Alexander Mullen put in a dominant ride to claim Falkirk Junior Bike Club’s first ever Scottish Cyclocross title at the weekend, as local clubs Falkirk Junior BC and West Lothian Clarion joined forces to host the prestigious event.

Mullen was in scintillating form and led from the front, keeping the stacked field at bay as he cruised to victory. He was leading a long list of Falkirk under -14 riders, with no fewer than ten of them taking to the start line. In the atrocious weather, conditions on the course deteriorated as the race went on, with Mullen and his rivals requiring increasing technical skills to navigate the winding route. Continued strong performances from the under-16 boys put three riders into the top ten spots, with Gregor McNaught, Lewis McAusland and Callum Ross all battling their way through the field.

And it was another powerful display from the FJBC’s top female youth riders, with podium regulars Ella McQueen and Isla Reekie both taking silver medal positions in the under-16 and under-14 races respectively. Reekie led the under-14 category for most of the race before a mechanical pushed her into second place.

After a rapid switch of bikes she battled on and was able to pull some time back, but not quite enough to take the top spot this time around. McQueen didn’t have the fastest start, but gradually reeled in the other riders to take a solid second spot in what has been a really consistent season for the local rider.

Alexander Mullen, seen with Falkirk Junior Bike Club coaches and his Scottish title jersey (Pictures by Falkirk Drone & Photography)

placeholder image — Alexander Mullen, seen with Falkirk Junior Bike Club coaches and his Scottish title jersey (Pictures by Falkirk Drone & Photography)

Meanwhile, the prelude to Sunday’s youth and adult title races saw three of the youngest age groups take to the Linlithgow course, as well as a relay event.

FJBC riders in the under-8 to under-12 categories have been building all season, with more and more riders taking to the start line for the first time to put into practice what they’ve been learning in club sessions.

In stark contrast to the weather that was to follow on Sunday, the focus was on fun in the sun for youngsters with an official Scottish title available for the under-12s.

The under-8 race featured a number of FJBC riders, with Lily Brown, Michael Caldwell, Henry Cameron, Corey Erskine, Fraser King, Fraser Lissaman, Innes McAusland, Owen McLaughlin, Harris Oneil and Ben Taylor all lined up for the first race. And it was Brown and McLaughlin who took podium spots this week, with silvers for both as they continued their strong performances this season.

Falkirk Junior Bike Club riders earned medals across two days of brilliant Cyclocross action last weekend (Pics by Falkirk Drone & Photography)

Five FJBC riders took to the under-10 start line - Kaeden Baty, Seb Douglas, Lewis King, Eilidh McLaughlin and Luke Martin. Testing off-cambers and muddy corners put their skills to the test, with McLaughlin once again showing her strength by taking the top spot.

With an under-12 title up for grabs, regular starters Lucy Dixon and Gemma Tattersall were in it for the girls, with seasoned riders Daniel Rice and Aaron Reid for the boys. Tattersall managed to keep up her recent form, and squeezed into the silver medal position at the end – with Dixon not being far behind. Great riding from Rice and Reid pushed Rice onto the podium, also taking the silver medal.

Attention then turned to the relay event, where teams had to consist of two boys and two girls, covering all four age groups. FJBC fielded 2 teams – with McLaughlin, Rice, Reekie and McNaught running out as the winning group.