Cycling - Junior racer takes Ireland by storm (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Cycling - Junior racer takes Ireland by storm

10:13am Thursday 21st April 2011 in Sport

HERBALIFE Wheelbase rider Jack Sadler, 16, from Ulverston was joint first overall in the Ras na Nog race in Drogheda, Ireland.

Jack took second places in the two of the three stages and cramped up to drop back to fifth in the other.

He narrowly missed the win on the final race, which gave the winner’s jersey to Limerick’s Shane O’Hara though the paur had finished level on points.

The best of the Irish youth riders were taking part and the even was used as a selection event for the European Youth Olympics in Turkey later this year.

Jack's performance would have easily qualified him to go to Turkey.

Another Team Herbalife Wheelbase rider, Jamie Shirlaw won Sunday’s Sheffrec Spring Road Race for Elite riders.

Breaking away from the main group with Mark Thwaite of Motorpoint early in the race, the pair soon built up a considerable lead.

However the group worked hard to chase them down and after seven laps of the full 18 it was all together again.

With three laps to go a strong group of 12 made their move and on the last lap Jamie pulled ahead of Pete Williams of Motorpoint to take the win with Alistair Rutherford, of Lancashire based Science in Sport.com, taking third.

Jamie last year applied to the Dave Rayner Foundation, a charity that helps fund promising young riders to bridge the gap to race on the continent.

He was successful in securing funding this summer to race in Belgium and has clearly got his season off to a good start.