Falkirk Junior Bike Club stars shine at latest Scottish Cyclo-Cross Series

With a record breaking number of FJBC riders taking to the start line, the season was hotting up for the young squad, and the course put on around the grounds of the house was both challenging and technical.

Add to that the inclement weather conditions and the riders were in for a fun time!

First up the under eights, who were able to use some of the adult course for their race, with all the twists and turns taking place in front of the grand 18th century manor house in the centre of the vast grounds.

Taking to the start line was Lily Brown, fresh from her win the previous weekend in the borders, alongside Innes McAusland, Owen McLaughlin and Harris Oneil.

Tough weather conditions for the youngest club members didn’t put them off, and it was Brown bagging another podium spot with an impressive silver, followed by a silver for McLaughlin in the boys’ standings.

With riders as young as five taking part it was testament to all the riders for even finishing, and McAusland and Oneil completed the race in a defiant eighth and ninth places respectively.

With no break in the weather, it was on to the under-10s race, with Kaeden Baty, Seb Douglas and Luke Martin for the boys, with Eilidh McLaughlin representing the girls. Continuing her strong form, McLaughlin saw off most of the competition to grab herself another silver medal to add to her gold from last time out.

With a big boys field there were plenty of battles out there in the rain, with solid performances from Baty, Douglas and Martin warming up the crowds in the day’s early racing.

It was soon time for the under-12s to pull on the FJBC jerseys, with a longer course that included a set of steps as old as the house itself, a steep bank nicknamed “velodrome corner” and a longer woodland section to keep the riders on their toes.

All three FJBC riders between the tapes have had strong seasons so far, and this weekend was no exception. Taking an early lead in his race, Daniel Rice earned a strong bronze medal position.

And Gemma Tattersall and Lucy Dixon were at it again – their season-long battles delighting the crowds. This time Tattersall was the stronger, pushing all the way to take silver, with Dixon settling for bronze.

Tracking the youth riders during their racing has become increasingly difficult lately, with so many FJBC riders in the under-14 and under-16 categories.

The jersey of Gregor McNaught appeared through the mist first in the opening laps, with Lewis McAusland and Callum Ross also in the under-16s pushing hard as the mud started to get deeper.

Such weather has a habit of forcing bike changes mid-race but these riders were cutting through the mud with ease – with McNaught finishing in the silver medal position, McAusland pushing hard against tight competition to take fourth, and Ross finishing seventh – really strong riding from the under-16 male trio.

The club’s sole representative in the under-16 female race was Ella McQueen, whose steely resolve kept her in contention throughout the race, finishing just back in fourth.

Despite missing out on podium spots in the under-14 boys race, Henry Lockett put in another superb ride to finish fourth, cementing his place as a podium contender as the season progresses.

Despite a really strong field, Ethan Kidd still managed a sixth place, and the club’s first year youths were right behind, with Evan Howson, Ellis McAusland and Cody McPeake finishing in very commendable seventh, ninth and 12th positions respectively.

In the under-14 girls, Isla Reekie, who has been making a habit of hitting the top spot recently, was at it again.

A storming ride gave her four wins from four races in the Scottish series, a clean sweep so far. Just missing out on a podium spot was Theia McKay, the fastest of the club’s first year riders to cross the line and demonstrating real progress.

She was closely followed by Freya McQueen (seventh), Lilly Wright (eighth), Rose Martin (ninth), Cara Drackford (10th) and Ally Clifford (13th) as FJBC once again flooded the field with riders in the tough conditions.

Attention now turns to the Scottish Cyclocross Championships on November 23, jointly hosted by Falkirk Junior Bike Club and West Lothian Clarion – a chance for local riders to bag a first Scottish title of this season.