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Welwyn Youth Omnium
CC Ashwell had two members racing on Saturday at the Welwyn Youth Omnium, the biggest youth track event in the Eastern region with 100 competitors. Sophie L was riding in the U12 (Youth C) category and James F was in U10 (Youth D).
The standard of performance in all age categories was very impressive, with plenty of national standard riders.
The U12 Omnium had five events: 1 lap Standing Start TT, Elimination Race ("Devil"), Scratch Race, Match Sprint, and Points Race.
U10s had four events: 200m flying start TT, Scratch Race, Match Sprint, and Points Race.
Sophie impressed in the TT, beating strong boys who place highly in the Friday night track league each week. She had a death-or-glory plan for the sprint, hoping that a full-bore grass track style start might catch her opponents napping - she nearly pulled it off too, but was pipped at the line. I haven't seen the final overall result yet but I think she was third placed girl.
James had a speedy 200m TT, revving his tiny U10 restricted gear at 120rpm and 25mph to place fourth in the first event. He went from the gun in the sratch race but was caught by strong riders and finished seventh. Like Sophie, he used a grass track standing start in the sprint rather than risk any cat-and-mouse tactics, and with a big starting shove he got a good gap and held it to the finish. In the points race he was second in the first sprint but didn't score any more points, and dropped to sixth place overall at the end.
The next round of the National Youth Track Omnium (SE) is at Herne Hill in a couple of weeks, before the final round in Brighton in the middle of June.
Mark F
Start of the 1 lap TT
Time trial
Beginning of the scratch race
Scratch race
Can't remember - probably points race
The standard of performance in all age categories was very impressive, with plenty of national standard riders.
The U12 Omnium had five events: 1 lap Standing Start TT, Elimination Race ("Devil"), Scratch Race, Match Sprint, and Points Race.
U10s had four events: 200m flying start TT, Scratch Race, Match Sprint, and Points Race.
Sophie impressed in the TT, beating strong boys who place highly in the Friday night track league each week. She had a death-or-glory plan for the sprint, hoping that a full-bore grass track style start might catch her opponents napping - she nearly pulled it off too, but was pipped at the line. I haven't seen the final overall result yet but I think she was third placed girl.
James had a speedy 200m TT, revving his tiny U10 restricted gear at 120rpm and 25mph to place fourth in the first event. He went from the gun in the sratch race but was caught by strong riders and finished seventh. Like Sophie, he used a grass track standing start in the sprint rather than risk any cat-and-mouse tactics, and with a big starting shove he got a good gap and held it to the finish. In the points race he was second in the first sprint but didn't score any more points, and dropped to sixth place overall at the end.
The next round of the National Youth Track Omnium (SE) is at Herne Hill in a couple of weeks, before the final round in Brighton in the middle of June.
Mark F
Start of the 1 lap TT
Time trial
Beginning of the scratch race
Scratch race
Can't remember - probably points race
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