Huddersfield’s cycling young guns press the pace

LOCAL riders Jacob Scott, Gabz Cullaigh and Levi Moody set the velodrome alight with superb displays of attacking riding in the Manchester Regional Track League.

In the opening 40-lap Scratch race all three riders took turns at setting and maintaining a fast pace to keep the pressure on the rest of the field.

With three laps to go Cullaigh (RST) seized his chance to make a break and Scott (Sportscover) was the only rider to go with him.

However, the peloton caught both riders with just half a lap to go and in the bunch sprint to the line Scott got fourth and Cullaigh fifth.

In the 50 lap Points race it was Cullaigh and Moody (RST) who set the early pace, with the latter just missing out on the points in the first sprint. Cullaigh waited until the third sprint to launch a well-timed attack with Matt Holmes (Raleigh) and together they kept clear of the chase group to take first and second.

Cullaigh picked up two more points in the fifth sprint to finish fifth overall.

In the Devil again it was Scott and Cullaigh who kept the pressure on the pace and kept out of trouble unit the final stages.

With five laps to go Scott got boxed in on the inside and was edged into last on the line by a fraction of a wheel.

Cullaigh was next to go as he mis-timed his sprint to finish fourth.

The final event, the 64 lap (10 miles) Scratch race, is not for the faint hearted.

Scott, Moody and Cullaigh were in the action from the start with their usual combination of aggressive and intelligent riding.

They kept the pressure on the pace such that by the end of the race only nine of the 17 starters finished.

Scott delights in attacking to stretch the field and he did in the early stages, much to the surprise of most of the field.

But in the final stages it was Cullaigh who launched an attack with just three laps to go. Again the peloton caught him with just metres to go and in a sprint to the line he finished fourth.

Cullaigh’s performance should boost his confidence for his trip to Appeldoorn in Holland at the weekend where he is competing in his first track meeting abroad as part of the ODP team, taking part in a two-day meeting which includes individual pursuit, time-trial, scratch, points and Madison.