ERMYSTED’S Grammar School cyclist Jamie Ridehalgh believes that an early change of tactics paid dividends after winning madison gold at the Sainsbury’s 2015 School Games.

Ridehalgh joined 1,600 other competitors in Manchester over the weekend for the UK’s largest multi-sport event for elite level, school-age athletes.

Representing Yorkshire, the Speedflex Race Team racer was in action at the National Cycling Centre and produced an impressive performance alongside partner Harry Hardcastle to win the 20km madison.

The 16-year-old also picked up silver medals in both the points race and the team pursuit and admits that the madison success came in spite of not quite following the pre-race plan.

“We look a lap quite early on but that was not the plan going into the race,” explained Ridehalgh.

“We said we were going to keep our powder dry and go later on but I had just been swung in and there was a lapped rider on the front and there was a lull in the pace and I just thought there's not really any better a time to try and do it.

“I attacked off of our change and we went from there and it worked quite well.

“I took the last sprint and crossed the line first. I got swung in and the attack had just come back together and the previous attack had just come back together and I wanted to rub a bit of salt in the wound!”

The Sainsbury’s 2015 School Games, which is supported by National Lottery funding from Sport England and delivered by the Youth Sport Trust, featured 12 different sports across four days.

Ridehalgh and Hardcastle were joined in Yorkshire’s team pursuit squad by Tom Pidcock and Alex Ridehalgh but the quartet suffered a narrow defeat to South East in the final.

Meanwhile in the points race it was Fred Wright, also of the South East, who pushed Ridehalgh into second with Scotland’s Joe Nally in third.

And while he excelled on the track at the Sainsbury’s 2015 School Games, Ridehalgh is keen to keep his cycling options open moving forward.

“To do anything through British Cycling you've got to able to do both road and track as an endurance rider, so you can't specialise at this stage,” added the teenager.

“I look up to Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome, they have led the way since I got into cycling in the last five years.”

The Sainsbury’s 2015 School Games is supported by a range of partners including the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Sport England, Youth Sport Trust, Department of Health and British Paralympic Association. The Games were held in venues across Manchester from 3-6 September 2015. Visit www.2015schoolgames.com for more information.