By Isle of Wight Observer
Brothers, Ayrton and Finley Manser-Grundy enjoyed a successful weekend of racing, competing in downhill mountain biking and cyclocross across two days.
The pair headed to the Forest of Dean on Saturday, for the Little Fodders Downhill Series, where five-year-old Ayrton made his racing debut in the under-8 category.
One of the youngest riders in the field, Ayrton completed two clean runs on a course requiring plenty of pedalling. He improved his time by five seconds on his second attempt to secure a mid-field finish.
Older brother, Finley, who recently turned eight, competed in the advanced under-10 category, on a black-graded downhill track.
A fast opening run put him second before a mechanical problem on his second attempt left him unable to pedal effectively. Despite the setback, Finley held on to take third place and also secured third in the overall series standings, despite competing in only two rounds.
Finley switched disciplines the following day to compete in a Wessex League Cyclocross event.
Starting from the front row following his recent results, he moved into second place before briefly dropping to third. Finley fought back to reclaim second and held the position to the finish on a technical course, featuring steep climbs and tight corners.
Alongside the results, the brothers supported and cheered each other on throughout both events.
The weekend ended with a mid-field debut for Ayrton, while Finley collected third place in the downhill event, third overall in the series, and second place in the Wessex League Cyclocross race.