SPORT UPDATE CYCLO-CROSS
Perth’s Scott Donaldson
Perth’s Rory McGuire has been selected to ride for Great Britain at the World Cyclo-cross Championships.
The 18-year-old, a Perth High student, will line-up in the under-23 event in Ostend, Belgium at the end of the month.
Cyclo-cross races are held over mixed terrain, including mud, trail and obstacles.
“I was hoping to get picked and it’s a good achievement,”McGuire told the Perthshire Advertiser.
“British Cycling are ranked number one in the world for the under-23 men. There are a lot of good riders.
“I’ve only taken part in one under-23 event but it would be nice to get a good result. I couldn’t really give a place, I’m not sure where I’ll be. But we’ll just see what happens.”
Course conditions are expected to be slightly different to normal but McGuire has been tailoring his training.
“The course will be very sandy,”he said. “So I’ve been doing a lot of sand practice, going to the likes of Stanley.
“It’s new for me but big in Holland and Belgium. Those riders will be used to it but it’s going to be exciting.
“I had a bit of an endurance block and then I’ve been building the intensity, working on my skills and keeping the legs turning over.”
The legs will be turned over further at this weekend’s World Cup event in Overijse, also in Belgium.
“I’m going out this weekend to race another World Cup and that will be against the elite guys again,”McGuire explained.
“It will be good to get my head back in the game racing. I think it’ll be a good warm-up for the world championships.”
Perth-based youth sports charity PHysical has remained busy during this past year.
Despite restrictions as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, volunteers have worked hard to promote and support physical activity for all.
Charity trustee Steve Cargill said: “It’s been great working, albeit remotely, with local organisations including Perth and Kinross Disability Sport and Perth Strathtay Harriers on exciting long term initiatives like the Positive Beginnings programme.”
Positive Beginnings is an exciting three-year project working with young disabled sports people in Perth and Kinross.
There has also been great collaboration with local company Flonix Ltd to get the charity website operational.
The team at Flonix have helped with all aspects of the design, build and ongoing maintenance.
To view the website and to find out what PHysical are currently up to in Perth and Kinross, see www.physical.scot