Best Of British

Kier crowned national champ

By Paul Turner

THE hills of Scotland proved to be a happy hunting ground for the mountain biker Kier McKenna as he rode his way to the national championship.

The 16-year-old Barrow rider took the youth National Mountain Bike Championship cross country gold medal in Fort William to mark himself down as a name for the future.

Competing against the cream of mountain biking talent from across the country. Lakes Road Club and Team Usave rider McKenna showed his top form to claim first spot.

McKenna, of Dane Ghyll Park, said: "I've been training hard for it all year so I was happy when I won it."

"I thought winning was a possibility, but I didn't expect to win because you never know what's going to happen."

"But I felt good before the race, I felt like I could win."

McKenna's father Shaun said he was proud of his son's achievements.

"It is a great achievement." he said, "A lot depends now on his keenness and we'll just be htere as supportive parents and whatever he wants to do with it he can."

The former St Bernard's pupil, who starts work as an electrical apprentice at Furness General Hospital next month, took up mountain biking four years ago.

Since then he has raced on the regional and national circuit, including the National Mountain Bike Series.

McKenna currently sits third in that competition this year, though he will move up to the under-18 junior level next year.

With that comes the opportunity to compete for his country at international level and McKenna's team manager at Team Usave Chris Truett believes he has the potential to succeed there as well.

He added: "Since Kier joined us we've been coaching him a little bit and giving him a few more ideas with training and he has just got better and better."

"He's had a really positive attitude and he has come on leaps and bounds."

"He's got a lot of potential, he moves up to junior next year and we;re hoping to get him on the podium."

"Kier is a really talented lad and he should go far."

"Hopefully in the next two years he should be competing internationally, he should be in the British junior squads."

North West Evening Mail, Thursday 22nd July 2004

England's Finest

IN the first round of the Midland Super Mountain Bike Series, Tarleton Junior Sam Thompson of the locally sponsored Usave Mountain Bike Racing Team had his finest win to date.

After leading for the whole race with one other rider, Sam outsprinted his companion on the final 5-mile lap to win the first round of the series and take the overall lead.

Sam is now ranked number one junior in the country.

In the senior race Giles Bett just missed our on a podium placing when he was just beaten into fourth place.

Chris Truett returned to racing on the Nation circut and finished ninth in the Masters event.

Southport Visiter, Friday 7th May 2004

Deal Has Race Ace In A Spin

THE Wheel of Fortune has spun round to promising Antrobus racing cyclist Giles Betts.

The 24-year-old elite-level mountain biker has landed a place on new team, U-Save, and a sponsorship deal that looks set to help him keep pedalling towards sucess.

Under the deal with U-Save Information Communication, Kinesis and Orange mobile phones, Betts, who only took to the saddle competiviely in 1999, will recieve racing gear from Orange mobile and customised bike frames from frame manufacturer Kinesis.

"It feels great to get sponsorship and I'm really excited" says the Weaver Valley Cycling Club member.

"Now I hope I can focus just on cycling, win some races and get into the top 10 national rankings by the end of this season."

"The U-Save team was set up to help young, talented riders develop" explains Chris Truett, the 34-year old rider-manager.

"Giles is a nice lad with talent and he gets good results, which is why he got the offer to ride for us."

The deal is the latest success story for Betts. The gifted cross-country mountain biker, who has been hearing-impaired since birth, got hooked on cycling in 1997 when he recieved a mountain bike on his 17th birthday.

He competed in his first national championship just two years later and had pedalled his way to fifth in the elite level of the British Cycling Federation's national rankings by 2002.

"I love the feeling of being in the fresh air. I prefer climbing, going up and down and over the hills. Road racing is too flat, too boring for me." explains Betts, who recently picked up a handful of awards, including the MTB trophy, at the club presentation evening.

With his sights set firmly on a high ranking this season, Betts has beefed up his winter training regime to a gruelling 19 hours per week on his bike, in the gym and in the swimming pool and hopes his hard work will pay off when he next takes to the saddle in the first race of the season on April 11th in Plymouth.

Mum Rosalind said: "Giles has to use his eyes a lot more when racing than other riders because he is hearing impaired and it was a little hard at first before he gained the experience of competing and knowing what to expect in a race."

"He has had a few difficulties but he's overcome them and it's not a problem now. He cycles for enjoyment. It's a pleasure thing. The fact he's doing well is just a bonus."

Weaver Valley veteran Dave Astles added: "It may not seem much of a handicap in cycling but, believe me, it is. Giles does amazingly well."

Betts joined 30 other Weaver Valley clubmates on this weekend training trip to Plas Menai.

The cyclists followed a 100-mile route via Mould, Ruthin, Denbeigh and across the Denbigh Moors, Betws-y-Coed, Capel Craig and Llanberis Pass - and then back again.

Steve Nield was making the journey as a sponsered ride for St. Luke's Hospice.

The weekend prepares Weaver Valley's riders for the first event of the season, a 50-mile road race at Aintree.

The Chronicle, Wednesday, 25th February 2004

Stewart In Close Call

Cycling by Ken Matthews

THE END of the cycle racing season on the road made way for mountain biking at the Leisure Lakes venue at Mere Brow.

Trying his hand at off road was British junior time trial champion James Stewart of Kirkby Cycling Club. James was either first or second for the large part of the senior race, but it all came down to the final sprint when the highly experienced Giles Bett (Usave-Orange) came through to beat Stewart by the length of a bike.

Bett, 24, has been racing for six years and lives in Northwich, Cheshire. He plans to go for major honours in 2004. In other classes, Chris Truett of Usave-Orange won the Masters, Dave Wills won the Veterans and Joe Berry the Novices.

Daily Post, Monday, 8th December 2003

Plucky display from Stewart

By Ken Matthews

BRITISH junior time trails champion James Stewart tried his legs at a new branch of the sport when he paid his first visit to the popular Lesuire Lakes venue at Mere Brow near Southport.

Considering he is a novice at off-road racing, the Kirkby CC member shaped very well. He spent the early part of the the eight-lap race in either first or second place.

When it cam down to the final showdown it was the experience of 24-year-old Giles Bett of the team Usave-Orange that gave him the victory over Stewart by the length of just one bike.

In the other classes, Chris Truett of Usave-Orange won the masters, Dave Wills won the Veterans and Joe Berry the Novices.

Liverpool Echo, Monday, 8th December 2003