Alex Beldon scores back to back Saturday and Sunday wins in a busy weekend of racing for Ilkley Cycling Club.
On Saturday Alex was the fastest junior in the Otley CC 10mile time trial and he followed this with a convincing victory in the U14 race at the Cleveland Klondike GP after lapping the field and outsprinting his breakaway companion.
The Klondike GP was the first of 2019s National road race series, and in the 105mile rice, Scott Thwaites (Vitus Pro Cycling / Brother), in an attacking finale got 2nd place in the sprint for the line, narrowly beaten by Canyon’s Rory Henderson and pushing National Champion Connor Swift (Madison Genesis) into third place.
The Otley CC 10m time trial was a landmark event for Ilkley Cycling Club as in the female section, Ilkley provided five of the thirty five finishers, a record which is sure to be shortlived as female cycling in Ilkley is definitely on the increase. Fastest was Camilla Boyton with 28m11s (10th plus 2nd non-aero bike), followed by Louise Alder 35:48 (32nd), Vicki Wyn Griffith 35:50 (33rd), Sally Blake 36:18 (34th) and Liz Barrett 39:05 (35th) Cam Blake was fastest Ilkley male with 23m18s (20th), followed by Alex Beldon 23:28 (1st junior), Joe Turnbull 26:14 ( with his second PB in two weeks), Liam Rees 26:21 (54th) and Mike Blake 29:37 (77th). In the Veterans 25m time trial, further north at Thirsk, David Leckenby rode to a 57minute time, his season’s best so far.
In Mountain biking, veteran Dave Wilby, rode the Elan XC at Lowther Castle near Penrith. After starting down the field he made good progress throughout the event for an eventual 6th place. Also off-road, the Dirty Reiver, is a 125mile event on tracks round the Keilder Forest. In cold, but thankfully dry conditions, Peter Kettleborough completed the event in nine and a half hours.
The Oakenclough 3/4 cat race is a hilly road race in the Bowland area. In a race of many attack.