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13
Feb
Harrogate cycling club unveils 2026 youth team
A Harrogate cycling club launched its new youth team at an event last week.
Harrogate Nova unveiled four new members of its youth racing team at Harrogate’s Specialized Concept Store on Saturday (February 7).
Dan Shipton, Reuben Hart, Josh Stewart and Jake Thornton have all joined the cycling club that saw former junior racer Harry Hudson graduate with a professional contract.
Attended by ex-professional cyclist and Harrogate resident Phil Deignan, alongside sponsors, the event also saw the riders on a 55-mile ride through Wetherby, Boroughbridge and Fountains Abbey.
Speaking to the Stray Ferret this week, Harrogate Nova’s junior secretary, Jonathan Muir, said:
This is the youth team’s second year. Last year, we had six riders, but with the success of Harry [Hudson] and the team itself, we brought in four more riders. The idea was to have one of the best youth teams in the country.
This event represents the progression of the profile of the club and shows a clear ambition to be a place for young riders to have a clear pathway to becoming professional should they want to.
The youth team met with sponsors and Phil Deignan at the event.
Harrogate Nova has racing teams for aspiring cyclists up to 18 years old and enters them into national and international tournaments.
The youth team, for riders up to 16, competes in national races across the country, while the junior team, for riders aged between 16 and 18, regularly competes in international tournaments across Europe.
International tournaments are often attended by scouts and provide a pathway for young riders such as Harry Hudson to take their first step into professional cycling.
The Hudson Effect
Harry Hudson won the Junior Road World Championships in Rwanda in September. He signed for the Lidl-Trek racing team, one of the world’s most successful, shortly after.
Mr Muir said that Hudson's successes had inspired the Nova youth riders:
Harry’s given the riders a real boost. He did a virtual online ride and Q&A with the youth riders just before Christmas, where he gave them tips on how to make it as a professional. It gives the youngsters that real belief that, ‘If he can do it, I can too’.
Harry Hudson became the first Brit to win the UCI Road World Championships junior road race in Rwanda. Picture: Harry Hudson on Instagram.
The youth team has ten riders, aged between 10 and 15.
They will take part in all of the National Series this year, where they will compete against the best in the country.
Mr Muir said that, because most of them have moved up an age category this year, the aim is to get the riders used to the level, with hopes for top-five finishes in the national competitions.
Next year, they’ll be aiming for wins.
North Yorkshire has a name for producing cycling talent. Harrogate Nova’s commitment to youth development certainly isn’t damaging that reputation.
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