HE MAY have already been confirmed as West Midlands Cyclo-Cross League U12 champion, but Stratford Cycling Club’s Spencer Corder was determined to impress in the penultimate race of the series.
Corder decided to launch an all-out attack on his main rival Luke Harris of Halesowen and the Stratford youngster surged into the lead.
On the second of four laps Corder went for broke and opened a gap which Harris simply could not close and Corder eventually won by 54 seconds.
With one race remaining in the 15-match series, Corder has eight wins to his name and Harris six.
The statistics show 65 U12s have taken part in this series and Corder is one of the youngest. His ability to fight week after week in this series – which started in September on dry ground and is finishing on very muddy circuits – shows a determined streak not often found in youngsters of this age.
Stratford Cycling Club has produced a lot of talented youngsters for cyclo-cross and Corder is fortunate to have six team-mates who have lined up at the start with him throughout the season, not least Lewis Tinsley who is in fourth place but just might jump into third if results go his way in the last race.
Tinsley was third in this most recent race, followed by team-mates Alex Burden in sixth, Joshua Darlow 12th, Ellis Brown 21st, Harriet Tinsley 23rd and third placed girl and Guy West 30th.
In the U10 section Jake Deaner was seventh, just four seconds behind the winner and looking good for the future.
Callum Moss was 11th and Zoe Parker 14th and second placed girl.
In the U8 race Ruben Stringfellow was eighth and Tamsin Moss 13th and fourth placed girl.
David Hird continued his consistent form by finishing seventh in the tough U16 section, whilst in the senior cyclo-cross Nigel Jones again finished fifth in the 55-plus category and Carl Max Taylor was 14th in the 50-plus race.
In the first circuit race of the season on the purpose-built circuit at Stourport, Tom Charles finished 14th in the U14 race and James Fidoe was an excellent 30th in the senior fourth category race.
