The sun shone on Carlisle Cycling Association’s opening race day of 2025 at the Cycle Circuit in Harraby.
The association began the season with a double event combining round 1 of this year’s North West Youth League for riders under 16 with a Regional A race for adults.
Over 160 riders competed in total, the largest number of riders to race at the circuit in one day since the association was founded in 2018.
As well as members of local clubs, riders had travelled from across the North of England, Scotland, North Wales and the Isle of Man.
The day opened with the youngest riders, some as young as four and five years old competing in the Under-8s race on a shortened course.
Betty Sleightholm, visiting from Yorkshire, was dominant in the girls’ race and Cumbrian rider Joud Riaz crossed the line first in the boys race but all the riders made an excellent effort and were rewarded with bags of sweets afterwards.
The Under-10s tackled the full 1km circuit and there was another victory for Yorkshire in the boys’ race thanks to Harrogate Nova’s Bobby Whatmuff, whilst North Cheshire Clarion’s Megan Smith topped the girls podium.
There was an excellent turnout for the Under-12s race with a bigger field than some of the youngsters had experienced previously but they all coped very well.
360cycling’s Libby Winkley rode a very impressive race to take first place in the girls race and Ciaran Grimshaw from the Isle of Man took the win in the boys’ competition.
Numbers were lower in the Under-14 girls’ race but there was no lack of quality. Anabelle Carter riding for Manilla Cycling and Seraphina Clegg of 360cycling managed to lap the rest of the girls with Annabelle finally proving victorious.
From the smallest field of the day we moved to the largest, with 35 Under-14 boys gathering on the start line. Manilla Cycling ‘s Daniel Shipton and Castle Douglas’s Josh Stewart developed a significant lead with the Manilla rider holding off the Scot, and Frank White of 360cycling in a rather chaotic final lap.
The oldest boys closed the youth event under darkening skies but fortunately the rain held off and in the final sprint Jamie Rabbett of Shibden Apex Race Team crossed the line ahead of a fast finishing Daniel Minay of the Isle of Man and his Shibden teammate Lewis Anderson.
As this was the first major race of the season for youth riders in the region there were a few mechanical mishaps and some of the youngsters struggled to find their racing legs but the good grace with which the riders handled misfortune and the sporting way in which they all supported each other was a delight to see, the association said and wherever they finished in their races all the young people can be proud of themselves.
After the youth riders had finished a strong field of both local riders and visitors competed in an hour long adult race.
Local team Wolf Cycles, who dominated racing in Carlisle last year were keen to start their season as they mean to go on and were out in force.
And indeed it was one of their top riders Olly Dawson who proved victorious, outsprinting Joe Beckingsale who hails from Wales but is currently working locally and has been training in Carlisle over the winter.
The third spot on the podium was taken my another local rider, Jude Davison, of Dearham, who has had an excellent start to his season.
Dawson said afterwards that he felt the race was one of the fastest he has experienced at the Carlisle circuit.
The association thanked everyone who contributed to the event.
