North West Youth Tour East Midlands Region Team £updated*

[Steve P]

After three selection races over the past few weeks, Im pleased to announce the Youth A squad travelling upto Sunny Blackpool for the North West Youth Tour at the end of May.

The Young Gents Team
Alex Minting - Planet X
Ben Green - VC Lincoln
Kieron Tennyson - Heanor Clarion
Sam Lowe – Raleigh Avanti RT

The Young Ladies Team
Lucy Garner - Leicester RC
Rosie Blount - Derby Mercury
Saskia Hook - Heanor Clarion
TBC

Takeing in 5 stages over 3 Days its going to a great experience for all riders, we are lucky in that we have a few riders who have ridden this style of race before at Regional and National level. These guys/gals will be valuable to pass on there experience to the new riders

Team Coach for the Tour is the vastly experienced ex-GB squad member and multi national Champion Jeff Snodin of Melton Olympic.

Steve Palmer
Team Manager

[Swainy]

Good news for all involved to have Jeff on board
_________________
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@Metaltek_SCOTT
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[highlandpro]

[Steve P]

[rt]

Good luck to all involved

[Steve P]

East Midlands North West Youth Tour 2010, Wow what can I say but WOW WOW amazing etc etc

An absolute pleasure to work with you guys over the last weekend, both riders and parents.

I hope myself and Jeff did everything we could to make the Tour a pleasure to ride and be part off. A lot of hard racing and lots of laughter.

From myself and *CENSORED* point of view we couldn’t have asked more of the riders before, during and after the racing, you committed yourselves well to the team and to the race.

Blackpool was an EPIC day, blowy, rain (the fine stuff that makes you wet) could easily replicate a Belgium classic. In horrible conditions and what felt like a logistical nightmare the team all pulled together with great results.
Sadly during stage 2 Ben Green and Alex Minting took a tumble on the descent back down to the sea road, both riders rejoined the race. But later and after a quick trip to A&E we had to retire Ben from the Tour. Ben did stay with us to help us during the remaining stages.

Luckily the weather pulled its self together for the Lancs leg of the trip and a lovely little fast hot-dog shape circuit made for some fast racing, everyone getting stuck in both races for the girls was uber cool. Lucy pulled of a nifty manoeuvre to get from the middle of the bunch to the finish whilst in the process of lapping the under 14 group on the line for the win. Riding the circuit in reverse for race two a few attack went off the front but again Lucy easily took the stage.
For the boys and a massive field, plenty of tarmac and grass was used to negotiate around the bunch. The foreign teams were pretty much all over the race, and a nasty looking break went up the road to put Sam GC in danger so step up Alex and Kieron to bring it back with ease. Bunch gallop.
Race 2 and Sam took the bulls by the horns and went away with two other riders, but sadly it all came back and again a bunch gallop, but there were a few GC riders that missed out and Sam moved upto 5th overall from 9th.

The finale of the Tour at Preston arena was the icing on the cake. A cracking circuit, and a longer for the race. Under hot neck burning conditions, the girls pulled of an almost clean sweep of stage wins, one of the welsh girls just chipped away in the last half lap to take the win, with Lucy just going flat out of the front of the bunch and gaining fast to miss out by a few metres.
Again the boys race was fast and furious all the circuit was used tarmac and grass, a few breaks did go away and a major threat to Sams GC but our guys fought there way back on the front and bought it back. Sam in almost perfect position led the sprint out but sadly just got pipped on the line for first.

Results (Prelim)
Girls
Lucy Garner 1st overall, 1st Prologue, 2 stage wins and a 2nd at Preston
Rosie Blount 12th Overall, 9th Prologue
Saskia Hook 19th Overall, 19th Prologue
Team overall 3rd

Boys
Sam Lowe 5th Overall, 4th Prologue 2nd at Preston
Alex Minting 21st Overall 14th Prologue
Ben Green DNF
Kieron Tennyson 51st Overall,
Team Overall 5th

Once again thank you for opportunity

Steve and Jeff
NWYT 2010

[Tom Butcher]

Well done Steve to you and the riders.

[zman]

Great report Steve, My lad realy enjoyed the weekend.Blackpool great race shame about the rain made the circuit slippy.

What we need now is other regions taking up the challenge of organising a 2/3 day racing ! Don't leave it up to the NW lads.