Bikedock Belles

The Young Guns enjoyed a warm up lap of slipping and sliding through the trees at Ormeau Park, in a more technical course than there has been to date in the series. They also enjoyed the music that the host club provided at the start/finish area, although some were close to tiring themselves out before the actual race by excessive dancing! Some of the mums too, even when dancing isn't a forte! Although who could look bad alongside Monthly Duncan and her hippy shake on crutches!

First off at 1040am it was the U8s, with Fraser Harrower again at the front of the starting grid having moved to top of the league with his second consecutive win the previous week at Malone House. Feeling strong again after his Frosted Wheats (“breakfast of champions”!), and keen to prove to his Uncle Adrian that he did know what a hat-trick was!, Fraser was well up for his 3^rd consecutive win. After an uphill start on tarmac he reached the first bend in 2^nd position behind Daniel Donnelly of Newry Wheelers, but soon into the 1^st lap of a 2 lap testing off-road single-track course, he seized an opportunity (a very slim one!) to overtake and pulled ahead for the rest of the race to a comfortable win.

While there was no battle at the front this week, there was however a battle behind again that involved Adam McCaughtry. Adam enjoyed a front line starting position for the first time in Ormeau and he had a fantastic start on the uphill tarmac section to reach the off-road trail in 3^rd position behind Fraser and Daniel. However some strong riding by Shea (3^rd in the league) and Sarah (4^th in the league) saw Adam approach the home straight at the end of 2 laps in 5^th position. Right along with him was Young Gun Dillon Cook, who has improved every week and had his best race yet. The rough course appeared to suit Dillon well. Both Dillon and Adam had all guns blazing as they headed for the finish line – battling it out with true determination at the end of a tough course. Dillon pipped Adam just before the line and they took 5^th and 6^th places overall.

Zak Tsoutsas also enjoyed the testing off-road course and finished 5 places higher than the previous week in 9^th place, with Sam Duncan slipping a few places this week to 11^th position. His brother Christopher also found the course tough, but these boys love every minute of it no matter how tough they find it. The course was so challenging that Alex, Fraser’s little 3 and 1/2 year old brother, managed only 1 of the 2 laps (although he was lead to believe that there was only 1 lap to do…so he knows no different!).

All the Young Guns were exhausted at the end of the race, with the exclamations about “wobbly legs” reflecting the nature of this course.

The U10s were off next and Max Melville was out to prove his awesome performance last week was not just a one off. If the U8s had wobbly legs on their 2 lap course, then the U10s faced a tough task with the 5 laps they had to do! Max completely blasted the start, throwing the gauntlet down to the experienced top 3 riders in this age category, and until the 3^rd lap was lying in 3^rd position. However a great piece of technical riding saw Craig McCarthy move ahead of Max, who finished in 4^th position – matching his best finish and ride to date in the series the previous week.

Santa can’t come quick enough with that new bike for Max. And a couple of the U8 Young Guns are now talking about bigger bikes, which would definitely maximise their increased potential and ability.

Have you heard of Bikedock?!

Ding Dong! (merrily on high)

ps when the boys were told there was only one race left to go, they almost burst into tears with disappointment! Where will they get their free Sunday snacks now?!

pps click the images to bring up full size and tyhen use the arrows to navigate

Andrea