GT has always been a strong advocate for junior and privateer racing, just look at Wyn Masters and his Privateer Project at World Cup Downhills, helping privateers break through with Factory support. Another great example is our GT Viris Race Team of Junior DH riders in the UK, helping bring through the next generation of riders who will compete on the world stage and standing on the podium on their way!
3 riders, 3 different age categories and 3 podiums for the GT Viris Race Team at the recent British Cycling Downhill National Series. However, it should have been 4 podiums and 4 riders… We just just narrowly missed out on the top step in each category with two 2nds, and Jon (red goggles) was up at last split and was clearly on for the win, but washed out on the last corner loosing speed ahead of final sprint for the finish but still getting 5th position. But that’s racing and we move on to the next one. What isn’t in the spirit of racing is British Cycling stance on grouping the Juvenille & Youth girl’s category togther (the only category they do this) so you’ve got 13 year old girls racing 18 year old girls and having to share a podium presentation. This is nothing but discrimination, British Cycling talk about how they are inclusive and trying to encourage girls into cycling. All this is doing is alienating young girls from an opportunity to shine and have their few minutes of glory on the podium. We should have had 4 podiums, the 4th being our own Frankie, who is in her second year as a juvenile girl, who would have come 2nd in the juvenile category. But instead she was denied a podium as she finished 6th in the joint category. There were 14 girls in total. These girls are just as entitled to their moment on the podium as any other person is, instead they’re heading home upset that they don’t get a trophy and their moment of glory on the podium. This needs to change asap! Jon Dutton OBE It seems entirely unfair, and I see no reason why we can’t split this category into the correct age groups. I am even willing to fund the additional trophies if that is what it takes. There is no valid reason I can think of for this decision to impact our sport and young female rider in such a way. What steps will British Cycling take to implement these changes ahead of the remaining races this season?