Ribble Weldtite open their account at Eddie Soens

YouTube star shows there’s more to him than wacky videos

- Snowdon Sports/Ben Goddard

Proving he is much more than a social media cyclist, Cameron Jeffers won the prestigious Eddie Soens Memorial at Aintree Racecourse on Saturday.

The 25-year-old from near Wigan is not known as a pure sprinter, but showed a fast turn of speed in a bunch finish in Merseyside. “I made a name for myself through my YouTube channel,” said the Ribble Weldtite rider who has around 126,000 followers online.

“Every now and again I do get a dig that I’m only on a professional team because of my profile. If you’ve got two similar cyclists in terms of their physical ability a lot of the time a team is going to pick the person who has a bigger social profile.

“At the end of the day cycling is a business and you are a moving billboard for that team. I like to have a lot of fun with my YouTube videos with some wild and wacky challenges, making cycling as appealing as possible.”

After a Covid-19 enforced absence last year the Eddie Soens returned for its 60th edition.

The traditional handicap format of the Aintree motor racing circuit event gives junior, women and fourth category riders the chance to hit the front and even sometimes fight out the win.