Jake Womersley

Hometown: Mirfield

Category: Junior (16-18)

Club: BBM Sportscover

WOMERSLEY started his cycling career at the age of 12 competing in cyclo-cross.

His first club was East Bradford CC, but after a year he moved to Sowerby Brothers of Mirfield.

As an Under 14 he entered the National Cyclo-Cross Championships and finished second.

In his 1st year as an Under 16 rider he won the National Cyclo-Cross Series Championship with a fine display of consistency throughout the season – and it is his consistency that has brought him the success he has enjoyed.

His progress has been very steady throughout his career and he has a great reputation as a rider who gives his all in all competition.

But Jake’s potential for road racing was never in doubt in the eyes of older riders in Yorkshire as his grandfather is none other than Brian Robinson (one of the first two Britons to finish the Tour de France in 1955, and who took a number of stage wins in it throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s).

He started his road racing as a first year Under 16 and soon came to the notice of regional and national coaches.

The following year he was invited on to the Talent Team and last year he too made the transition from Youth to Junior rider and moved clubs from Aire Valley RT to BBM Sportscover, where he is enjoying competing in their Junior Team.

He has enjoyed his first year as a Junior rider and said: “At first it was much harder than the previous year, but eventually you learn to hang on and at least to finish each race.

“After that it’s a matter of making sure you get a placing every race.”

Jake has ended his first year as a Junior in excellent form, finishing overall seventh individually in the Tour of Wales, and getting second in the team with his BBM squad.

Last Sunday he won the fourth round of the Yorkshire Cyclo-Cross league in Thornes Park Wakefield.

His main focus for next year is to compete in the European Cyclo-Cross Championships in Belgium.

Leon Gledhill

Hometown: Shepley

Category: Under 16

Club: BBM Sportscover

GLEDHILL started cycling competitively at the age of 13 and in that first year became National Hill Climb Champion and Time Trial Champion of Holme Valley Wheelers, getting his name on the club trophy along with Ed Clancy!

He started training with the White Rose Youth League and in the velodrome in Manchester the following year and took up track racing.

He was soon invited to the faster Tuesday night meetings and being the youngest there found it great training, even though it was very hard.

As a first year under 16 he took part in the famous ‘six day’ track competition in Amsterdam and managed to the Madison with Charlie Tanfield, taking bronze in the overall event.

He also got to travel to Belgium with friends several times this season to race on the open road.

This season Leon has shown tremendous determination to return to form from a shaky start, the low point of which was crashing out of the Tour of Flanders.

Nonetheless his results began to pick up in July and he got two national titles in the National Omnium competition and two medals in the National Track Championships last month in Manchester – Silver in the 500 Time Trial and Bronze in the Points Race.

Leon’s season ended on a fantastic high with the news that he was selected for the Olympic Development Programme (Sprint) as a Junior for 2013.

“My local hero is Ed Clancy” said Leon.

“Even went to the same school. I met him as an under 14 at York City criterium and went on to win my race that day.

“I would like to follow in his footsteps and go to the next Olympics.”