We have two winners to announce, so give them both a big cheer:
Annabel Canning - 2016 Rider of the Year (Girl)
Jamie Pullen - 2016 Rider of the Year (Boy)
There was a coaches' meeting in early December and we discussed where we thought the two trophies should go.... and we were all pretty unanimous.
Annabel Canning
A regular attender over many years. Annabel has stepped up to the challenge of mastering all the skills and even when things were a tad intimidating (eg braking at speed and getting to be at ease with clip-in pedals) she's pushed forward at her own pace to master them and is now riding beyond the confines of Furzefield School... Annabel is a familiar face on our rides for the younger group (known as the 'green' group) on the quiet, 2-mile loop based on quiet roads round Leigh.
Jamie Pullen
Jamie has been with us from the word go, coming to the first-ever Raiders' session on the tennis courts up at RAA Gatton Park some eight years ago... riding from home even then. He's acquired a formidable track cycling ability thanks to doubling-up as a member of the club based on Palmer Park, Reading, while still putting in endurance rides with Raiders. An ever-present at the weekly Tuesday evening race training this summer, Jamie is currently the South East region's Under-14 road race champion.
Cups and presentation and applause (and photos) will follow....