Charlie reports on a cracking day at the National Youth TT Championships

Thanks Charlie Hardwicke for this super report from the RTTC National Youth (GHS) Championship, held on the Griffydam course and organised by Coalville Wheelers CC.  Well done Aubrey, Charlie, Mea and Tyler!

“A week before the race, Mea, Aubrey and I went on a recon of the national TT course at Griffydam. I was on my TT bike, and they were on road bikes, which was how we raced this weekend. It was really useful to get a sense of the course, particularly because the course was very much back-loaded in terms of hills. We did a couple of laps and then called it a day.

The following weekend we were met with dreary weather – it was raining on the way over but fortunately it had cleared up by the time the first starter pushed off, although it was still cloudy so we all kept our finger crossed it stayed dry. We sized up our competition at sign-on (I was envious of some of the bikes!) and then started warming up in the order of racing – me first, then Mea, then Aubrey.

I was off to a fast start on my club loan TT bike, catching my minute-man by mile 3. However, then we came to the climbs and my early efforts seem to take their toll as I was then caught by the guy a minute behind me. I pushed on anyway, not letting him out of my sight until the final gruelling climb. It was a hard, out of the saddle effort almost the whole way up, so it was a “relief” to get to the top with only a mile and a half flat stretch to get to the finish!

Mea did really well, winning her age category, and Aubrey, Tyler and I came second in the open team event. We had been keeping up to date on the live timing board in the club house (whilst eating the really good cakes) and had been in first place until one of last riders crossed the line. At the presentation, we realised how MASSIVE the trophy was we missed out on … definitely one to go back and try again for next year!”

Results: https://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/events/41617-rttc-national-youth-ghs-championship