Reuben ready to defend his titles

Reuben ready to defend his titles

27 January 2016

A CROSSGAR schoolboy is gearing up to defending his two-wheeled Ulster titles in 2016.

Reuben Maitland rounded off a fantastic 2015 by winning the Ulster U-10 Cyclo-Cross League and the Ulster Cross-Country Championship in December.

Reuben’s 2016 season gets underway next month on the mountain bike trail at Castlewellan Forest Park and he’s determined to keep ahead of the rest.

Nine year-old Reuben is a pupil at Derryboy Primary School and a junior member of Killinchy Cycling Club.

He secured the Cyclo-Cross League in fantastic fashion at Falls Park, Belfast, on December 6.

After a total nine races, starting in Lurgan in October, a number of riders were well in contention to take top spot, but he won the final race to finish with the highest points total.

Just a week later there was more success for Reuben when he was crowned Ulster Cross-Country champion at Maghera, Co Londonderry.

Conditions were far from ideal. The day was extremely cold with a number of icy patches on the course following overnight rain and frost.

The tough, muddy terrain made for the most difficult conditions of the season and only three riders were able to complete the course.

In fact, Reuben was the only rider not to take a tumble and he duly secured the championship.

With the new season just weeks away, Reuben’s aiming to stay as number one.