Open to teams of youth riders from each of the 10 English regions, British Cycling’s inaugural Inter-Regional Youth Track Championships takes place on 4-6 September 2009.

The event is pitched as an Olympic style multi-sport event, and will take place at Newport velodrome as part of the UK School Games. The programme will include a full World Championship programme for Youth boys and girls and the results of every event will be combined in the form of a Team Omnium to determine the Inter-Regional Championship.

Supported by the Youth Sport Trust and National Lottery, the UK School Games are being held as part of the build up to the 2012 Olympics and offer a chance for school-aged athletes in 10 different sports to compete for their region/nation in much the same way as the Elite athletes compete for their country at the Olympic Games.

All the competitors will stay in an athletes’ village and the event includes an opening ceremony and a number of out-of-competition development activities for the competitors, such as the chance to meet with and ask questions of current Olympians. The event will be televised and covered by the national press.

“I’m very excited at the prospect of an Inter-Regional Championships,” says Performance Manager Gary Coltman. “For continued success into the future, I believe it is extremely important to underpin our World Class Programmes with strong regional and inter-regional activity.

“Given the recent success of the GB Cycling Team and the growth that the sport is currently enjoying, there is no better time to help development in this area and assist in providing the youngsters with increased opportunity to represent their region. Competing in a team environment is an important part of a young athlete’s development and I am confident that this exciting new event will be an inspiring opportunity for youth riders across the country.”

Dave Brailsford, British Cycling Performance Director, added: “It’s imperative that we create a solid pathway and ensure exciting competition experiences exist for talented youngsters to progress and flourish towards their full potential. The launch of the Inter-Regional Championships provides another piece of the jigsaw that will not only help to ensure future success of the Great Britain Cycling Team but also continue to build on the exciting development of the sport of cycling at all levels across the UK”.

Interested Youth riders should apply to their region for details about the selection process. Find out more at www.ukschoolgames.com.