Beeston Cycling Club Junior Race Team are delighted that Ed Hopkins is joining our squad. Ed like his other team mates are moving up from Youth to Junior racing where they will be competing as teams at a much more demanding level in season 2021.

 

This recent recruitment with Lewis Holmes marks a major step in the formation of a well balanced BCC junior squad that can compete at all the different type of events in the season 2021  Ed has been a team mate of Jack pearson on the British Cycling Aprrenticeship Programe. See report on our website: https://beeston.cc/racing

 

We have built a talented and diverse skilled team and our investment in their coaching is paying dividends especially through this challenging year of restricted racing. Our sponsors support have enabled our riders including new recruit Lewis to access the Bryan Steel Academy to help them develop their race craft and they are as well prepared for 2021 as they can be.

 

Ed Hopkins - 1st Year Junior

Ed was on the 2019-2020 GB Apprentice rider programme and he competes in road and track events nationally, regionally and across Europe.

Ed has enjoyed riding his bike for many years, signing up to Welland Valley CC aged 6. The club helped him develop his skills across all cycling disciplines and his first experience of racing was in cyclocross. He moved onto the MI Racing Academy as an U14 rider where he rode National level races for the first time and gained his first European racing experience.

He has enjoyed many successes at youth Level. As an U14 Ed won the East Midlands Road Race League, came 2nd overall in the East Midlands Track League, 3rd in the Midlands Omnium Series qualifying for Nationals, was a trophy winner in the European Youth Tour of Assen, won a road points race in Belgium and was also the Leicestershire Country Cyclocross champion.

As a first year U16 Ed competed in the Youth Tour of Belgium as well as continuing to develop his racing skills at BC National Youth Series and regional events, with highlights including winning at ZipFit/Lichfield Youth Races, 8th in the Madison at the National Track Championships, highest placed first year U16 in the Midlands Omniums and representing the East Midlands at the BC Inter-Regional Track Championships.

2020 started very well riding as a British Cycling Apprentice, selected to race for the East Midlands Team at the Youth Tour of Scotland, and the Madison at the Manchester 6 Day, however COVID hit meaning goals, as a second year Youth A, were massively affected.

Instead he has focussed on his training and development goals, working alongside his GB Coach and is really looking forward to getting back to racing.

Ed is a great all-rounder on his bike, experienced racer in the UK and abroad with specific strengths being leg speed, bike handling and endurance.

Ed says: “I am really looking forward to being part of the Beeston CC Junior Team and working with Bryan Steel; I know they are focused and hardworking without losing the key fun aspects of racing and training in a great team atmosphere.”

Role on 2021 and we hope that we can have a full racing season to help our young talent develop their racing career.

We would like to thank our members and sponsors that are supporting us on this journey to achieve our goals to develop our young talent to be the best they can be.