[ad_1]
Anybody watching the race outcomes up to now this season with even a passing curiosity could have seen Cameron Henry’s title. The 16-year-old secondary college scholar, and former rugby participant, is competing for Impressed Biking and is from good biking inventory.
Yesterday on the PJ Logan Cup he claimed one other win, his third of the marketing campaign to this point. These wins – and spectacular rides when within the firm of A1s – have come after aggressive performances and lengthy vary breakaway strikes. He additionally appears to have the instincts, and legs, to seal the deal in terms of a dash.
“I began taking the game critically final yr once I was second-year U16, I began getting coached and that basically introduced me on,” he mentioned, of coach, and former worldwide, Cormac McCann. “He’s positively a legend within the sport.
“So I used to be simply actually having fun with the coaching and in races I used to be discovering my manner. I’ve solely been correctly biking for a few year-and-a-half.”
That “discovering my manner” final yr included profitable the U16 Ulster TT title, inserting third within the Nationwide MTB XC Championships and “beginning to do nicely within the street races”.
As he moved into the winter, Henry competed in cyclocross – “not taking something too critically”. The Coleraine Grammar College pupil – from Moneydig “exterior Garvagh within the sticks” in Derry – did nicely sufficient to safe a spot on the Irish junior workforce for the UCI Cyclocross World Cup Dublin spherical final November.
“I’m actually having fun with my racing,” he mentioned, including he performed rugby in his first three years at school. He then discovered his manner again to biking, after his father – well-known cyclocross and street rider Jason Henry – had launched him to cyclocross when he was very younger.
Whereas final yr might have been a little bit of a transition again to the game, the identical can’t be mentioned for the present marketing campaign. Henry not solely gained the A3-Junior race on the PJ Logan Cup yesterday – hosted by Island Wheelers in Co Tyrone – but in addition did the identical on the Carn Traditional final week and on the Annaclone GP on the opening day of his season.
Nevertheless, he will get most animated discussing the early season Phoenix GP, the place he didn’t win however received into the combo in opposition to the highest A1 riders. Within the handicapped occasion, he was in a position to stick with the main A1s George Peden (Efficiency PB) and Odhran Doogan (Caldwell Cycles).
As Peden and Doogan went by means of the sector, from the scratch group, and throughout to the early breakaway, Henry matched them. He even separated them on the first; Doogan profitable, the 16-year-old 2nd, and Peden third.
“That was a great hit out and I used to be completely satisfied sufficient to have the ability to stick with them,” Henry mentioned. “They’re the highest U23s and elites within the nation on the minute.”
Yesterday within the PJ Logan Cup, Henry spent many of the A3-Junior race out entrance earlier than sealing the victory, from a two-man breakaway, on the chequered flag.
Within the seven-lap race, David Gaffney (Villeneuve Cycliste) launched a powerful assault on the climb to the end on the finish of the second lap. Henry responded, joined by a number of others, earlier than he and Gaffney pulled clear and rode up and over for the rest of the race.
“I used to be stunned we had been capable of get away that rapidly,” mentioned Henry. “It received a bit cagey within the final couple of laps, David tried a number of occasions and I used to be capable of comply with. After which within the remaining dash up the hill I used to be capable of beat him, so I used to be completely satisfied sufficient.”
Henry mentioned he “likes climbing, likes a little bit of TT” and in addition “has a great dash” if he’s galloping from a breakaway group. He added he didn’t really feel he had “out and out potential” off-road and, as he was having fun with success on the street, and loving the racing, he felt he would concentrate on the street self-discipline going ahead.
Final winter, whereas it was the primary low season he was coached, he “wasn’t doing loopy miles”. Driving cyclocross on the weekends took up a few of his time however even when he was racing ‘cross on Sunday, he would at occasions do as much as 4 hours on the bike the day earlier than.
With exams over the subsequent few months, when he tackles the GCSEs, Henry mentioned he would most likely must put racing on the again seat for a time after which come again sturdy for summer season.
And what about nationwide workforce choice? Does he consider he could also be within the body?
The instant future, he mentioned, was trying to get on “a workforce for the Junior Tour”. After that, and although he has no agency plans in place at current, he would like to attempt his hand at racing in Europe.
“Firstly of the season, I wasn’t actually pondering of that,” he mentioned of maybe going to Europe within the months forward. “I used to be simply interested by having fun with the racing this yr after which perhaps subsequent yr go for it. However I want to go for it, yeah.”
[ad_2]
