Conditions were mixed to say the least for last weekend’s Isle of Man Youth and Junior Cycling Tour. 

Sponsored by the Steam Packet Company, the action kicked off on Saturday over the hilly Ellerslie course in Marown. 

The youngest group of riders rode a tough hill climb on the stretch of Ellerslie Lane from the Braaid Road in Glen Vine to the junction close to the farm at the top of School Hill. 

The other races were all over multiple laps of the 4.2-mile course, taking in Garth crossroads and the Braaid, the juniors tasked with a gruelling 12 laps of the rectangular-shaped route. 

Harry Hudson (Harrogate Nova Race Team) won this from local teenager Ivan Sorby (Utmost-Mezzo IoM Junior Cycling) by a comfortable margin of 46 seconds, with the latter narrowly edging out Hudson’s team-mate Louis Herring in the final uphill sprint. 

Will Curphey (also Utmost-Mezzo) was the second local home in fifth, 30s down on his team-mate. 

Cillian Lewis (Shibden Apex RT) won the following day’s concluding stage over a comparatively flat road course at Jurby, edging out Herring in a mass bunch sprint, with Ruan Vorster (The Cycling Academy) third and Orry Lund (Utmost-Mezzo) the leading local in fourth. 

RL360 rider Beatrice Brook crosses the finish line to win stage two in the girls youth E class and seal the overall honours in the process (Photo: Gary Jones)
RL360 rider Beatrice Brook crosses the finish line to win stage two in the girls youth E class and seal the overall honours in the process (Photo: Gary Jones) (Gary Jones)

Also in the top-10 across the line were Owen Collins and James Kinrade (both Utmost-Mezzo) in eighth and 10th respectively. 

Safe in the bunch, stage one winner Hudson rolled across the line in 33rd place to defend his overall GC lead by a winning margin of 34s (taking into account bonus seconds). 

Sorby also remained safe to finish 19th on the stage and third overall behind Herring. Curphey, 21st on the day, remained fifth overall. 

The Youth A boys (open) class was won by Leon Atkins (RTD – J's Cycle Shack), with the leading Manx rider Alec Sorby - Ivan’s younger brother – 17th place, with fellow Team RL360 IoM riders Zach Jones and Cameron Hounsell 39th and 47th respectively. 

RL360's Tommy Bass lunges for the line to snatch victory in the youth C boys class on stage two (Photo: Gary Jones)
RL360's Tommy Bass lunges for the line to snatch victory in the youth C boys class on stage two (Photo: Gary Jones) (Gary Jones)

Youth A girls was dominated by Phoebe Taylor (ESV Manchester), with Rose Lewis, Abi Clayton and Lily-Ann Scott (all Team RL360 Composite) eighth, 12th and 16th. 

Youth B open went to Finlay Burns (Maindy Flyers), with Daniel Minay (Team RL360 IoM) a fine fourth, an agonising one second off the podium. Thomas Hutchinson missed out on the top 10 by a margin of five seconds. 

In the girls’ class, Grace Robinson was the only local in 15th place, the honours going to Olivia Smallshaw (Secret-Training.cc). 

Secret-Training.cc's Olivia Smallshaw celebrates as she crosses the line to claim victory in the youth B girls class. She went on to win that category overall (Photo: Gary Jones)
Secret-Training.cc's Olivia Smallshaw celebrates as she crosses the line to claim victory in the youth B girls class. She went on to win that category overall (Photo: Gary Jones) (Photo: Gary Jones)

Poppy Clayton finished on the podium in third in the Youth C girls, with Isabella Quaye sixth. The winner was Seraphina Green (ESV Manchester). 

The boys’ class went to Leo Walsh (Salt Ayre Cog Set), with Tommy Bass (Team RL360 IoM) making up for his stage one disappointment with a fighting comeback to win Sunday’s stage on the Jurby race track to finish sixth overall. 

Team-mate Ciaran Grimshaw was consistent throughout for ninth spot. 

Youth D honours went to Eva Ridley (Clifton CC) and Oscar Northover (Southborough & District Wh) respectively, with Isla Kennington the best local girl in fourth, while Henry Quaye and Elliott Barron finished third and fourth in the boys. 

The only local success on GC was achieved by Beatrice Cook (Team RL360 IoM) in the youngest category (E), beating fellow Team RL360 IoM riders Addien Morgans and Theadora Gelling. 

Harrison Northover (Southborough & District Wh) held off a posse of locals in Youth E boys, with Felix Thompson-Broadbent runner-up from Baye Franklin, Mason Dickinson, Charles Roberts and Evan Henderson. 

Utmost-Mezzo junior cyclist Orry Lund (left), seen here alongside team-mate James Kinrade, finished fourth on stage two (Photo: Gary Jones)
Utmost-Mezzo junior cyclist Orry Lund (left), seen here alongside team-mate James Kinrade, finished fourth on stage two (Photo: Gary Jones) (Gary Jones)