A WEST FIFE based team of cycle stars "held their own" when they pedalled to a nationwide competition for the first time.

Fife Revolutions, whose track is located within the grounds of Queen Anne High School, recently travelled to Coventry to participate in the British Cycling Cycle Speedway Indoor Championships.

The club, which was formed in 2016 following the success of indoor racing competitions involving schools from across the Kingdom, including Queen Anne, were the only team from the North and Scotland region to compete.

Having not raced indoors for several years - their British Cycling North and Scotland League programme takes place outdoor - the Revolutions found themselves in a tough section for the team event, but managed to finish in fifth place overall.

Kayden Davidson, who raced well in the junior final in a star-studded field, and Jake Slight and Jason Keith, who have agreed permanent and loan moves for the upcoming 2023 season, produced wins, with fine back up from Jake Ferguson and Douglas Morgan.

In the seniors individual event, Slight reached the semi-finals, with Morgan and Ferguson qualifying as reserves, whilst Keith placed third in the over-50s competition.

Craig Masson, the club's head coach, commented: "It was our first time at the indoor championships and it was good. That was the way it started for us, and we've not really done that since.

"We were managed to get a team together, went down and competed in the team event, and individuals. We didn't disgrace ourselves; we were competitive, considering we hadn't raced indoors for about five or six years.

"They all held their own. We didn't come last in the team event either.

"We were the only representatives from the North and Scotland region, so it was good for us."

Last Thursday, a friendly event was scheduled to take place in Dundee involving Queen Anne, Inverkeithing, Craigie and Braeview secondary schools, with Craig adding: "We've not really got together as a group of schools since COVID. Hopefully, that will progress in the fashion that it was before COVID.

"We're hoping to get more fixtures between the schools, and get more schools involved."

Fife Revolutions field teams in divisions one, two and three of the British Cycling North and Scotland League, and participate in a Scottish League series.

The sport involves intense, short races, which usually consist of four laps of an outdoor 70-90 metre, or indoor 50m, track, each lasting around 35-40 seconds.

Four riders contest a race, usually in pairs from opposing clubs, and physical contact is both legal and, often, necessary, with a typical match consisting of between 16-20 races.

The Revolutions, from March to October, train on Wednesday evenings and, for more information, visit www.fifecyclespeedway.com, or search 'Fife Cycle Speedway' on Facebook.