SAM ROWLANDS, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, is backing a 10 year old Wrexham cyclist for future success.
Mr Rowlands, a keen supporter of encouraging young people to keep fit and active has praised the success so far for Ethan Said of Summerhill.
Ethan, a pupil at Eccleston C of E Primary School, has been riding a bike since he was two years of age and recently took part in a national event at Newport Velodrome where he was placed ninth in the Under 12 age group.
Mr Rowlands said: “Ethan’s record is truly impressive for someone so young and his determination and talent seems to hold no bounds.
“I recently spoke to his Dad, Ioan, who is extremely proud of his achievements and is keen to encourage Ethan to become a professional cyclist which is what he wants to be in the future.
“Ioan is now looking for sponsors so that his son can continue to climb up the rankings and compete against the very best.
“I am delighted to highlight Ethan’s achievements and wish him all the success for the future.”
Ethan trains with the Wrexham Cycling Club and sometimes joins sessions with North Cheshire Clarion Cycling Club, which has a strong youth section.
This is his second year racing internationally and he will be heading for the Netherlands in July to take part in the European Junior Tour of Assen. Last year his best result there was a fourth place, which was a very strong result given that it is widely regarded as the biggest race in the world for his age category. This year he is dreaming of a podium finish.
Ioan said: “Ethan is very clear about his ambition — he wants to become a professional cyclist and to say we’re proud of him would be an understatement.
“What makes us proudest is the way he supports younger riders and encourages his peers. At school he serves on the school council, is part of the ethos committee, and acts as both a sports ambassador and reading ambassador.
“As he continues to develop across multiple cycling disciplines, we’re incredibly excited about the next 18–24 months.
“Like many young athletes who are still growing, the equipment and travel costs can be significant, so we are always keen to hear from organisations that may wish to support his journey and be part of what we hope will be a very exciting period ahead.”
Ethan is currently competing successfully across multiple disciplines — road, circuit racing, cyclocross, mountain biking and now track — often performing at the highest level nationally for his age group.
Recently he took part in the Icebreaker Series at Newport Velodrome his first race on the velodrome, which attracted national-level talent, including some of the top young riders in the country.
Ethan was the second-placed 10-year-old in the endurance events and the fastest 10-year-old in the sprint events. This is especially encouraging because the Icebreaker Series runs as an Under-12 category, meaning he was competing against riders up to two years older.
