in second and Carys Blowers (JRC-INTERFLON) in third.
Day Five
Adam Murray (East Kilbride Road Club) broke a national record en route to victory in the youth male 500m time-trial, as the championships came to a close in Newport.
Murray’s time of 32.706 was quicker than that of Wednesday’s sprint winner Tom Morrissey (ESV Manchester), who stopped the clock in 33.170 for second place, while Archie Gill (Otley CC) took third in 33.559.
In the female equivalent Carys Blowers (JRC-INTERFLON) took her second national title of the week after Monday’s individual pursuit victory, in a time of 37.956. Evie Smith (Shibden Cycling Club) took a close second in 37.998 and Aelwen Davies (Velo Myrddin CC power) third in 38.327.
A close-fought junior men’s points race saw Ben Marsh (BCC Race Team) come out on top , despite a spirited challenge from William Salter (Anexo Group Race Team), who finished just a point behind the winner in second. Finlay Tarling (Willebrord Wil Vooruit) rounded off the podium. This completed a hat-trick of titles for Marsh, following earlier victories in the scratch race and individual pursuit.
After two bronze medals during the week Calum Moir (Zappi Junior Race Team) took the top step in the junior men’s kilo, with his time of 1:02.244 almost a second quicker than his nearest challenger. Oliver Pettifer (Enhanced) took second to add another medal to his tally with a time of 1:03.143, while Harry Codd (Wales Racing Academy) took third in 1:04.658.
Carys Lloyd (Tofauti Everyone Active) won the junior women’s 2km individual pursuit in a time of 2:23.293, ahead of teammate Holly Ramsey, who took silver in 2:24.055. Lucy Glover (Shibden Hope Tech Apex) collected the bronze medal for her time of 2:29.380, adding to her earlier victory in the scratch race.
In the youth men’s Madison, consistency proved key for Henry Hobbs and Dylan Sage, who won four of the eight sprints en route to victory – making it three national titles and four podiums for the week for Hobbs.
They took the title ahead of Harrison Dainty and Ryan Oldfield in second, with Seth Jackson and Cillian Lewis in third.
Rebecca Gardiner and Anna Lloyd were victorious in the youth women’s Madison with 28 points, after taking three sprint victories during the race. This was Gardiner’s third podium finish of the weekend, after second place in the scratch race and bronze in the points.
Carys Blowers and Lydia Turan stole silver with maximum points in the final sprint. The pair found themselves outside of the medals in fourth place before the final dash for the line, but with double points up for grabs they leapfrogged second and third, with Evie Smith and Phoebe Taylor taking the bronze.
Huge thanks to event organisers 42 Degrees Coaching, Newport Live, the Commissaire team and all of the event volunteers for five brilliant days of racing – and congratulations to all of our new national champions.
