8th October, 2011

The second season of the Bromley Go-Ride Racing League started with a fantastic turnout of 50 riders for Round 1 at Pickhurst School in West Wickham, Kent. Hosted by Bigfoot Go-Ride, the event featured a technical cyclo-cross circuit, where cornering skills and positioning were tested to the full.

Individual time trial

In the Under 8s category Sannah Zaman of Bigfoot beat team mate Lochlan McDonald, with Penge’s Henry Harding coming a close third.

In the busy Under 10s category, with 21 riders, George Harding of Penge, and unattached rider Luke Cornelius shared the honours after finishing in exactly the same time. Bigfoot’s Jack Harradine took third place, three seconds behind.

In the Under 12s category, Hannah Buckley of Bigfoot took first place, with the fastest time of the day across all age groups. Gabriel Roberts took a very close second place, with last year’s Under 10s champion Imogen Meers coming in joint third, alongside last year’s close rival Irfan Zaman.

With three riders, the Under 14s podium was already decided , with the only question being the finishing order. The answer was provided by Penge’s Fraser Spooncer, with team mate Georgina Williams finishing second, and Bigfoot’s Emily Ogden finishing third.

Cyclocross race

One lap of the circuit was to prove enough for the Under 8s, and two heats were required to get the 17 riders around the technical circuit safely. In the final Lily Meers from Bigfoot took first place, beating the time trial winner and team mate Sannah Zaman. Third place went to Rosie Meers, making it a successful morning’s work for the Meers sisters.

Following two Under 10s heats, the final saw George Harding get his season off to a fine start, with a cyclocross win to match his joint first place in the time trial. After winning the Under 8s championship last year, George is already making an impression on the Under 10s. Bigfoot’s Jack Friend rode well to take second place, while newcomer Luke Cornelius will be another rider to watch this season, taking third place to add to his joint first in the time trial.

The Under 12s race included two hurdles that required a dismount and carry, which added an extra dimension to the race. Despite a poor start, Imogen Meers won the three lap race convincingly, with Gabriel Roberts matching his second place in the time trial. Bigfoot’s Robert Mills rode well to take third place.

The Under 14s race saw Fraser Spooncer take first again, with Emily Ogden in second and Georgina Williams in third.