Pedal 2 Pedal riders relish uphill challenge in Southern XC

The young trio from the Pedal 2 Pedal club were all in good form as their training and hard work paid off with good results.

They had not raced at the venue, near Winchester, before but they had been warned to expect some big climbs.

Heavy rain on the day before could have meant a slippery course.

But for the racing a bit of sun and a nice breeze ensured dryish and fast ground.

The course was made up of a long hill on fireroad followed by an equal length singletrack descent with drops, roots and an A-line log feature.

The under-nine race was four laps and they were gridded for the first time, ensuring everyone got away cleanly.

Fred took third before the singletrack and held position throughout the first descent.

He was caught, though, at the end of the climb on lap two, and slotted into fourth where he finished comfortably.

Xavier had a clean start and rode well to come in 13th.

Edith also put in a good performance, lapping just behind Xavier to finish seventh in the under-nine girls.

Pedal 2 Pedal is a growing mountain bike club aimed at young riders from ages six to 13.

The academy is based from Queen Elizabeth Country Park and run by British Cycling coach Hannah Attenburrow who competes at elite level in cross-country mountain biking and endurance events.

For more details email Hannah at [email protected] or see the website pedal2pedal.co.uk