UTTOXETER cycle starlet Joe Evans narrowly missed out on a gold medal in the National Youth and Junior Track Championships in Manchester.
The 15-year-old Thomas Alleyne’s High School student had to settle for silver after a thrilling finish to the 2000m individual pursuit.
After just missing out in the points race in the week-long event, Evans was back on the podium after finishing third in the scratch race.
His successes came after the Uttoxeter youngster had started August with a respectable fourth place overall in the National Omnium finals at Halesowen, where he took on 24 of the country’s top track riders.
Evans slipped to eighth after a rain delay appeared to disrupt him, but bounced back with a third place in the sprints.
In Manchester, Evans needed to be at his best to make it to the ride off for the pursuit gold and silver medals.
Evans won his heat against Joe Kelly of Lichfield in 2 hrs 21 mins 2 secs, but then had a nail-biting wait to see whether his time was quick enough to take him through.
Charlie Tanfield clocked 2:20:44, but the Uttoxeter rider had done enough to put him the heat of the battle for the gold medal.
The final was ridden at a blistering pace with Evans up on his rival after the first kilometre, but it was Tanfield who edged to victory.
Evans successfully negotiated the heats to clinch one of the 24 places in the final of the points race.
Each sprint lap was fast and furious as riders battled for points, but Evans had to settle for fourth place — losing out on a podium spot by just one point.
Evans put the disappointment behind him by finishing third in the mass sprint at the end of the scratch race.
The Alleyne’s student still has a busy schedule ahead of him, with GHS Schoolboy 10-mile Time Trial Championships this weekend and the Inter Regional Track Championships later in the month.
