East Bradford Cycling Club’s Euan Cameron finished off the cyclo-cross season in style, claiming the National Trophy Series under-14s championship by the narrowest of margins.
Cameron, who won the fifth stage of the series in Bradford, took second in the final round at Shrewsbury.
That saw him take the green jersey from previous wearer Craig Rogers – by virtue of just one point.
East Bradford also had reason to celebrate on the same day in York with a further five second-place finishes.
They included brothers Sebastien and Lucien Cuming in the under-tens and under-12s respectively, as well as siblings George (under-16s) and Harry Fox (under-eights). Luke O’Connell claimed the other runner-up berth in the under-14s.
Olivia Fox went one better by winning her race in the under-eights, with Will King taking third in the under-16s and Ryan Thomas finishing fourth in the under-tens.
Their performances started the year with a bang after a successful 2013, with nearly 70 wins, 63 second places and 50 thirds.
Those podium places were in a range of events, including cyclo-cross, hard track, grass track, circuit races, time trials, mountain biking, roller racing and hill climbs.
But, despite that success, club coach Mike Healey insisted that it is not just a case of the club being there to provide winners.
He said: “We’re not just a racing club. On Saturdays at the Richard Dunn Sports Centre, you’ll see kids learning to ride, others practising bike-handling skills on cone slaloms, pallets, planks, ramps, seesaws and limbo bars.
“While race podiums are really satisfying, there are youngsters who have no interest in competing, but just want to have fun on their bikes – which they do.”
Families have also become increasingly involved at the club, with up to eight parents now qualified as coaches, one of whom (Joan Ward) has also qualified as a Sky Breeze Ride leader - a programme devised by British Cycling to help get more women into cycling.
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