Tag Archives: saskia hook

Saskia … moving on up!

Former Heanor Clarion youth rider Saskia Hook has sent us this update:

“I was only a member of Heanor Clarion for about a year but have been riding with club through the go-ride and youth coaching system since I was 7 years old. I have come up through the RSR and NSR system and have been competing for the East Midlands youth team for the last 2 years. This would not have been possible without my coach and Heanor Clarion. The club has supported me greatly through the last year and I have managed to achieve some good results (e.g. winning a national circuit series race in Wales) in my last year in youth racing.

Shutt - Squadra Donne Ladies CRT

Shutt - Squadra Donne Ladies CRT

Now I have to move up to the womens category which meant signing to a team was probably the best option.
Sunday saw the launch of the new Shutt – Squadra Donne Ladies CRT in Oxfordshire. It was a great day meeting all the team. I am deffinately the youngster of the group as all the other women are much more experienced. It was great to meet all the sponsors as well. I couldn’t believe the amount of kit I was getting, skinsuits, helmets, race food. I felt like such a professional!
I was signed by the team only this year after I got in touch with them over Christmas. After some brief contact with the team manager (Jon Miles), they decided to take me on. As a part of this, the team travel over to do the Tour ta Malta as an opener to the season in late March. Jon is very excited about taking me over as the last 16year old he took over there was Nicole Cooke! “No pressure” he said. It will be my first womens race but also my first race abroad so it is going to be an amazing experience, although I’m definitely no Nicole Cooke just yet …
Also, in connection with our frame sponsor (Cello bikes) we have all been invited by the Korean government, as special guests to ride the Tour de Korea to promote womens cycling over there in April. This would mean a 10 day all expenses paid trip, leading hundreds of other riders across South Korea. I have not yet made a decision on this as it is just a few weeks before my final GCSEs start but it is certainly an amazing opportunity.
After these two events I will be competing with the team in the Womens Team series, National Road and Track Champs, Track omniums and other events throughout the season.
It is going to be a busy year and a completely new experience but I can’t wait to get racing.”

You can follow Saskia’s progress here Shutt – Squadra Donne

After the racing … Inter-regional Track Championships

Our youngsters James Shaw, Saskia Hook and Ana Gill had a terrific weekend of racing this weekend as part of the East Midlands team at British Cycling’s Youth Inter-regional Track Championships in Newport, South Wales.

Fierce competition saw the boys competing in the keirin, individual 2000 metre pursuit, team pursuit 3000 metres, 3 lap team sprint, 20km madison, sprint, 15km points, 10k scratch and 500m time trial.

The girls competition was a keirin, 2000m pursuit, 2000m team pursuit, team sprint, 20km madison, sprint, points, 10km scratch and a 500 metre time trial.

These pictures come courtesy of the East Midlands team:

The competitions results were as follows:

INTER-REGION TABLE

1 Wales 74

2 Yorkshire 78

3 North West 92

4 South East 152

5 West Midlands 161

6 Eastern 166

7 Central 189

8 Scotland 193

9 East Midlands 210

10 South 249

11 North East 312

12 South West 331

Full results and times can be found here.

Saskia Hook Wins – National Circuit Series Wales

Saskia won the latest round of the National Crit Series (U16) in Tywyn Wales. Sask tried on many occasion to get clear of the group but her growing reputation as a strong rider meant she was chased down by the bunch. Coming down to a bunch sprint and with tire’in legs she finished 5th overall but 1st U16.
This win will put her in a (unofficial) 9th overall in the Series.

Massive WELL DONE

photo courtesey of Richard Seipp

Congrats to Saskia!

Saskia

Saskia - focused on the start line - Photo courtesy of VeloUK

Saskia strikes again!

Our very own Saskia Hook spent the weekend “up north” on the the North West International Youth Tour.

Battling some horrendous weather conditions – windy and rainy – Saskia finished a creditable 15th in a field containing some of Europe’s finest youth riders.

Held over three days – racing included a prologue time trial and  a long circuit race on Blackpool’s sea front, then on to Lancaster for two short stages on the fast Salt Ayre Circuit, and finally on Monday the race moved to the UCLan Sports Arena in Preston for the final stage and the presentations of the winners jerseys.

Here’s the British Cycling report of the event, and the VeloUK report.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to our very own James Shaw and Saskia Hook who have been selected to be part of the East Midlands Squad for British Cycling’s Inter Regional Road Championships in Scotland in July 2011.

Qualification events took place at Darley Moor, Thoresby Hall,  Barkston Heath and the Youth CiCLE Classic.

Congratulations!

 

Riders prepare for a training ride from school

Saskia rides for Uganda

Riders prepare for a training ride from school

Riders Saskia Hook and Roy Middup prepare for a training ride from school

Our very own, youth rider, Saskia Hook is taking part in a fundraising ride to London and back. Here’s their press release:

 

300 MILES IN 3 DAYS FOR UGANDA

Three Derby teenagers are set to embark on a challenging weekend of cycling to raise money for underprivileged schools and other projects in Uganda. They will ride to London and back from Ecclesbourne School in Duffield, covering 300 miles in 3 days and include a visit to the Ugandan High Commission in Trafalgar Square. The 3 riders who are pupils at the school will be met by local MP Pauline Latham in London and hope that keen cyclist Mayor Boris Johnson can also attend or even ride with them for a while. Riders Saskia Hook and Roy Middup are also part of the group travelling to Uganda later in the year and will be joined on the ride by Roy’s brother Alan. The brothers from Little Eaton are regular riders and have organised the ride. Saskia from Allestree, is from a cyclo-cross background and started road racing last year, and was a member of the East Midlands team at the UK School Games.

Head of Year 10 at Ecclesbourne is Mrs Roe and she said, “We are so incredibly proud of the efforts of these students. Saskia and Roy will have to pull on all of their resources and talent to complete this challenge. But it is worth it to help support our schools in Uganda.”

The ride is one of several fund-raising activities for the Ugandan schools. Pauline Latham is organising a visit to the schools and accompanying her are 8 pupils and 2 teachers from Woodlands woodlandsderby.squarespace.com/ and Ecclesbourne Schools. This follows similar successful visits in previous years. Whilst funding the cost of the visit themselves the pupils are currently busy raising money to be used to fund equipment for the Ugandan schools. On the last visit in 2009 over £20000 was raised and the students are hoping to surpass that figure this year.

This year, six year ten pupils have been recently selected to travel to Uganda in July. The three new pupils from Ecclesbourne School are Saskia Hook, Roy Middup, Robin Spurr and the new students from Woodlands School are Matt Powell, Dani Clamp and Phil Campbell. Each student was selected by their peers after presenting a speech on why they wanted to be chosen. In addition 2 year 12 students are set to revisit Uganda for a second time. They are Oli Watson (Ecclesbourne) and Rebecca Jepson (Woodlands). Along with Mrs Latham, teachers Rachel Tordoff from Ecclesbourne and Woodlands School headmaster Alan Brady will also make the journey.

Pauline Latham said: ‘These students are using their time and their skills to promote the plight of others in a developing country that do not have the advantage of living the same sort of life that we do here in Britain. They want to raise as much money as possible to support two schools in Uganda as well as two agricultural projects and a project helping Aids widows who want to earn a living so that their children can go to school. They are examples of so many of our young people who care about others rather than just themselves.’

The money raised will go directly to selected Secondary Schools and projects in Uganda. Previously they raised enough money to buy school equipment such as pens, paper, textbooks, science equipment and science chemicals; all of which are vital in order for the school to function properly. They also bought enough building materials to build an examination hall for Mirembe School and three classrooms, a store room and a staff room for Kiringo School. In addition to this they were able to fund a sustainable farming project to aid the surrounding communities.

The cycle ride starts from Ecclesbourne School on 1st April returning on 3rd April and the riders are seeking sponsors (so far the cycle ride has raised nearly £1000). The route has been developed to take in quiet roads and will be done without support vehicles. The organisers will also welcome other local cyclists who may wish to ride with the students on the early stages of the ride.

People wishing to sponsor them or know more about the Uganda visit should contact Rachel Tordoff or Jackie Roe at Ecclesbourne School

Further details about Uganda visits past and present can be found on the following website:

http://projectuganda2009.blogspot.com/