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Youth
report on 2002/2003 Season : 27/2/03
Richard
Wood (VC Deal), the LCCA youth manager outlines what has been another
great season.
London
Cyclo-Cross Association Youth Development Squad
As per my proposals for the season a squad of nine riders consisting
of those seven riders still eligible for the Youth category from last
years squad plus two newcomers was formed. New shirts were purchased
for use in competition with monies provided by the Lee Valley Regional
Park Authority, with their logo boldly displayed across the backs. The
ninth rider in the squad (Alex Atkin - VC Muedon), being in receipt
of individual commercial sponsorship was contracted to wear his sponsors
colours in all but the Inter-Area Team Championships and therefore received
no funding from the LC-CA excepting for that event.
All other
squad members were encouraged and part funded to take part in the London
Open Championships, the South of England Championships, the National Trophy
Series, the National Championships and the Inter-Area Team Championships.
Total expenditure for the season was in accordance with the budget proposal
enclosed with our grant application excepting that only eight shirts were
purchased as the cost at £50 per shirt was greater than anticipated.
From a total expenditure of just over £1200, £1000 was raised
from grants/donations, the remainder coming from LC-CA funds accrued from
the Youth levy, the early season reliability ride and surplus from previous
years.
Spectacularly successful
The season was spectacularly successful, squad members taking something
like 70% of the podium places available in national competition. There
are nine Area Associations, so 11% would have been our fair share.
Individual Results include:-
Alex Atkins (U16) Winner Open London Championships
Winner South of England Championships
Winner National Trophy Series (winner all 5 rounds)
Winner National Championships (Youth)
2nd National Championships (Junior – special dispensation to ride)
William Thompson (U16) 3rd National Championships
Kristian Downs (U16) Winner East of England Championships
2nd Open London Championships
David Wood (U16) 3rd Open London Championships
2nd South of England Championships
Amy Thompson (U16 Girl) Winner South of England Championships
Winner National Trophy Series (winner all 5 rounds)
Winner National Championships
Andrew Griffiths (U14) Winner East of England Championships
2nd National Trophy Series (winner of 2 rounds)
Winner National Championships
National
Champions
From the squad of nine riders, five are or have been National Champions.
It cannot be pure chance that one Area Association has within its catchment
area the majority of this country’s talented youngsters. Logically
then, the London Association’s Youth policy and our Squad set-up
must define the difference between ourselves and the other areas. We
continue to be the dominant force in the Inter-Area Team Championships,
taking gold and bronze medals for the second year in succession, and
were again the only area blessed (?) with enough good riders to field
three teams in the Youth competition. Our "C" Team took a
highly creditable 5th place ahead of all but two of the other Area Associations
"A" Teams.
Ian Field, the only rider to have moved up from last years squad has
regularly taken top five places in our combined Senior/Junior events,
and at the Penshurst
round won for the first time against Senior competition. He took
third place in the Junior category of the National Trophy Series in
his first year at this higher level and in December 2002 represented
Great Britain for the first time in a World Cup round in Belgium. More
recently he travelled to Italy to represent his country in the World
Championships, finishing a highly creditable 34th and again impressing
the GB staff with his temperament and professionalism. Preparing riders
to make the jump from Youth to Junior and then to Senior competition
is what our policy is all about and by which we shall ultimately judge
it’s success. If Ian is anything to go by we are doing a pretty
good job so far.
Move on up
Next year five of this season’s squad move up to Junior and I have
confidence that they will go in to our Senior races well equipped to
cope with what is an enormous step. That is what we set out to do. However
it will naturally take us a year or two to re-build as good a Youth
Squad as they leave behind. David Wood (2002 Under 14’s National
Champion), Amy Thompson (2003 Under 16’s Girls National Champion)
and Andrew Griffiths (2003 Under 14’s National Champion) are left.
That’s a pretty fantastic base on which to build.
2003/2004 season
For next season we will again support eight Youth riders to compete
in all National and Regional competitions and will fund at least two
Youth Teams for the Inter-Area Team Champs. We would also like to provide
limited financial support to what will now be six ex-Youth Squad riders
competing in the Junior category of National events.
We are
extremely grateful for the support provided by the Lee Valley Regional
Park Authority for the season just ended and although I have yet to
receive a formal offer I have been told that we can expect a similar
grant for next season from them.
If a donation
is again forthcoming from the wonderful Beastway
promotion I shall once again be able to operate the squad at little
or no cost to the LC-CA membership. Success at this age category, although
not the aim, does make us a marketable product, which in turn brings
in the money necessary to sustain the policy.
Richard Wood – February 2003
Race
reports
Reports from many of the events mentioned can be found at www.londoncyclesport.com/reports_x.html
Contact
Richard
If you would like to talk to Richard about the Youth squad etc. please
e-mail us at info@londonxleague.co.uk
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