Otley Junior Race Team 2016 Review – Tom Cullen
Through hard work from athletes, team managers and coach Tom Murray 2016
has been a year to remember,
Aims for this year were to:
 Gain experience in longer races prior to 2016 the longest race we had
done was 20 miles. This year it was 65 and a hilly 65 too!
 Gain experience in national series events to see where we rank against
the country’s best before going back stronger the following year.
 Get some points, gain a top 10 position in races and put Otley’s Race
team on the map!
 Put a good team performance in at Otley Town Centre
The riders for 2016 were:
Myself Tom Cullen, Robbie Pollard and James Coates.
I am currently on 62 British Cycling points this year and have gained my 2nd
category licence with still 5 races remaining.
I have raced 37 BC races this year.
My best result was winning the YH Training Spring Twilight Series - Race 4
(2/3/4) at York Sport Circuit. I also came 2nd in round #2 of the York Sport
Evening Circuit Races (2/3/4). And won a round of the CPPD Crit series (3/4)
I represented Yorkshire at the Ilkley 2 day stage race, learning lots and riding
strongly especially in the team time trial and Final Hilly road race around the
Dacre circuit.
I rode 2 national series events the Scottish 2 day and Oliver’s Mount RR.
I started the year riding well in 1 hour races but struggled if they were much
longer, now I’m chasing a result in regional A 2/3/4 50+ mile RR with only one
more left.
I won the Yorkshire Region Grass Track Championships Senior Summers gill
Sprint Cup
and rode aggressively at Otley town centre attacking 3 times and got myself
noticed.
My strongest ride of the year was actually in a race I didn’t finish! The
Yorkshire Junior RR champs on the hade edge hilly circuit, I started the winning
break before crashing out with 3 minutes on the bunch and being 1st 1st year
junior on the road and at least 4th overall.
At end of August I recorded a 20.28 for a 10 mile TT lowering the Junior record
by 45 seconds. Richard Craven’s record had stood for 27 years.
Robbie Pollard
Is currently on 42 British Cycling points and has gained his 2nd category licence
with still 5 races remaining.
He has raced 35 BC races this year.
His best result was 2nd at round 6 of the CDDP Crit series (3/4), 3rd at round 5 of
the CDDP Crit Series, 3rd at PTR Crit 2 Part of the TTRL (3/4) and won the prime
and 2nd Yorkshire Region Grass Track Championships Senior Summers gill Sprint
Cup.
Robbie started the year getting dropped or just hanging on round Crits before
progressing on to be a contender for a top 10 and even the win in many;
similar to me he is consistently getting round 50-65 mile road races with the
bunch now and looking for a big result I the final RR of the year on Sunday.
Robbie rode 2 national series events the Scottish 2 day and Oliver’s Mount RR.
Robbie’s strongest rides of the year are:
 Getting round the stage 1 of the Scottish national series on the same
time as the winner.
 On for a top 5 at Ilkley Town Centre ¾ before crashing with 3 laps to go
 8th Velo29 Winter Series 2016 Round 4 (E/1/2/3/4)
James Coates
Is currently on 39 points, 1 point off his 2nd cat licence with 5 races still to go.
He has raced 34 BC races this year.
His best result was 5th in the CDPP Crit Series #11 (3/4), 3rd in the York Sport
Evening Circuit Races #1 (4th Cat only), 3rd Yorkshire Region Grass Track
Championships (Junior 400m Sprint) and 5th pedal sport round 4 ¾.
At the start of the season James struggled in 2/3/4 regional C crits getting
dropped soon into them, after a brief break down top 4th cat racing 4 weeks
later he was consistently gaining top 15s and mostly top 10s and months later
he finished in the front group at the biggest crit 2/3/4 around the regional A
Otley Town Centre!
His road racing endurance was still lacking and James got round and in the
front group for the first time in a 50 mile plus road race on 11/09/16, he not
only did that but attacked to getting in the early breakaway! He finished top
25! Amazing progress.
James strongest rides of the year were:
 Front group in Otley Town Centre
 Getting in the break and finishing top 25 in the 55 mile Upton CC RR
 Attacking in a 2/3/4
Crit at York Sport
The team after James’
ride of the season.
Upton RR. 55 miles
with an average
speed of 27.2mph!