News

Start Collecting …

Please start collecting & saving these vouchers for the Club. Last year your contributions enabled us to buy some more cones used in the youth coaching sessions. Details of how to pass the vouchers on to us will follow in May so please hold on to them for now.  Thank you.

Record Broken, Volunteers, Do you have…?, Go-Ride Racing

Go-Ride Racing

Kings Cliffe Flyers cycling club hosted round 3 of their summer Go-Ride Racing series on Thursday which produced some thrilling races. Each race had three different age/ability groups ensuring that everyone had the chance to be competitive with girls & boys aged 8yrs-16yrs.

All the events in this round were track type races all run on grass rather than a velodrome. Shrieks, oohs & aahs from parents and riders alike came when the paced elimination race was handicapped to make the older & more proficient riders work harder whilst the other riders were immediately thrown into the thick of the action at the front of the race. Each lap the last few to cross the line were eliminated leaving the final sprint with George Baker (Ketton) battling it out for the final spot against Jerry Norman (Wansford). Baker took the race win & clinched first place overall for round 3. Thomas Spain (Apethorpe) maintains his position on the leader board with Poppy Wells (Nassington) in 7th place overall & leading girl.

Practice sessions for Round 4 which will be a Tour de France style event with a prologue, a ‘mountain stage’ and a circuit race with tight corners continue to run on Thursday evenings. All practice sessions & races take place in the grounds of Kings Cliffe Middle School, PE8 6XS. Start 6.30pm-7.30pm. Bring your own bike & helmet. Practice Sessions £3.00 – Race Night £2.00. Round 4 takes place on 28 July. Contact: Alison Lilley 07983 809120 or see www.kingscliffeflyers.org.uk

Record Breaking Ride

Breaking news… Kristian Woolf set a new club & course record for the Club’s 10 mile time trial on Tuesday evening. Exact time not known but it was a short 22mins ride. WELL DONE!

National G.H.S. 10 Mile Individual Time Trial Championship District Qualifying

Can you spare 1hr this Saturday afternoon to help out?

George Baker will be competing in more serious competition this Saturday when Kings Cliffe Flyers host a Regional qualifying round of the National G.H.S. 10 Mile Individual Time Trial Championship around the lanes of Nassington, Woodnewton & Fotheringhay. Charles Cunliffe (Peterborough) joins him as the Flyers other youth representative hoping to qualify for a place in the National Final later in the year. The event is combined with a round of the Northants & District Cycling Association Time Trial series which will see a total of 74 riders aged 13-75yrs competing in this event. Other local clubs represented are Fenland Clarion, St Ives CC, Peterborough CC, Kettering CC & Welland Valley CC. Race starts 2pm. For more details contact Ghislaine McVitty 07774 2331060.

Tesco Vouchers – THANK YOU To everyone who donated Tesco School & Club Vouchers to Kings Cliffe Flyers. We collected a record number of vouchers this year which we were able to add to last year’s ‘banking’. This enabled us to ‘buy’ some additional coaching resources & bank the surplus vouchers for next year.

Volunteers

A belated welcome to our new volunteers Paige Limbrick & Graham Story. Both are helping out at the youth coaching sessions on Thursday evenings. Paige is using the experience as part of her Duke of Edinburgh Award. Graham is a local school Governor interested in cycling & keen to become a coach. Volunteers are also needed to help run the weekly time trial on Tuesday evenings (Apr-Aug). If you can spare an hour or so to help out generally either on a regular or ad hoc basis or fancy becoming a time keeper contact Ghislaine McVitty 07774 2331060.

Tour of Britain & much more…

TOUR OF BRITAIN & KING CLIFFE FLYERS YOUTH TEAM
Some of our youth riders will have the opportunity to race along the stage finish at the Tour of Britain on 17th September. The stage finish at Sandringham, Norfolk will be a unique opportunity for the riders to be on the other side of the fence with the likes of Hugh Porter, MBE commentating on their progress prior to the arrival of the professional peleton. The team of 4 riders (must include at least one girl) will enable our younger riders to step briefly into the limelight. The competition is run as an Olympic Sprint also known as an Italian Pursuit. The fastest Go-Ride community club team & fastest school team in the country each win a special prize yet to be announced. Team selection details will be announced over the next few months soon so keep this date free.

GO-RIDE RACING – RACE REPORT – ROUND 1
The first round of the Go-Ride Racing series held last week by Kings Cliffe Flyers Cycling Club, with assistance from British Cycling, produced some exciting racing from the novice racers.

Run as an omnium the races were a combination of simple first across the line, individual timed laps, handicap races and reverse direction races. The cross-country circuit, which included a tricky sandpit section, and the variety of events produced a different race winner each time.

The first race saw the Flyers’ talented 10 year old Thomas Spain (Apethorpe) surge around the 4 laps leaving much older riders in his wake. Newcomer William Riddington (Yarwell) showed his sprinting prowess as his powered to victory winning by over 2 seconds in the one lap time trial. The handicapped races put the faster & older riders under pressure as narrow parts of the course clogged up with riders ahead of them. Joseph Riley (Blatherwycke) won narrowly beating Ella Watson (Kings Cliffe). An eventual win came for Jerry Norman (Wansford) in the next race with Riley close behind.

The overall win was still up for grabs & with the final race being run in the opposite direction crossing the sandpit section was to be the deciding factor. The sandpit had already been the downfall of some riders so they were all keen not to repeat their mistakes. Riders took their time to decide upon whether they would run with their bike across the section or choose a suitable route the ride it with all opting for different strategies. Riddington had also taken on board the earlier advice given by the coaches and paced himself in the final event to take the win from Spain who was right on his wheel.

The overall results were so close with just one point separating the top three. Kings Cliffe Flyers’ Thomas Spain won with William Riddington second (based on last event placing) and consistently performing Cody McVitty (Kings Cliffe Flyers) in third. Kate Watson (Kings Cliffe) was the first girl overall.

If you’re 8-16yrs old & would like to have a go we have race practice every Thursday 6.30pm-7.30pm at Oundle & Kings Cliffe Middle School, Kings Forest, Kings Cliffe, PE8 6PS with race only nights on 26-May, 30-Jun, 28-Jul (half-term), 25-Aug. Contact Alison Lilley 07983 809120 for more details or see our Youth (Go-Ride) section

BLOGSITE & FACEBOOK
Noticed some changes recently? Well Donald Pollock has kindly taken over the responsibility for the site from Alison Lilley. If you can’t find something please be patient whilst he explores all of its features & brings different things online. He’s also looking to link the Kings Cliffe Flyers Facebook page to blogsite. Check it out if you have a Facebook account & see the latest photos from the first round of Go-Ride Racing last week or the first few weeks time trial results.

NATIONAL TALENT
Check out KCF youth rider Keira McVitty’s Facebook page too & see what she’s been doing.

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Written by Alison Lilley