Harrogate Nova Youth Racing Team gets off to flying start to the 2026 season
Harrogate Nova’s Youth Racing Team has got off to a flying start to the 2026 season, bagging a brace of stage wins plus one overall win in the National Youth Circuit Series.
Despite being up against the very best young riders in the whole of the United Kingdom, the club has performed superbly in the opening two events, leaving them as the best performing squad in the competition.
Last month, Jake Thorton (Under-14), Reuben Hart, Josh Stewart and Dan Shipton (U16) headed to Wales for the first round of the National Series, the Ride Flux Two Day.
Thorton got the team off to a strong start, placing third in the 1.3km time trial.
Stage Two was a flat circuit race, not ideal for the Nova team, who generally prefer the hillier terrain.
Despite this, Thorton rode well again to bag another third-placed finish in the U14 race, while Shipton narrowly missed out on the win, coming home second in the U16 age-group.
Stage Three featured another circuit race and again the team competed well, with Thorton completing a hat-trick of third-placed finishes, while Shipton came seventh.
The duo’s consistency throughout the weekend was rewarded in the end as Thorton won the General Classification in the U14 category and Shipton placed third overall in the U16 standings.
Round Two of the National Youth Circuit Series was the demanding Youth Tour of Scotland, based in and around Perth.
On this occasion, the Harrogate Nova team was represented by six riders, with Erin Denwood (U14 girls) and Patrick Kavanagh (U16) added to the roster.
Stage One featured an 8km time trial up and over Comrie Moor, with the highlights a sixth-placed finish for Thorton in the U14s, Denwood’s 10th place in the girls’ U14s and Shipton taking seventh in the U16s.
Things got even better at Stage Two as Thorton raced to first place in the U14s before Shipton did likewise in the U16s following a fine effort by Hart.
In windy conditions on the third day, both Denwood and Thorton produced solid rides to come home fourth in their respective U14 races.
Meanwhile, Shipton was again the pick of a number of strong showings in the U16 category as he secured the runner-up spot.
At the end of the event in Scotland, Thorton placed fourth overall in the boys U14 event, Denwood was fifth overall in the U14 girls’ competition, while Shipton took second overall in the U16s.