“Determination and perseverance” prevail in children’s mountain bike race

Wednesday 07 February 2018

47 children braved the cold weather and muddy farmland of St. Ouen last weekend to challenge each other in a mountain bike race.

Organisers said the sixth race in the JCAYA series at Mont Rossignol provided spectators with “incredible examples of determination and perseverance, together with some exciting racing.”

Sienna Raimondo was yet again untouchable in the Under 6 race, continuing her clean sweep to not only win the girls category, but the race overall. Harry Gordon and Eden Hannah took second and third place respectively, as they negotiated inconvenient mole hills and a challenging slope that culminated in them both pushing their bikes in a frantic dash for the line.

Newcomers Jack Frankham and Tilly Robinson completed the course with skill, with Robinson earning 22 points to place her joint third in the Under 6 girls championship, with two races remaining.

Next were the Under 8s - and more success for the Raimondo family, with Marley building a lead of one minute ahead of second place and girls category winner, Amber Mauger, who rode as convincingly as ever with great control and perfect gear selection on the undulating course. Mauger leads the girls championship with five wins.  Ethan Mwanga has dramatically grown in ability and confidence this season and took third overall, his best result to date. Jack Hutton and Cayden Bell tussled for position with Bell conquering the hill to cheers from the crowd, however it was a quick remount from Hutton on lap three that allowed him to escape Bell to claim fourth.

Pictured: 47 children braved the cold weather to take on the 6th JCAYA mountain bike race on Sunday 4 February. 

With the weather taking a turn for the worse, the Under 10s got underway in a furious start across the paddock. Undefeated and championship leader Jacob Mauger found himself shoulder-to-shoulder with Gabriel Raimondo and a determined Oliver Boyle as they fought for position. By the end of the first lap, Mauger was suffering in the cold and had dropped back to fifth place. Boyle seized the opportunity and took the lead, with Raimondo in second, surely optimistic of victory. The sun began to shine once more just as Under 6 girls winner, Evie Worth, crossed the line to start her final lap. With cheers of support from the crowd, Mauger regained his composure and worked his way meticulously back up through the field.  Incredibly, he regained first place and went on to create a nineteen second lead over second placed Oliver Boyle. Gabriel Raimondo took third.

18 riders made up the combined Under 12 and girls Under 14 race. Max Mahony and Ollie Hamon escaped early in the first lap working to extend a lead from a chasing group of Filip Nowacki, Tom Nisbet, and Ollie Huelin. Hamon positioned himself well on the hill and at times looked ready to pounce to take the lead, but found himself caught amongst slower riders. Mahony maintained fast and consistent lap times and began to slip away to take his third win of the season, and place himself only five points behind leader, Hamon, in the overall championship. Filip Nowacki rode to take third once again, whilst Hannah Worth displayed a very controlled ride, moving from eighth position after the first lap to claim fourth overall and thereby winning the girls race.  Elizabeth Atkinson remains top of the championship leader board with Emily Le Gros just eight points behind, followed by Kaitlyn Cadoret in third.

The next race takes place at Les Platons on Sunday 4 March.