SportingWales Issue 10

A talented young sportsman from to cyclocross as my ﬁ rst form of cycle club but eventually became bored of just
Carmarthenshire has hurtled into the racing, at ﬁ rst I wasn’t sure about it but swimming lengths every week.
Welsh Cyclocross team and number after my second race or so, I was hooked.
one ranking position in Wales for his “By chance I was asked to give Octopush
age group, a mere twelve months “Cyclocross is probably the discipline (Underwater Hockey) a go with Llwchwr
after showing a glimmer of potential of cycling that I am best at and get most Octopush Club who I still play for. I really
at a school 5x60 session. Simon recognition for. What I like most about enjoyed it and since then I have played in
Grant got on the muddy trail of cyclocross is that every race is different the Wales squad and am currently training
Amman Valley flyer, William Worrall, as no two courses are similar and the with the Great Britain Under 19s squad.
to hear about his rapid ascent from weather really affects the race conditions
obscurity to king of the hills. (mainly the amount of mud!). In Wales “Octopush has helped me a lot with my
and the UK cyclocross has a very well aerobic ﬁ tness and was what made a
Amman Valley School Year 11 pupil, organised racing schedule.” transition into cycling easy for me. With
William Worrall and his friends were the same people who I play Octopush with
already keen trial cyclists when their Which is your favourite cycling I also used to do a lot of SCUBA Diving. If
school’s 5x60 Ofﬁ cer, Aled Parry, offered discipline and why? I weren’t so busy training and racing on the
to take them to Afon Argoed trail centre bike, I would probably be doing a lot more
to keep them occupied over the holiday “My cycling disciplines are road, track, of that.”
period. The Sports Council for Wales’ cyclocross and cross-country mountain
extra-curricular 5x60 scheme is funded biking. I ﬁ nd it really hard to choose a What do your friends and family
by the Welsh Assembly Government and favourite as each discipline has its own think of your success so far?
delivered by Local Authorities to get season, I don’t need to prioritise at the
secondary school pupils more active, more moment either. If I were really forced “Most of my close friends don’t really know
often – invariably through alternative to choose I would say cyclocross and a lot about cycling but they will always be
activities such as mountain biking. mountain biking.” the ﬁ rst to congratulate me and are proud
of my achievements. My family do not come
Soon after, an astonishing second place What are your ambitions in the from a cycling background unlike many
ﬁ nish for William in the Welsh Schools sport and how far do you think cyclists I compete against.
Cyclocross Championships – his ﬁ rst you can go?
competition, minus a specialist bike – “Having said that, my parents have always
announced his arrival on the circuit in “My long-term ambition in cycling is to supported my brother, sister and I in
explosive style. become a professional road tour rider, whatever we have chosen to do. My mother
as I would love to be able to just ride my is always saying that I need to put as much
Since then, during his ﬁ rst year competing bike for a living. I would also be able to effort into schoolwork although at the
in the Welsh Cyclocross League, William put all my time into cycling and see how moment I’m doing okay!”
won the Under 16s category, winning the good I could become at my job.
Welsh Championships in the process and Cyclocross is a form of bicycle racing
ﬁ nished twelfth in the GB rankings for his “Before that though, I am hoping to that typically takes place in the autumn
age group. He’s now the highest ranked compete in a Commonwealth Games and winter and consists of many laps
Welsh rider for his age and has already and maybe an Olympics in either road of a short (1.5–2 mile) course featuring
won his ﬁ rst two cyclocross races of the or mountain biking. These goals are a pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep
new season. long way away at the moment though so hills and obstacles requiring the rider to
I am just focusing on the next year or so. quickly dismount, carry the bike whilst
So William, what do you enjoy My dream would be to win a major road navigating the obstruction and remount in
most about cycling and why has tour.” one motion. cyclocross bikes are similar to
cyclocross caught your attention racing bikes: lightweight, with narrow tyres
in particular? You’re obviously a bit of a natural and drop handlebars. However, they also
when it comes to sport. If you share characteristics with mountain bikes
“What I enjoy most about cycling is just weren’t cycling, what sports in that they use tread tyres for traction,
being able to ride and race bikes. I really would you most likely be doing? and cantilever style brakes for clearance in
enjoy the freedom of cycling and pushing muddy conditions.
my limits to discover how good I can be at “Before I started cycling I wasn’t
it. I also enjoy the excitement of racing and particularly very sporty. I used to play Find out more about
the feeling you get from winning or doing rugby but never really got very far. I was Cyclocross in Wales at
well in a race is brilliant. I was introduced also a member of Amman Valley swimming www.cyclocrosswales.co.uk.
cyclocross
sportingwales
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