The 2019 racing season is now getting into full swing and this week ICC were represented far and wide, with young riders in the limelight. In the Ravensthorpe CC 10mile time trial, Alex Beldon was 1st juvenile with a 25mph ride of 23m56s. Senior rider Tom Asher followed closely with 24m00s, and another youngster, Joe Turnbull set a new PB of 27m26. The next day over at Tameside, Alex Beldon won again, this time changing disciplines to circuit racing, where he won with a sprint from a breakaway in the U14 race, again backed up by Joe Turnbull in 20th, just having moved up to this age category.
Riding for the Yorkshire team in the Youth Tour of Scotland, Ben Houlihan was hoping for a high placing, but a crash on one of the stages which resulted in an evening trip to hospital for checking over made life difficult. But he battled on for 37th overall, including 6th in the mountains competition and received the cobativity award. In the female race, Ilkley resident, Eleanor Hunt, Otley CC came in 34th representing a strong Yorkshire Team.
In Pro racing news, Scott Thwaites is now riding in the Vitus Pro Cycling / Brother team and its great to see him straight into the sharp end of the results following his recovery from his career threatening back injury last year. On Sunday he was 4th in the long established tough early season race, The Danum Trophy.
In Round 1 of the Hope/PMBA Enduro series, Ed Riley was 18th in his class, putting to good use lots of mountain bike training over the winter series.
The classic 50mile time trial, The Circuit of the Dales, starting and finishing at Ingleton, was blessed with temperate conditions, although riders faced a hard slog into the wind on the climb to Garsdale Head. Nina Benson was 2nd female with 2h43m13s, while veteran Doug Hart was 13th overall with 2h13m01s, closely followed by Chris Watts, 16th with 2h14m27s in possibly his last event as a senior rider, before his imminent 40th birthday and move into the veteran class.