Last weekend, 15th April, was another busy week for PPYCC riders competing in regional events. As well as the photos below, there are some excellent photos on PPYCC’s Instagram page, don’t forget to have a look, click on the Instagram button at the top of the home page! Thanks to Allan, Luca’s dad, and Stephen, Finn’s dad, for the photos from Saturday on Instagram, and Duncan, Adam’s dad, for photos below!
Josh Golliker (U14), Tom Pughe-Morgan, Adam Churchill and Finn Anderson Grout (U16) all rode at the Portsmouth Easter Track Open, competing in the Youth Omnium (good practice for the forthcoming weeks!), with 6 races each in the programme. Josh finished 4th overall in the U14’s, whilst Finn came 1st, Tom 4th and Adam 8th in the U16’s, well done everyone!
Adam, Finn and Tom pre race, all PPYCC colour co-ordinated and matching Oakleys!
Adam leading the bunch in the U16’s scratch race
Finn winning the sprint heat, with Adam coming 3rd
Freddie Newman, Rahul, Lukas Nerurkar and Dylan Hicks (U14), and Luca Stone, Lloyd Costello and George Pittock (U16) competed in the 2nd Primavera race hosted by Cycling Club Hackney at Lee Valley. Unfortunately there was a crash on one of the bends in the middle of the U14’s race, which took out several riders, including Freddie (who sustained cuts and bruises, but is all ok and racing again this week). Rahul, Lukas and Dylan all managed to avoid the pile up, and rode hard and fast, keeping in the leading bunch throughout, with Rahul and Lukas taking 2nd and 3rd place respectively. Luca, Lloyd and George had a tough, fast race with a large field of competitive and strong riders, George made an opportunist attack on the last lap, holding it until the last approx 30m, but didn’t quite have enough left in the tank to finish with a higher place. All three riders did really well to keep in the bunch and finished the race with respectable positions of: George-29th, Luca-35th and Lloyd-36th.
Rahul (2nd) and Lukas (3rd) with Welwyn rider Tom Sharples (1st) on the non-podium!
George Pittock went on to race again during the weekend at the annual Alan Rosner Memorial race, held at Redbridge Cycling Centre. His dad, Phil, writes the following report:
George Pittock put the mixed emotions of Saturday’s race at Lee Valley behind him with avery good ride at Redbridge on Easter Monday. The Alan Rosner Memorial Circuit Races attracted good entries across all categories, with pro teams Novo Nordisk and Wiggins represented in the E/1/2/3 race.
The U16 Boys race was a high quality line-up of 43 riders, with many familiar faces and some from further afield. After Saturday’s brave solo attack was chased down less than 50m from the line, George set himself two targets this time – to finish in the main bunch and to beat at least one of three peers who he usually measures himself against.
Oliver Knight of Team Corley Cycles was allowed to establish a 30 second lead at the halfway point until Tom Portsmouth of Velo Club Londres, the winner on Saturday, chased him down to win his second race in three days. George looked comfortable in the bunch, despite losing ground each lap on the steep descent and having to chase back, and even took a turn on the front. He came home in 21 st, beating two of the three boys he had identified and, importantly for the future, finishing as fifth placed first year U16.
George slept most of the way home and was very pleased with another good day’s work!
The first round of the Regional Youth Omniums, with Youth A and B riders competing for the top 4 places to guarantee them a place in the National finals, are being held this forthcoming weekend: GOOD LUCK to: Joshua Golliker, Dylan Hicks, Rahul and Freddie Newman (U14) and Tom Pughe-Morgan and Finn Anderson Grout (U16) in the South Region hosted at Portsmouth on Saturday 22nd, and Luke Goodwill (U12) and Lukas Nerurkar (U14) and George Pittock (U16) in the London Region hosted at Herne Hill on Sunday 23rd.