The series started on Easter Monday with the Alan Rosner Memorial race at Hog Hill. The biggest field of the day saw Rovers’ James Jackson and Adam Looker compete in the under 16 boys’ race, alongside Frank Longstaff of Team Terminator. The pace was high from the off, with a number of riders falling victim to the relentless ascents of the steep hill that made up the toughest part of the circuit. Looker, having suffered with a cold in the run up to the race, made an early exit but Jackson stayed with the leading bunch until a crash saw him lose touch with the leaders. Longstaff was brought down in the crash, suffering grazes and some bike damage, but having taken his allowed lap out, went on to win the bunch sprint for the line to claim 1st.
In the under 8s, Bradley Taylor finished a strong 6th and Isla Swainston, making her racing debut, claimed 10th.
The under 10 girls’ race saw the outstanding result of the day for the Rovers as Jodie Taylor and Zoe Swainston scored a memorable one-two, with Taylor taking the honours this time.
The under 10 boys saw another top ten Rovers finish, with Max Rethman coming home in 10th, with Jack Emerson not far behind in 16th and Joshua White in 23rd.
The under 12 boys’ race comprised a large field of 40 riders. Dexter Mansel-Thomas rode strongly with the leaders for most of the race, ending up with 13th place, while Dan Hall took 24th, Thomas White 26th and Theo Warren 34th. A couple of Rovers boys suffered mechanical mishaps - Ollie Partner with a broken chain after being in the leading group and debutant Keiran Manuel also falling foul of some bike problems.
The second race of the series was the inaugural Colchester Rovers Youth GP, organised by Nick Swainston and a team of willing helpers. It saw the car park around the Colchester United stadium transformed into a fast but technical circuit. 120 youth riders took part, with racing taking place over a short sprint race followed by a longer endurance race.
Bradley Taylor showed his potential in the under 8s races, while Max Rethman was at the sharp end in both under 10 races to clinch an impressive 3rd place overall. Zoe Swainston and Jodie Taylor again sealed a one-two, with this time Swainston coming out on top.
In the under 12 boys’ race the speed and bike handling of Oli Partner saw him head the Rovers charge, finishing 5th overall, one spot ahead of Dexter Mansel-Thomas. Dan Hall landed 10th, ahead of a large field of Rovers riders including Theo Warren, Aeddan Seaward, Thomas White, Tom Carson and Keiran Manuel.
The under 12 girls’ race also saw a large Rovers contingent and some excellent results with Alexandra Bygrave taking a determined 5th place, Amelia Hopper 7th, Tara Bygrave 8th and Holly Devlin 10th.
The trio of Cameron Hurst, Silas Warren and Robert Mercer rode in the fast and competitive under 14 races. Hurst was looking good for a top 3 finish until a crash in the endurance race led to him retiring through injury.
James Jackson rode in the under 16 races, finishing a very handy looking 12th, while Rob Smith, turning out for Kreek Racing, also competed. Frank Longstaff joined the fray for the endurance race, having raced at Gravesend in the morning, and proceeded to dominate the race and take the win.
Round 3 was part of the highly anticipated Ixworth Crits and our young riders got to experience all the excitement of a tight town centre crit race with large crowds and plenty of noise! The pace was very high in the under 16 race but again Frank Longstaff triumphed in Team Terminator colours. Silas Warren finished in the pack in the under 14 boys race, while in the under 12s, Oli Partner just missed out on another top 10 finish, while close behind were Dexter Mansel-Thomas, Dan Hall, Thomas White, Theo Warren and Keiran Manuel. The under 10s saw Jack Emerson bag a strong 6th while Joshua White finished in the pack, as did Amelia Hopper racing with the under 12 girls. The Rovers duo of Zoe Swainston and Jodie Taylor continued their dominance with another one-two result in the under 10s girls race, Swainston again taking the win. Things were shaping up for a royal Rovers battle for the overall series win!Fourth up in mid-June was another town centre crit race, this time at St Ives. An excellent and challenging circuit awaited, although the shorter course for the youngest riders provided them with a much less interesting course unfortunately. Also, a less than thorough results service cost a couple of riders (Dexter Mansel-Thomas and Oli Partner) series points as the official results only went down to 6th place, where normally the top 10, which included the 2 Rovers riders, gain championship points. Hopefully this niggle will be addressed for next year and the St Ives club can build on what was otherwise a fantastic event.
Of course, there was Rovers success to celebrate in other races with Max Rethman taking 6th place amongst the under 10 boys - another strong result for this very promising rider.
Next up was Wildtracks, which took place in the unusual location of a karting track, thankfully minus the karts! Some strong Rovers results were sealed, with Zoe Swainston and Jodie Taylor again grabbing one-two with Swainston atop the podium. Elsewhere Oli Partner, Dexter Mansel-Thomas and Dan Hall landed a memorable 2nd/3rd/4th result in the under 12 boys race and Max Rethman 5th, Jack Emerson 9th and Bradley Taylor 10th in the under 10 boys.
Round 6 saw riders return to Hog Hill for the Lea Valley Youth race. Oli Partner secured another top ten under 12 finish, bagging 9th, while Dexter Mansel-Thomas was a few places back in 13th. Max Rethman recorded a solid 9th place under 10 boy while once again Zoe Swainston topped the podium in the under 10 girls’ category.
The seventh and final round saw the Rovers team head to Alconbury Airfield where conditions were unforgiving – a strong headwind battered the riders for half of each lap, so gaps quickly developed. Once again though, the Rovers had some excellent finishes.
Dexter Mansel-Thomas narrowly missed out on another podium, finishing 4th under 12 boy, with Oli Partner 7th, Dan Hall 9th and Thomas White 10th following strongly. Ellie Mae-Pledger, in her first ERYCS race, carried on the excellent form she’d shown in grasstrack through the summer to finish in 7th place in the under 12 girls.
In the under 10s, Joshua White was 11th boy while the last tussle between Zoe Swainston and Jodie Taylor saw Taylor emerge victorious, snatching 2nd under 10 girl with Swainston close behind in 3rd.The final league positions gained by the Rovers racers were testament to their ability and sheer hard work over the course of the series.
Taking the under 10 girl championship was Zoe Swainston, whilst not far behind her in second was Jodie Taylor. Both girls enjoyed a fantastic summer of road racing and their success bodes very well for the future.
Max Rethman secured an excellent fourth place in the series for under 10 boys. Again, a splendid result for a strong rider with an exciting future ahead.
Amelia Hopper clinched 13th under 12 girl, a position gained from just two results.
Another ongoing club rivalry is that between Oli Partner and Dexter Mansel-Thomas, both of whom enjoyed a successful season on the road. Partner had the edge in the final standings, taking fifth under 12 boy, ahead of Mansel-Thomas in sixth. Dan Hall, in his first under 12 year, secured a very promising 13th overall.
All the riders and parents would like to extend their thanks to all the volunteers that made the races happen and in particular to Mark Wyer of British Cycling and CC Ashwell for running a very successful series once again. Here’s to next year!
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