Cavan crowned Junior Champion in South Wales
Sixteen-year-old from Filey rides personal best of 48:52 in superb victory
Yorkshire cycling has another champion in the form of 16-year-old Cavan Walker from Filey, riding for Prologue Race Team in the National Junior Time Trial Championship over 25 miles in South Wales. Walker’s sizzling personal best time of 48:52 was the second fastest Junior Championship title time ever, just four seconds shy of Ryan Mullen’s 48:48 set in 2012.
The Junior Championship started in 1964 and the entry number has grown over the years and has produced great champions who have gone on to great things in the sport.
The long drive to Hirwaun paid off and Walker paid his respects to all those people who have supported him, especially his family and coach.
It had been showering constantly in the run up to the event making riders nervous towards the road conditions.
The race ran smoothly for Walker, despite missing four months of training because of a spinal injury, but he was still hoping for a podium finish.
Off at number 16, riders set off at minute intervals, the results started to arrive; the fastest time was posted against his name on the result board, then Walker had a tense wait for his Welsh academy rivals to com- plete the course and discover if he had done enough to hold on to the lead.
It was a bit like sitting in the hot seat at the Tour de France prologue, hoping that nobody tipped you off it.
He need not have worried, taking the victory by 26 seconds in the end.
Walker has raced locally since a very early age and proves that local grass roots cycling can produce champions.