Golden Year planned for Ythan Cycling Club

The addition of a current World Champion to their ranks and the potential for more medal success means that Ythan Cycling Club are looking at 2012 to be a “Golden Year” as it celebrates a significant milestone. Formed in 1987 by local enthusiasts the club will spend 2012 celebrating its 25th Anniversary and those celebrations have been given a massive boost by the addition of two world class riders to the clubs ranks.
With long serving club member Fiona Duncan riding full time with British Cycling as a tandem pilot for the British Para-cycling Team, her racing partner Lora Turnham, who hails from Liverpool has also joined the Ellon club. And if the talented duo were not enough the girl’s international teammate and fellow Aberdonian Neil Fachie, the four time Paralympic World Champion at the Kilo and Sprint disciplines, will also join Ythan before joining Lora and Fiona at the Para-cycling World Cycling Championships in Los Angeles in early February.

Speaking ahead of travelling to the United States Fiona said “Since becoming a full time rider with British Cycling last year it has been an incredible time. Partnering Lora at races on the road and track around the world has been fantastic and despite a bad crash last year we have been working really hard on the track in Manchester and Newport and are aiming to do the best we can at the World Championships and also to qualify for the Paralympics in August. Los Angeles is the last opportunity to score team qualification points for the Paralympics but we are riding well and getting to London would be a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
Fiona, Lora and Neil travel to Los Angeles as part of a 14 strong team for the championships that run between 9-12 February with Neil looking to defend the titles he secured in Montichiari, Italy in March last year.

Club President Colin Allanach has been delighted with the progress of the club over the past three years and viewed the addition of Lora and Neil as a major opportunity for the club to develop and encourage young cyclists in the area.
Colin said, “At Ythan we have retained our core purpose of being a cycling club that meets the needs of cycling enthusiasts in the Ellon area and that has been vital to our success. That core membership has been on hand to help with events and races, running training sessions for our youth section and creating the great atmosphere that surrounds everything we do as a club. The recent achievements of our racing members and the addition of Lora and Neil are great for the club as it shows the younger members that success in competitive cycling is possible despite any obstacles they may have to overcome. To have three ambassadors within our club and members of all ages that enjoy riding and racing events at home and away points to a bright future for cycling in the Ellon area.”
The club's youth section, Ythan QL (Quines and Loons) had the honour of becoming an official Go Ride club last year having met all the requirements for providing a safe and progressive environment for young cyclists to learn the sport. Scottish Cycling's Regional Development Officer for Grampian, Peter Clark, also an Ythan member has been tutoring several North East youngsters with a focus on developing an Aberdeen and District team to race in the 3 day Youth Tour of Scotland in Perthshire this April. With several of the QL riders in contention to ride the event, which takes place over the Easter weekend, the race will provide an opportunity for the youth riders to compete under the watchful eyes of Scottish and British talent coaches and secure racing opportunities across the UK.
The club's website can be found at http://www.ythancc.org.uk/

By Malcolm Grant