STRATFORD Cycling Club is celebrating two national champions following the conclusion of the British Schools’ National Cyclo-cross Championship.
Success in this competition has been a major target for Stratford CC, especially with the event taking place at nearby Redditch, where riders attended from all over the country.
The race was over a tough course with difficult terrain and obstacles, but Stratford riders stepped up to the mark and finished with some great results.
The age categories were especially helpful this year as, unlike British Cycling, they are more related to school age ranges with under sevens and under 11s etc, and, being a school-related event, they actually race under school names.
In the under sevens event, Tamsin Moss from Bishops Itchington Primary School rode in her usual determined style and won both the regional and national titles.
Meanwhile, Zoe Parker, riding for Woodloes Primary School of Warwick and who is fairly new to the club, took part in the under nines event.
She finished fourth placed girl in the nationals and third in the regional event.
The biggest winners were twins Harriet and Lewis Tinsley, riding for Dunnington Primary School, who qualified to race in the under 11 age group and excelled.
Lewis dominated the race from the start and finished first in both the national and regional categories for the first time.
Harriet rode a strong race and, despite crashing on a difficult section, got back on to win the regional race and claim a regional title for the second time.
With the cyclo-cross season now complete, the club has something of a crisis on its hands as road training takes over and the ‘off-road’ circuit at the Home Guard Club has not passed a risk assessment.
Literally the tarmac surface needs redoing. However, this is a major problem since builders are due to take over and provide an alternative venue but, because of delays, nothing has developed.
To raise funds to resurface the venue when it might be bulldozed next year is a problem. Therefore, the club is desperately seeking an alternative location.
