The 2012 Cycling Revolution Begins

Revolution 37 Clancy & Tennant 1km Madison – ©Swarbrick.com

The first Revolution of the 2012 series got underway in awesome style, with thrills and spectacular spills. This year we see a change to the format with 12 rather than 8 teams and some new sponsors show off their jerseys. Sim and I braced ourselves for a busy evening.

Elite Flying Lap:
Returning to the track were Olympians Jody Cundy, Steven Burke [IG-Sigmasport] and Ed Clancy [Rapha Condor Sharp]. They certainly got an enthusiastic welcome from the crowd and they really raised the roof in the first event [the Flying Lap], Ed took the win by nearly one second (13.009) over Jody Cundy [FACE] who put in a stunning performance (13.908) and Steven in third (14.149). A great first time appearance for the race at a Revolution (if my memory serves me correctly), and a great start to proceedings for Team Rapha.

Revolution 37 Women’s Sprint – ©Swarbrick.com

Women’s Sprint Events:
The other change to this series is that core events will stay the same throughout the season and there’ll be additional guest races that will change each meeting [they don’t count towards the Team series competition]. This round it was the turn of the ladies in a series of women’s sprints and keirin races, specifically Team GB versus the Netherlands. Team GB were represented by Victoria Williamson and Dannielle Khan [cyclist and successful speed skater] and The Netherlands; Yvonne Hijgenaar and Elis Ligtlee. The sprint crown belonged to Vitoria Williamson taking the Sprint and Keirin wins and again as part of the two woman GB sprint team.

DHL Future Stars Girls:
After the 2011 domination of the DHL Girls podium for the past two years we were missing the formidable Emily Kay as she moves onwards and upwards. Our very own Ellie Coster who finished last years series just behind Emily returns in fighting form determined to take the vacant podium position. Heather and I perused the DHL girls riders list before the racing started and she pointed out her tip for new young rider to watch, “Amy Gornall! She’s got the natural tactics, I’ve seen her race before and she’s the whole package. Destined for big things, in the same way Emily intuitively knows when to attack, it’s her first Revolution but she won’t be phased by it”, and sure enough moments later she was running away from the pack in the early stages of the first girls event; the points race. She only came away with one point in the end but she’s clearly not here to make up the numbers, Amy had consistent results throughout the evening, not a bad start for a young rookie! So watch this space. Others to watch this year are Kimberley English, Lucy Harper, Emily Haycox.

Revolution 37 DHL Future Stars Girls – ©Swarbrick.com

Click play button to listen Sim’s interview with Kimberley English.

Click play button to listen Sim’s interview with Laura Cheeseman & Lucy Harper.

Jessica Roberts [Raleigh GAC] had a great points race, she won with 12 points and the nearest anyone came to her were two Emily’s (Capewell and Haycox) each with 5 point. Ellie Coster [howies] took her revenge in the 6 Lap dash but she couldn’t shake Jess Roberts off the podium, Jess took 3rd and Emily Nelson 2nd. In the final girls event Ellie Coster came 2nd in a frantic Scratch race, the winner was her team mate Emily Haycox, which sadly meant Ellie didn’t quite take the series lead. Jessica Roberts kept on fighting and hoovered up the 3rd place points to sneak the championship lead and podium for the opening Revolution, amazing tactics. The top three female riders are each separated by one point, Roberts (76), Coster (75) and Haycox (74).

DHL Future Stars Boys:
In the Boys league the competition looks like it’s going to be a tough top ten of riders scrapping it out throughout the season. Already showing their strengths are Jack Hoyle, Charlie Tanfield, Levi Moody and Leon Gledhill. In the Scratch Race it was a frantic finish with Tristan Robbins [howies] just beating IG-Sigmasports Ben Chapman to the line, closely followed by Gabriel Cullaigh of NetApp Endura. In the 6 Lap Dash Team Sportscover-Altura in their Revolution debut powered across the line with Leon Gledhill in 1st followed by team mate Levi Moody and Joe Evans [Rudy Project RT] in 3rd.

Revolution 37 – DHL Boys Points Race – ©Swarbrick.com

The drama of the evening was provided by the boys Points Race with a two part crash, caused by riders clipping wheels but throwing other riders off as they tried to avoid calamity further down the field. I tried to tot up the number of riders involved it appeared to be half a dozen in the home straight, then as they exited into the first corner just in front of me a second group came down very heavily. One of the Rapha riders did the most amazing standing tumble with his bike and landed on his feet with bike falling to the floor as he skidded to a standstill on his cleats – quite a manoeuvre. A number of riders were unable to rejoin the race including Charlie Tanfield who was on course for another good result but he picked up a nasty splinter. Charlie is one to watch in the boys competition.

Ned Boulting popped over for an interview [online shortly] between filming for the ITV4 highlights show [airing 31 October 2012 8pm] and to sign copies of his book ‘How I Won The Yellow Jumper‘ [for Cycling Shorts next competition]. So Ned… What is like to be UK’s face of cycling now? “That’s Gary Imlach, not me! You need to ask Gary Imlach what it’s like.” he said with a with his usual cheeky smile.

Elite 1km Madison Time Trial:
In the Madison the clear winners were Rapha’s Ed Clancy & Andy Tennant in a brilliant time of 56.005.

Revolution 37 Jody Cundy – ©Swarbrick.com

Elite Points Race:
Infighting in the Cycling Shorts ranks surly not? [not really] but Tom Murray said, “During the points race Jody ‘leant’ on my leg, it was captured on the camera under my saddle. Looks like I will be getting married with a Jody Cundy tyre mark down the back of my leg, it was close racing!”. In the end the race was expertly won by Owain Doull of howies with 24 points, Alex Dowsett [Team Sky] who was one lap up on Owain; came in second with 20 points and Ed Clancy in 3rd with 18. Tom made it into 6th place after his tyre tattooing with a total of 17 points. Jody didn’t finish.

Elite Australian Pursuit:
The Australian Pursuit is always a crowd pleaser and you can see heads in the team and media area centre track bobbing up and down like meerkats to watch what is a 360 degree race unfold around them. In the dying moments of the race there were three riders battling it out Andy Tennant, Alex Dowsett and Leif Lampeter [Rudy Project RT], this race is always a favourite of Leif’s and he remained out of trouble and took the win while Tennant and Dowsett battled for 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Elite Elimination Race:
The race was on early for Ed Clancy but sadly it didn’t pay off, but his effort helped create some tired legs in the pack to allow his team mate Andy Tennant to take victory over Joe Kelly. Clancy and Tennant’s experience shone through and popped some more points in the Rapha bank.

Elite Scratch Race:
In the final championship race of the evening Ed came back in style, the peloton were lapped and there was a one two battle on the line for the final sprint. Ed Clancy sealed victory for Rapha with his win. John Dibben [Rouleur] took 2nd and Christian Grasmann of Rudy Project RT came 3rd.

At the end of the evening the DHL Future Stars Team was howies. Jessica Roberts [Raleigh GAC] and Tristan Robbins [howies] now lead the individual DHL competitions.

Olympian Lizzie Armistead took to the Apron during a break in racing but not in the usual lycra look we are used to. She was interviewed by Hugh Porter. After taking second in the Olympic Road Race to Marianne Vos, Lizzie announced that she would be going head to head with the multiple World Champion at the next Revolution. This promises to be a truly epic battle.

More interviews from Revolution 37:
Click play button to listen to Sim’s interview with Ned Boulting.
Click play button to listen to Sim’s interview with Matt Holmes.
Click play button to listen to Sim’s interview with Adam & Simon Yates.
Click play button to listen to Sim’s interview with Ellie Coster & Emily Haycox.

 
Don’t forget you can catch the highlights show on ITV Player

You can download the full event results in PDF format by clicking here.

Revolution Series Round 2 is on 1st December at Manchester.
To find out more about the series and to grab one of the few remaining tickets left for the rest of the series visit www.cyclingrevolution.com

 

Andy Tennant & Ed Clancy – Team Rapha Podium – ©Anna Magrath – Cycling Shorts.

Elite Championship Standings after Round 1

1 Rapha Condor Sharp 62
2 Rouleur 53
3 Rudy Project RT 46
4 Maxgear 41
5 howies 37
6 FACE 30
7 Sportscover 28
8 IG-Sigma Sport 26
9 Team Sky 24
10 WD40 23
11 NetApp-Endura 14
12 Raleigh-GAC 6

Jessica Roberts & Tristan Robbins – DHL Future Stars Podium with Martyn Ashton – ©Anna Magrath – Cycling Shorts.

Future Stars Teams After Round 1
1 Howies 259
2 Rapha Condor Sharp 192
3 Raleigh GAC 181
4 Sportscover 180
5 IG Sigmasport 176
6 FACE Partnership 174
7 WD40 163
8 Rudy Project RT 147
9 NetApp Endura 110
10 Rouleur 109
11 Sky Procycling 107
12 Maxgear Racing 83

Future Stars Girls After Round 1
1 Jessica ROBERTS Raleigh GAC 76
2 Ellie COSTER Howies 75
3 Emily HAYCOX Howies 74
4 Emily NELSON IG Sigmasport 59
5 Lucy HARPER FACE Partnership 58
6 Beth HAYWARD Rapha Condor Sharp 57
7 Kimberley ENGLISH Rapha Condor Sharp 57
8 Victoria KINRADE Rouleur 49
9 Henrietta COLBOURNE Sportscover 48
10 Laura CHEESMAN FACE Partnership 46
11 Emily CAPEWELL WD40 45
12 Hannah BLOUNT Rudy Project RT 45
13 Lauren O’BRIEN NetApp Endura 44
14 Bethany TAYLOR Raleigh GAC 44
15 Amy GORNALL Maxgear Racing 40
16 Jessie ANSELL WD40 38
17 Naomi JOHNSTON Sky Procycling 28
18 Megan LEWIS IG Sigmasport 26
DHL Future Stars Boys

Future Stars Boys After Round 1
1 Tristan ROBBINS Howies 70
2 Levi MOODY Sportscover 68
3 Leon GLEDHILL Sportscover 64
4 Joe EVANS Rudy Project RT 64
5 James SHAW Sky Procycling 52
6 Maximilian STEDMAN IG Sigmasport 51
7 Matt GIBSON WD40 49
8 Charlie TANFIELD Rouleur 44
9 Fabio CLOSE Maxgear Racing 43
10 Ethan LEE Rapha Condor Sharp 41
11 Joe WILTSHIRE Howies 40
12 Harrison FIELDING Raleigh GAC 40
13 Benjamin CHAPMAN IG Sigmasport 40
14 Sean NOON NetApp Endura 39
15 Jake KELLY Rudy Project RT 38
16 Jack HOYLE Rapha Condor Sharp 37
17 Jack ESCRITT FACE Partnership 35
18 Harry CREW FACE Partnership 35
19 Christian BRAYBROOKE WD40 31
20 Gabriel CULLAIGH NetApp Endura 27
21 Karl BAILLIE Sky Procycling 27
22 Thomas SCAMMELL Raleigh GAC 21
23 Sean MCGOVERN Rouleur 16

Elite Flying Lap
1 CLANCY Ed Rapha Condor Sharp 13.009
2 CUNDY Jody FACE Partnership 13.908
3 BURKE Steven IG Sigmasport 14.149
4 WOOD Oliver Sportscover 14.419
5 GRASMANN Christian Rudy Project RT 14.494
6 DOULL Owain Howies 14.522
7 YATES Simon Maxgear Racing 14.534
8 LOWE Sam Rouleur 14.589
9 SCHEP Peter WD40 15.006
10 DOWSETT Alex Sky Procycling 15.075
11 MCEVOY Jonny NetApp Endura 15.481
12 HOLMES Matt Raleigh GAC 15.864

Elite 1km Madison Time Trial
1 Rapha Condor Sharp 56.005
2 Rudy Project RT 57.697
3 Rouleur 58.511
4 Howies 59.047
5 IG Sigmasport 59.628
6 WD40 59.812
7 FACE Partnership 1:00.164
8 Maxgear Racing 1:00.504
9 Sportscover 1:00.605
10 Team SKY Sky Procycling 1:01.695
11 NetApp Endura 1:03.204
12 Raleigh GAC 1:04.659

Elite Points Race
1 DOULL Owain Howies 24 -1 lap
2 DOWSETT Alex Sky Procycling 20
3 CLANCY Ed Rapha Condor Sharp 18 -1
4 DIBBEN John Rouleur 18 -1
5 GRASMANN Christian Rudy Project RT 18 -1
6 MURRAY Tom IG Sigmasport 17 -1
7 SCHEP Peter WD40 15 -1
8 YATES Simon Maxgear Racing 12 -1
9 HOLMES Matt Raleigh GAC 10 -1
10 WOOD Oliver Sportscover 10 -1
11 KELLY Joe FACE Partnership 8 -2 laps
12 TENNANT Andy Rapha Condor Sharp 3 -2
13 LAMPETER Leif Rudy Project RT 1 -2
14 YATES Adam Maxgear Racing 1 -2
15 SLATER Alistair Sportscover 1 -2
16 LOWE Sam Rouleur 0 -2
17 GEOGHEGAN-HART Tao Sky Procycling 0 -2
18 LATHAM Chris WD40 0 -2
19 BURKE Steven IG Sigmasport 0 -2
DNF SCHWARTZMAN Michael NetApp Endura 10 -2
DNF MCEVOY Jonny NetApp Endura 0 -2
DNF HARRISON Sam Howies 0 -2
DNF CUNDY Jody FACE Partnership -10 -3
DNF HAMPTON Russell Raleigh GAC -10 -3

Elite Australian Pursuit
1 LAMPETER Leif Rudy Project RT
2 TENNANT Andy Rapha Condor Sharp
3 DOWSETT Alex Sky Procycling
4 SLATER Alistair Sportscover
5 MURRAY Tom IG Sigmasport
6 CUNDY Jody FACE Partnership
7 SCHEP Peter WD40
8 HAMPTON Russell Raleigh GAC

Elite Elimination Race
1 TENNANT Andy Rapha Condor Sharp
2 KELLY Joe FACE Partnership
3 LOWE Sam Rouleur
4 YATES Simon Maxgear Racing
5 GRASMANN Christian Rudy Project RT
6 SLATER Alistair Sportscover
7 DIBBEN John Rouleur
8 WOOD Oliver Sportscover
9 YATES Adam Maxgear Racing
10 MCEVOY Jonny NetApp Endura
11 GEOGHEGAN-HART Tao Sky Procycling
12 MURRAY Tom IG Sigmasport
13 LATHAM Chris WD40
14 DOWSETT Alex Sky Procycling
15 SCHWARTZMAN Michael NetApp Endura
16 BURKE Steven IG Sigmasport
17 HAMPTON Russell Raleigh GAC
18 DOULL Owain Howies
19 SCHEP Peter WD40
20 LAMPETER Leif Rudy Project RT
21 HOLMES Matt Raleigh GAC
22 CUNDY Jody FACE Partnership
23 CLANCY Ed Rapha Condor Sharp
24 HARRISON Sam Howies

Elite Scratch Race
1 CLANCY Ed Rapha Condor Sharp
2 DIBBEN John Rouleur
3 GRASMANN Christian Rudy Project RT
4 HARRISON Sam Howies
5 YATES Adam Maxgear Racing
6 MCEVOY Jonny NetApp Endura
7 SCHEP Peter WD40
8 DOWSETT Alex Sky Procycling
9 YATES Simon Maxgear Racing
10 TENNANT Andy Rapha Condor Sharp
11 LOWE Sam Rouleur
12 LAMPETER Leif Rudy Project RT
13 MURRAY Tom IG Sigmasport
14 KELLY Joe FACE Partnership
15 LATHAM Chris WD40
16 GEOGHEGAN-HART Tao Sky Procycling
17 HOLMES Matt Raleigh GAC
18 HAMPTON Russell Raleigh GAC
19 WOOD Oliver Sportscover
20 BURKE Steven IG Sigmasport
21 SLATER Alistair Sportscover
22 DOULL Owain Howies
DNF CUNDY Jody FACE Partnership
DNF SCHWARTZMAN Michael NetApp Endura

DHL Future Stars Girls
Points Race
1 ROBERTS Jessica Raleigh GAC 12 points
2 CAPEWELL Emily WD40 5
3 HAYCOX Emily Howies 5
4 COLBOURNE Henrietta Sportscover 3
5 HAYWARD Beth Rapha Condor Sharp 3
6 COSTER Ellie Howies 3
7 ENGLISH Kimberley Rapha Condor Sharp 3
8 ANSELL Jessie WD40 2
9 HARPER Lucy FACE Partnership 2
10 TAYLOR Bethany Raleigh GAC 2
11 O’BRIEN Lauren NetApp Endura 1
12 NELSON Emily IG Sigmasport 1
13 GORNALL Amy Maxgear Racing 1
14 CHEESMAN Laura FACE Partnership 1
15 KINRADE Victoria Rouleur
16 BLOUNT Hannah Rudy Project RT
17 LEWIS Megan IG Sigmasport
18 JOHNSTON Naomi Sky Procycling

6 Lap Dash
1 COSTER Ellie Howies 2:03.409
2 NELSON Emily IG Sigmasport
3 ROBERTS Jessica Raleigh GAC
4 ENGLISH Kimberley Rapha Condor Sharp
5 HAYCOX Emily Howies
6 KINRADE Victoria Rouleur
7 HARPER Lucy FACE Partnership
8 O’BRIEN Lauren NetApp Endura
9 CHEESMAN Laura FACE Partnership
10 BLOUNT Hannah Rudy Project RT
11 HAYWARD Beth Rapha Condor Sharp
12 GORNALL Amy Maxgear Racing
13 TAYLOR Bethany Raleigh GAC
14 COLBOURNE Henrietta Sportscover
15 JOHNSTON Naomi Sky Procycling
16 CAPEWELL Emily WD40
17 LEWIS Megan IG Sigmasport
18 ANSELL Jessie WD40

Scratch Race
1 HAYCOX Emily Howies
2 COSTER Ellie Howies
3 ROBERTS Jessica Raleigh GAC
4 HARPER Lucy FACE Partnership
5 HAYWARD Beth Rapha Condor Sharp
6 NELSON Emily IG Sigmasport
7 BLOUNT Hannah Rudy Project RT
8 KINRADE Victoria Rouleur
9 CHEESMAN Laura FACE Partnership
10 ENGLISH Kimberley Rapha Condor Sharp
11 TAYLOR Bethany Raleigh GAC
12 COLBOURNE Henrietta Sportscover
13 GORNALL Amy Maxgear Racing
14 ANSELL Jessie WD40
15 O’BRIEN Lauren NetApp Endura
16 CAPEWELL Emily WD40
17 JOHNSTON Naomi Sky Procycling
18 LEWIS Megan IG Sigmasport

DHL Future Stars Boys
Scratch Race
1 ROBBINS Tristan Howies
2 CHAPMAN Benjamin IG Sigmasport
3 CULLAIGH Gabriel NetApp Endura
4 TANFIELD Charlie Rouleur
5 EVANS Joe Rudy Project RT
6 NOON Sean NetApp Endura
7 WILTSHIRE Joe Howies
8 SHAW James Sky Procycling
9 STEDMAN Maximilian IG Sigmasport
10 ESCRITT Jack FACE Partnership
11 GLEDHILL Leon Sportscover
12 GIBSON Matt WD40
13 MOODY Levi Sportscover
14 CREW Harry FACE Partnership
15 KELLY Jake Rudy Project RT
16 LEE Ethan Rapha Condor Sharp
17 FIELDING Harrison Raleigh GAC
18 SCAMMELL Thomas Raleigh GAC
19 CLOSE Fabio Maxgear Racing
20 BRAYBROOKE Christian WD40
21 MCGOVERN Sean Rouleur
22 BAILLIE Karl Sky Procycling
23 HOYLE Jack Rapha Condor Sharp

6 Lap Dash
1 GLEDHILL Leon Sportscover 1:45.498
2 MOODY Levi Sportscover
3 EVANS Joe Rudy Project RT
4 TANFIELD Charlie Rouleur
5 CLOSE Fabio Maxgear Racing
6 SHAW James Sky Procycling
7 ROBBINS Tristan Howies
8 KELLY Jake Rudy Project RT
9 STEDMAN Maximilian IG Sigmasport
10 CREW Harry FACE Partnership
11 CHAPMAN Benjamin IG Sigmasport
12 BRAYBROOKE Christian WD40
13 LEE Ethan Rapha Condor Sharp
14 HOYLE Jack Rapha Condor Sharp
15 BAILLIE Karl Sky Procycling
16 GIBSON Matt WD40
17 ESCRITT Jack FACE Partnership
18 FIELDING Harrison Raleigh GAC
19 SCAMMELL Thomas Raleigh GAC
20 NOON Sean NetApp Endura
21 WILTSHIRE Joe Howies
22 CULLAIGH Gabriel NetApp Endura
23 MCGOVERN Sean Rouleur

Points Race
1 MOODY Levi Sportscover 9 points
2 GIBSON Matt WD40 5
3 FIELDING Harrison Raleigh GAC 5
4 HOYLE Jack Rapha Condor Sharp 5
5 ROBBINS Tristan Howies 4
6 EVANS Joe Rudy Project RT 3
7 GLEDHILL Leon Sportscover 3
8 LEE Ethan Rapha Condor Sharp 3
9 STEDMAN Maximilian IG Sigmasport 2
10 WILTSHIRE Joe Howies 1
11 CLOSE Fabio Maxgear Racing 1
12 SHAW James Sky Procycling 1
13 NOON Sean NetApp Endura
14 BAILLIE Karl Sky Procycling
15 BRAYBROOKE Christian WD40
16 ESCRITT Jack FACE Partnership
17 KELLY Jake Rudy Project RT
18 MCGOVERN Sean Rouleur
19 CREW Harry FACE Partnership
20 SCAMMELL Thomas Raleigh GAC
DNF CHAPMAN Benjamin IG Sigmasport 2
DNF CULLAIGH Gabriel NetApp Endura
DNF TANFIELD Charlie Rouleur

Revolution Sprint Omnium
200m Time Trial
1 WILLIAMSON Victoria Great Britain 11.700
2 KAHN Danielle Great Britain 12.002
3 LIGTLEE Elis Netherlands 12.009
4 HIJGENAAR Yvonne Netherlands 12.072

Round 1
1 WILLIAMSON Victoria Great Britain 12.074
2 HIJGENAAR Yvonne Netherlands
1 LIGTLEE Elis Netherlands 12.228
2 KAHN Danielle Great Britain

Finals
1 WILLIAMSON Victoria Great Britain 12.091
2 LIGTLEE Elis Netherlands
3 HIJGENAAR Yvonne Netherlands 12.407
4 KAHN Danielle Great Britain

Team Sprint
1 Great Britain (WILLIAMSON Victoria, KAHN Danielle) 35.703
2 Netherlands (HIJGENAAR Yvonne, LIGTLEE Elis) 36.195

Keirin
1 WILLIAMSON Victoria Great Britain
2 KAHN Danielle Great Britain
3 HIJGENAAR Yvonne Netherlands
4 LIGTLEE Elis Netherlands

 

 

 

 

Ponderings from the Velodrome

Newport Velodrome – ©Dave Gratton AKA SunflowerDave (on Flickr)

For someone who always has a lot to say for himself, thinking what to write about is more difficult than I thought! I should hasten to add, that’s not because I can’t think of anything, it’s because I’ve got so many ideas running around in my head it’s so difficult to chose.

So my decision has been made for me because for the first time in weeks I have an hour or so to spare to put pen to paper (yes, I am actually writing this on paper) as I’m sitting in the stands watching my daughter Ffion take part in a Welsh Cycling youth track session. So the subject: the importance of good cycling facilities, specifically Newport Velodrome.

The difference this sporting facility has made to Wales is difficult to quantify, but if you look at the numbers of riders both before and after this facility was built who are at or on their way to the top of the cycling tree, it’s obvious that its impact has been massive! The same can be said of Manchester Velodrome and I am sure it will be the case with the Olympic Velodrome; we should also consider Herne Hill and the riders that have benefitted from that facility. What it shows it that good facilities really do make a difference to the progression of riders coming through the ranks, whatever their cycling discipline. Of course we also need champions to inspire youngsters into the sport, but we’ve got such a conveyor belt going at the moment there is no worry about these facilities being under used.

So what memories have I taken from Newport Velodrome over the last 8 or 9 years that I’ve been making the 30-minute drive from Abergavenny to get here?

Well I might as well start with my number one memory and also because “why shouldn’t women’s cycling be given priority over men’s for a change?” If I can find the photo to accompany this when I next go hunting in the attic I’ll post it at a later date, as even now I find it quite hard to believe. Picture this: a women’s keirin with six riders on the start line. In amongst the six, the current senior World Champion wearing her stripes Clara Sanchez. Also on the start line I think it was Sandie Clair. Next up to them, a few star struck young girls from the UK including two from Wales, my 13-year-old daughter Becky and Katie Curtis. I can’t recall another current senior world champion ever racing in Newport, so that line-up is implanted very firmly in my head. By the way, it was France first and second with Becky coming in third to the disbelief of the French coach, especially when finding out Becky’s age.

As for other memories of female competition in Newport, between 2006 and 2007 the Youth and Junior Track National Championships had such strong fields the racing really was fantastic to watch. Seeing Becky, Lizzie Armistead, Joanna Rowsell, Jess Varnish, Laura Trott, Dani King…(I could go on) racing against each other with Hugh Porter getting very excited on the microphone really was brilliant. Looking back now I honestly think you could see then who was going to make it to the top and they weren’t all winners. The look of determination in a rider’s eyes is something I believe is what sets them apart and that is something you can spot at a young age. If someone happens to win a Youth National Championship on the way to the top that’s nice, but ultimately you need to look at the bigger picture and remember it’s not a sprint, it takes a lot of time and effort to win at elite level. And that’s what people will remember; senior champions not 11-year-old ‘superstars’!

On that last point, some really bad memories for me have been watching young girls of Under 12 and Under 14 level attempting to break a National Record as if it was the be all and end all. They have been all kitted out with the best equipment money can buy and their parents have been shouting so loudly at them as if they were doing it themselves, but why? Many of those I have watched are either no longer riding or just riding now and again. And why provide the best equipment at such a young age? Good equipment yes, but keep the very best as a reward and as an incentive when they are racing at international level. I really would like to see some sort of equipment specification cap on all youth riders to make it more of a level playing field and to give them something to aim for.

While I’m in the process of airing my concerns, the other thing that really worries me is that young riders seem to be specialising on one cycling discipline at ever-younger ages and training to the detriment of their education. Youth sport should not be like that. If I could single out one young rider who has got the balance right and sets an example for other to follow it is Elinor Barker and look where she is now! Elinor has given most forms of cycling a go, but over the time I’ve known her and the family her education has come first. She’s obviously had coaching, but it has been Elinor’s drive and determination to succeed that has won her the Junior World Time Trial and of course her supportive parents (I believe there could be another reason and the same applies to Becky as well; both Graham, Elinor’s dad and myself are ardent Newcastle United followers and maybe it’s because the girls have never seen us celebrate the winning of a trophy that they are doing their bit to cheer us up!).

On the male side of things, at the same time as that outstanding crop of girls I mentioned the boys’ fields were also amazingly strong and they provided fantastic racing to watch. Jason Kenny, Peter Kennaugh, Alex Dowsett, Luke Rowe, Adam Blythe, Andy Fenn…(once again, I could go on) are just a few of the names that cycling fans would recognise from the Olympics and pro-peloton this last year. Despite many outstanding races and individual performances the one that stands out still after these years is Andy Fenn’s Youth 500 metre time trial. Here was someone mixing it up with the best youth riders this country had to offer in all the circuit races around the country and he was winning the endurance and pursuit events on the track. In the 500 metre time trail he was up against all the best youth sprinters in the country including current BC Academy sprint member Peter Mitchell. I can still picture him going around the track now. I seem to recall I was sitting in the stands next to Iain Dyer, National Sprint Coach and Trevor King, father of Dani and a few others and the first thing that came to my mind was that here was the person to follow in Jason Kenny’s footsteps. Well I was wrong on that front, but I really think he has the potential to be the next big road sprinter from GB. I am not saying that Andy will be another ‘Cav’, because I am not sure there’ll be another in my lifetime, but I am sure that he’ll be winning many races and stages over the next few years. Another rider I’ve watched in Newport in a similar mold to Andy is Sam Harrison, although he’s got a few years to catch up yet.

As recent as last winter I was sitting in the stands of Newport Velodrome watching the annual ‘Winter Track League’, which mixes all abilities up into different races, both male and female. In Wales we are very lucky indeed to not only have Elinor Barker coming up into the senior ranks, but we also have Amy Roberts. To see both Elinor and Amy mixing it up with the men in the ‘A’ league really is a great sight and I am really excited about the prospect of those two girls representing Wales and GB around the world over the next few years. The girls often found themselves riding in amongst elite men, well not just elite, but professional riders. Last year watching Luke Rowe, Magnus Backstedt, Jonny Bellis and many more on a Tuesday night with the rain hammering down on the velodrome roof, whilst sipping a cup of tea, is fascinating, enjoyable and a relaxing time in amongst my hectic lifestyle.

I have never been in Newport Velodrome with a full stand of spectators, but with the success of this last season and the accessibility of cycling stars to the general public I think I might get to see that over the next couple of years. What Newport needs is the right event to fill the stands, something that has got my mind running wildfire again! Now, if that event gives equal precedence to the women riders or better still star billing, wouldn’t that be amazing?

…Next time, whenever that will be, I’ll probably write about organising my first ever hill-climb and also about the importance and thrills of cyclocross.

Thanks for reading.

David James

Twitter: @Dai_Cwmheulog
 
 
 
 

The Revolution Continues…. The Manx Missile returns to the Track

 

Rob Hayles Retirement Presentation - Image ©Copyright Ben Dando @ Cycling Shorts.

Saturday night saw the arrival of the much anticipated second Revolution of the season and the return of Mark Cavendish to the track after more than 2 years. Mark’s last outing was at the World Championships in 2009 and as a former World Madison Champion it was great to see him back at the track reunited (if only for a manly hug) with his former partner Rob Hayles. Since then we’ve witnessed Cavendish conquer the road in his gutsy and punchy style. It would be great to see what he could achieve tonight.

We arrived to set up about 4pm and the press and team areas were already buzzing, everyone was talking about Cav and whether he’d arrived yet. After investigating we heard the news that he had already arrived before most of the press had even got parked, he was keeping a low profile until later… who could blame him. Every new arrival to the press area wanted to know if Cav was doing interviews and could they be added to the list. It was all very vague, he wasn’t really wanting to do interviews and it would be a case of catching him if and when you could, and IF his PR would let you get near him. It didn’t seem to dampen the enthusiasm of the collective.

The atmosphere seemed to be fuelled by events at a larger venue across the road, Man City were playing at home to Newcastle United and you could hear the cheers of the home crowd as the goals went in… 3 in total. The velodrome car park and SportsCity were overflowing with football fans cars, so I was quite surprised to see the steady flow of Revolution season ticket holders when their doors were opened at about the time Manchester City fans were merrily leaving, it must have been gridlock outside as the football crowds dispersed and cycling fans attempted to park.

Matt Crampton and Callum Skinner - Image ©Copyright Ben Dando @ Cycling Shorts.

Cyclists were already warming up in their team bays, there was a steady stream of people from the media area back and forth to the Howies team area to see if the Manx man was about to appear. Other riders were also grabbing a lot of attention, Team Sky were represented by Geraint Thomas and Alex Dowsett after their hugely successful long road seasons and the media were hungry for soundbites, Rapha had the imposing figure of Ed Clancy.

Finally the compact figure of Mark Cavendish appeared looking smartly groomed sporting his pristine World Champion Jersey, a huge smile and what looked like a Movember Moustache or it could have just been an out of season look, there were a couple of slightly fuzz covered faces about, possibly tache attempts, facial hair isn’t the usual sight at a track meet.

Team UK Youth were being headed by their charismatic co-owner, the always delightful Magnus Backstedt who was feverishly signing autographs throughout the evening for anyone who asked, taking time to have conversations with all the young boys and girls who approached him, most of whom barely came up to his knees, bent double he would reach down to take their notepads and comment on their cool sunglasses, telling them how smart they looked in their replica team shirts, this made their day and with little puffed out chests and beaming smiles they headed back autographs and pens in hand to their mums and dads. Magnus really is in his element at these sorts of events connecting so well with the public. Tonight he would have a bike frame up for grabs as a prize for a Team UK Youth Prize Draw and tickets were selling like hot cakes. We grabbed a few words with Magnus, “It’s great to see such a huge crowd, I really enjoy being back at the track and hopefully the team will perform well tonight.”

There were less international cyclists presents at this Revolution, there may not have been quantity but there certainly was quality in the shape of flamboyant Franco Marvulli and Iljo Keisse the European Madison Champion. ITV4 were setting up their pundit station by the finish line which is now part of the Revolution experience, Ned Boulting flitting around from the media area to his set chatting away with the recently retired Rob Hayes his presenting partner. When the doors finally opened you could feel the excitement in the crowd, the whole velodrome was packed to the rafters, no spare standing room around the curves, all seats taken, the VIP area was about to take it’s first dinner course of the evening.

The riders swarmed around the track doing a few warm up laps and with about 20 minutes to go Mark Cavendish decided to take to the boards and the crown went wild, his distinct hunched riding style, trademark thick framed sunglasses and diminutive torso highlighted by his banded white jersey really stood out in the peloton of rather rangy leggy riders. When the teams were introduced before racing commenced and Howies took their turn to ride the Cote d’Azur Mark received a standing ovation. I grabbed a word with Geraint, how do you feel being back at the track? “It’s great and it’s going to be a special night, the crowd’s really buzzing and we haven’t even started yet!”

Before proceedings got underway with the Elite Motor Paced Scratch Race we witnessed Hugh Porter, who had obviously lost track of time chatting in the centre of the velodrome doing some speedy manoeuvres up the banking followed by Starsky & Hutch style acrobatics over the track railings to get back up to his commentary position, surprisingly nimble, blink and you’d miss him.

Mark Cavendish - ©Copyright Ben Dando @ Cycling Shorts.

The motor paced scratch race was over 6km and featured a top line up of endurance riders. Mark Cavendish and the Sky riders (Alex Dowsett, Geraint Thomas and Pete Kennaugh) were at the front of the pack, it was almost like a practice lead out train for next season, I’m not sure anyone had told Cav he wasn’t yet on the Sky team, but he stayed in his usual position that alerts others capable of a sprint finish to pay attention. In the end Steven Burke of Team UK Youth rushed to the front with just enough time left to wind it up and prevent Cav from jumping off the pack, he took the race in style.

The DHL Future Stars Boys then hit the track for what turned out to be a thrills and spills packed Scratch Race, the current Championship leader Ryan Whatmough took a nasty fall along with a number of other riders in two separate crashes in the back straight. Chris Lawless put in a major effort to stay away from the pack for a large chunk of the race but in the end the win went to his Maxgear teammate Jake Ragen, 2nd was Jake Kelly and 3rd was Jack Hoyle. This would prove to be the start of a great evening for Ragen. There was another interesting tussle going on in the centre of the track for those who had been sent to report on the event, a mele of press surrounded Mark Cavendish which I imagine may have started to get under his skin as the evening progressed, he could hardly move.

Mark finally took up his position to be interviewed by ITV4 for their television highlights show while the sprinters took to the track. We were also treated to a bumper selection of British sprinters, just four of them but all quality riders, Matt Crampton, Dave Daniell, Pete Mitchell and Callum Skinner. The first event for them was the 200m Time Trial and they all put in great performances but Dave Daniell pushed Matt Crampton into second place.

In the Revolution Series there is really only one girl who you need to mention… Emily Kay (Cunga Bikes), Emily has won the Championship two years running and in the first Revolution of this series she cleaned up by taking all three races in style, her ability to time her moves to perfection is unmatched, she knows when to sit in the wheels and when to wind it up to take sprint points, she has amazing tactics and out powers the whole field Emily really is a tour de force. There’s no doubt in my mind Emily is a going to play a major role in the British Cycling team in years to come, she’s destined to be a household name. The only girl to make an impact on Emily all evening was Ellie Coster in the first of the Girls races The DHL Future Stars Points Race. Emily gained maximum points during the race but Ellie took the final 5 points on the finish line, it still left Emily with a comfortable win and I’m not even sure if Emily might have sat back at the finish to preserve energy for the following two races ahead. She went on to win the Elimination and Scratch races with ease, in the Elimination race Ellie pushed for second place again, she’s really trying to make a mark against the dominating run Kay is having. Emily took the whole thing in her stride, definitely the girl of the evening and the season so far! Hats off to you Emily.

Where it went wrong for Rouleur Sam Harrison & Joe Kelly - Image ©Copyright Ben Dando @ Cycling Shorts.

The madison time trial didn’t pass without incident, unfortunately Rouleurs team of Sam Harrison and Manx man Joe Kelly came unstuck with their hand sling, the approach didn’t look good from our vantage point they didn’t seem to be matching their speed, Sam seemed ahead of Joe by quite a way and Sam seemed to grab at Joe’s handlebars thinking it was a hand and Joe grabbed Sam nearer the elbow, I’m not sure which element of the switchover caused what happened next, it was probably a combination of things but both rider came clattering down in front of the press area and Joe didn’t appear to move for quite a while. They did eventually get to their feet but the evening ended there for Joe as it was announced he was still concussed later in the evening and Sam appeared to retire too. The rest of the Madison event was fast paced with Ed Clancy and Andy Tennant riding a 55.351 which was more than enough for them to take victory, Sky came in 2nd over 2 seconds down followed by Howies (Cavendish and Andy Fenn) over half a second down on Sky.

The rest of the DHL Boys races were taken by Oliver Wood which bumped him up the overall standings but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to take the lead in the championship, the position was up for grabs after Whatmough’s fall in the first race and he was carrying injuries all evening but Jake Ragen put in some good consistent results after his earlier win and that gave him the edge over Wood. He gained a 2nd place in the Elimination and a 3rd place in the Points Race.

In the Elite Team Elimination the first team to go out was Team Sky, Cav was living dangerously near the back for most of the race, when the fourth team (Maxgear) were caught out Cav just nudged ahead but Howies couldn’t hang on much longer and the next and final elimination was Cavendish and his Team, they managed 3rd. The victorious team was Rapha with Keisse putting in a great ride representing the whole Rouleur team on his own as Kelly and Harrison retired. The big surprise was Team Sky being caught out at the first elimination.

Over the 3 rounds of the Revolution Sprint Matt Crampton got the better of the field stacking up some omnium points and doing the same in the Keirin by pipping Callum Skinner to the post, but it wasn’t enough to take the overall Sprint Omnium title from Dave Daniell who had been consistent all evening after his initial win in the 200m TT and his emphatic win in the 500m TT at the end of the evening.

In the Australian Pursuit Sky redeemed themselves after their disappointing result in the Elimination Race when Peter Kennaugh won over David O’Loughlin (Cunga Bikes).

Rob Hayes & Mark Cavendish interview - Image ©Copyright Ben Dando @ Cycling Shorts.

After the Pursuit there was a special presentation to mark Rob Hayles retirement, Rob did a lap of honour to yet another standing ovation he then rode through a guard of honour of all the elite riders with their bikes, Rob then dismounted and was greet with a hug by his old madison partner Mark Cavendish. Rob and Mark where then interviewed together by the ever enthusiastic Hugh Porter, he reminded everyone that Mark’s next major competition would be the BBC Sports Personality of the Year and he urged all present to vote for him… and who can argue with that… I urge you to do the same, I can’t think of a sportsman or woman who deserves it more! So don’t forget to have his number on speed dial on the evening of 22nd December 2011, it will be broadcast live from MediaCity, Salford Quays, Manchester, UK.

The real highlight of the evening was the Scratch Race, Team Sky really showed their strength, first of all Alex Dowsett rode off the front whcih has become his trademark all season, seeing the danger the peloton pulled him back and a small peloton of riders went off the front for a few laps. Spotting a chance Geraint Thomas and Peter Kennaugh leapt off the front to break away, it was almost like Sky had scripted the race, but they only stayed away briefly and gave up and returned to the pack, it seemed like they were waiting for someone to come and join them. Then there was a second attack from Alex Dowsett, now it became clear they were just trying to tire the whole pack by hitting and hitting again. Ed Clancy had had enough of this and saw his chance to go but Sky were on to him and Geraint pulled him back. Through all of this the crowd were going wild and everyone was on their feet, everyone had their eye on Cav who was sat on Franco Marvulli’s wheel, he basically stayed up front and out of trouble in around 5th place most of the race, assessing the field the whole time, he looked so at home. With five laps to go he was still sitting pretty in 5th and as the tempo raised his Howies lead out man Jon Mould dropped off the front and the Manx Missile launched. It was an awesome sight to see such speed and acceleration at the Manchester Velodrome where it all began for Mark. He crossed the line in style and the whole velodrome erupted.

Magnus’s hopes came to fruition tonight when Team UK Youth stepped onto the podium to take the lead in the Team Championship.

It was one of the best evenings of cycling I’ve seen in a long while and you can see the highlights for yourself at 7pm on ITV4 (UK) tonight!

Jake Ragen and Emily Kay lead the Future Stars Championship - Image ©Copyright Ben Dando @ Cycling Shorts.

Team UK Youth: Steven Burke, James Lowsley Williams & Magnus Backstedt - Image ©Copyright Ben Dando @ Cycling Shorts.

Results:
Motor Paced Scratch Race – Steven Burke Team UK Youth
DHL Future Stars Scratch Race – Boys – Jake Ragen Maxgear Racing
Revolution Sprint Omnium – 200m TT – Dave Daniell 10.285
DHL Future Stars Points Race – Girls – Emily Kay Cunga Bikes
1km Madison Time Trial – Ed Clancy and Andy Tennant Rapha Condor Sharp
DHL Future Stars Elimination – Boys – Oliver Wood
Revolution Sprint Round 1 – Heat 1 – Matt Crampton 10.606 Heat 2 Dave Daniell 10.647
Team Elimination – Rapha Condor Sharp (Andy Tennant)
DHL Future Stars Scratch Race – Girls – Emily Kay
Revolution Sprint Round 2 – Heat 1 Matt Crampton 10.716 Heat 2 Dave Daniell 10.909
Australian Pursuit – Peter Kennaugh Team Sky
Revolution Sprint Round 3 – Heat 1 Matt Crampton 10.831 Heat 2 Callum Skinner 10.951
DHL Future Stars Points Race – Boys – Oliver Wood
Cycling Weekly Keirin – Matt Crampton 10.595
DHL Future Stars Elimination – Girls – Emily Kay
Scratch Race – Mark Cavendish
Revolution Sprint – 4 station 500m TT – Dave Daniell 32.545 (who wins Omnium with opts)

Overall Points Leaders after two rounds:
Team Leaders – Team UK Youth

Future Stars Girls – Emily Kay

Future Stars Boys – Jake Ragen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Revolution 33 Report – The First of the Season

All Images ©Copyright Chris & Ben Dando @ Cycling Shorts.
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Click SL (slideshow) or FS (fullscreen)

 
Last night saw the first round of the Revolution series 2011 get underway. As an enthusiastic crowd filtered into the velodrome through the National Cycling Centre‘s new vaulted reception area the riders were out on the track warming up. There was a real buzz in the air, everything felt fresh and new, the presence for the first time of the TV cameras brought an extra bit of excitement to the proceedings. ITV4 set up their pundit interview area near the finishing line with Ned Boulting and Rob Hayles readying themselves to broadcast.

Rob Hayles & Ned Boulting - Image ©Copyright Ben Dando @ Cycling Shorts.

The format and teams for this season’s Revolution really feel right, the perfect balance has been struck. The team sponsors and structures give the whole event a classic track event feel, with stylish new sponsors including Rouleur Magazine, howies Cycling Clothing, Cunga Bikes and Team UK Youth which is in it’s inaugural year, was set up by the unlikely benefactor Nigel Mansell. The team takes the name of the formula one star’s charity and they fly the flag for the work the organisation does to support over 750,000 young people. These teams were joined by the Revolution old guard of CHEP, Sky, Rapha Condor Sharp and last year’s Championship winners Maxgear.

The headliners included Sky’s Alex Dowsett (British National Time Trial Champion), Steven Burke (National Pursuit Champion), David Daniell and Frances Michael D’Almeida (World Team Sprint Champion)

Devil Scratch Race
Things got underway with the Devil. For those unfamiliar with the format of this fast paced race, there really isn’t any chance of hiding away at the back of the pack waiting to seize glory. The riders have to avoid elimination for the first part of the race with the last rider over the line being disqualified. This happens until you get down to just a handful of riders left on the track and they then fight it out for the win. Alex Dowsett, who’s had a very successful first year on the Sky Pro team, didn’t hang around and was obviously in the mood to show the long road season had been knocked out of his legs. With six or seven laps to go Alex decided to lead out from the front, he shot off the front of the pack and within a couple of laps he had the back of the peloton in sight. He didn’t quite make the catch before the finish line but to be honest I don’t think he tried to. He sat up to celebrate well before the line and the peloton was only metres ahead. The rest of the riders rolled across the line some time later led by Sam Harrison.

There was one thing that seemed different about the atmosphere as people settled in their seats and wandered around the food and bike stands, and it took me a while to realise what it was…. no Watt Bike Challenge! I’m guessing the reason being the huge amount of noise it can generate from the bikes and the spectators. The sound would be a nightmare for the ITV production team to compete with, it did make it was a lot easier to hear Hugh Porter‘s trademark catchphrases over the tannoy too which are always a joy!

DHL Future Stars Girls
One of the standout riders of the evening for me was the lovely Emily Kay. She returns this year to defend her title and she kicked off her first event of the series with an emphatic win in the DHL Future Stars Girls 5km Points Race where she scored points in every sprint for points and then still had enough for a final attack at the finishing line. Alice Barnes took a tumble in the back straight but she got up and dusted herself down to cheers of encouragement from the crowd. Second and third positions were hotly contested by Megan Boyd and Ellie Coster, both putting in great performances. This was just a taster of what was to come later in the evening from Emily though. She continued her charge on the championship jersey with a win in the Girls 6 lap dash and rounded the evening off with the Girls Scratch Race. Riders tried attacks throughout the three Girls events but Emily just stayed calm and controlled the situation. Emily does seem to be head and shoulders above the competition at the moment. She has amazing strength and tactics, an unstoppable combination. I can’t wait to see where her career goes, she’s destined for great things!

Kian Emadi winning his heat against Michael D'Almeida - Image ©Copyright Chris Dando @ Cycling Shorts.

Revolution Sprint
In the sprint competition Round 1 saw Louis Oliva beaten by David Daniell and Kian Emadi proved he’s a talent to be watched as he nudged out Frenchman Thierry Jollet. Philip Hindes was beaten by Michael D’Almeida. Craig MacLean never ceases to amaze me, his experience and strength seemed to be too much for John Paul who put in a valiant effort.

Round 2 saw Craig MacLean make David Daniell work hard for his win and Kian Emadi dispatched World Sprint Champion Michael D’Almeida with an audible gasp from the spectators. I’m not even sure Kian expected that result.

In the Losers 6 Lap Dash race John Paul pushed his way past Thierry Jollet to deny the French yet again.

The Final of the sprint was a great fight between Dave Daniell – who’s obviously on form – and 19 year old Kian Emadi. They were well matched through the early stages of the race but David Daniell had the better of Kian in the second half and powered to the line by almost a bike length.

DHL Future Stars Boys
While the boys events weren’t dominated by one person there was good news for Team CHEP taking 2 wins; Jake Scott took the first of the boys events (Boys 5km Scratch Race) beating Zac May (howies) and Ollie Wood won the Boys 6 Lap Dash ahead of Adam Lewis (Cunga Bikes) and Chris Lawless (Maxgear). CHEP teammate Jake Womersley said, “The races went very well for me and my team, we came out with two wins which was brilliant, they weren’t from me but I tried to help my team mates to get where they needed to be. It was good to be in front of a large audience like that, it really motivates me to do well”.

The Future Stars Boys Scratch race went to Ryan Whatmough. Ryan rode stongly last season and it looks like he’s back to make a play for the championship. He crossed the line ahead of Matthew Cross in 2nd. Jake Ragen put in a great performance throughout the evening with 2nd place in the points race and 3rd in the Scratch race.

Russell doing his Fonzie Mexican Wave - ©Copyright Chris Dando @ Cycling Shorts.

1km Madison Time Trial
Russ Downing whipped up the crowd with Alex in his trademark Fonzie Mexican wave style in preparation for the 1km Madison Time Trial. Alex Dowsett and Russell put in a good performance but in the end they didn’t do enough to get Sky a win, they came in third behind Rapha, winners Leif Lampater and Jon Mould for howies looked very focused and slick taking the win in 58.980.

Points Race – 15km
Russell Downing (Sky) dominated the Points race coming home with 24 points, 9 ahead of David O’Loughlin and Adam Duggleby. I caught up with Russell after the race,

Alex Dowsett Austrailian Pursuit - ©Copyright Chris Dando @ Cycling Shorts.

“I’m loving it, good to know I’ve still got it, I love the Revolutions the crowd create a party atmosphere.”

Australian Pursuit
One of the races I love is the Australian Pursuit. This race is one you have to keep focused on as you need to keep your eyes on the riders and their team manager, who stands throughout the races and acts as their individual start and finishing line. The riders (in this case 8 of them) are evenly spaced out around the track and the object of the twelve lap race is not to be caught by riders starting behind you on the track. If a rider is caught they are immediately eliminated. The winner is the first rider back to their starting position after 12 laps. This endurance race is a great crowd pleaser but pure endurance and in this case it favoured Jens Mouris the Dutch Vacansoleil pro rider in the Rapha colours for the Revolution series. Steven Burke and Alex Dowsett came in second and third respectively.

Feature Race – Round the World Pursuit
A break from the championship came from a special event: in February 2012 Sean Conway intends to cycle solo around the world without a support team in 150 days or less to raise money for SolarAid, hoping to raise £100,000. Throughout this season’s Revolution Series there will be a number of events to help raise money for Sean’s efforts. Each Revolution Sean will take on a different challenge.

Sean Conway on his Pursuit - ©copyright Chris Dando @ Cycling Shorts.

For the first Revolution the challenge was a 12 lap pursuit on fully laden touring bikes. Sean would be up against Vin Coxthe current Global Bike Race record holder, this was going to be tough for both riders as the track is not the environment either of them are used to and touring bikes with panniers aren’t the ideal choice for a velodrome. Sean got off to a good start but the lead swapped a number of times with Vin Cox finally getting the better of Sean and he opened up a gap and made it stick.

After his race Sean challenged members of the audience to beat him on the rollers at his stand. For more information on Sean’s amazing adventure please visit his website and please donate www.cyclingtheearth.co.uk

Keirin (8 laps)
Back to the sprint racing and Craig MacLean got his revenge on the rest of the sprint field as he powered on to win the Keirin.

Scratch Race – 10km
The Scratch Race was the penultimate event of the evening and Rouleur ruled the event with Sam Harrison winning and teammate Tom Murray coming in 3rd. Steven Burke of Team Youth UK came 2nd.

Team Sprint – GB v France
The final crowd-pulling event was a two man international team sprint grudge match between Team GB and France. Riding for GB were John Paul and Dave Daniell and for France Michael D’Almeida and Thierry Jollet. It was a nail biter and the crowd really got behind the GB team but World Team Sprint Champion D’Almeida and teammate Jollet put in an impressive performance and crossed the line in 31.949 with Great Britain finishing in 31.971. A great ride by both teams and while it may have been a bit of a disappointment for the home team I came away smiling when the delightful Michael D’Almeida pulled up to the railings and handed me his winners bouquet… a true gent!

Future Stars Emily Kay & Ollie Wood - Image ©Copyright Ben Dando @ Cycling Shorts.

Championship
The team leading the Championship after the first round is Rouleur with 204 points. So our very own Tom Murray was on the podium I had a chat with him afterwards, “I’m trying to find my track legs still! So not at my best tonight, but a great result for the team, but always a good laugh doing Revolutions with a big crowd”. Emily Kay (Cunga Bikes) now leads the girls DHL future stars competition with 90 points and looks like she has no intention of giving up her long held crown. Ollie Wood (CHEP) leads the boys competition with 50 points. It looks like it’s going to be an excellent series so don’t leave it too late to book. The next meeting will be headlined by Sky’s Geraint Thomas and Mark Cavendishwith more to be announced shortly.

Image ©Copyright Ben Dando @ Cycling Shorts.

Watch highlights on Monday 31st October
at 7pm on ITV4 in the UK

To buy tickets or to find out more about the Revolution please click here.

Revolution Team Championship

1 Rouleur204
2 Team UK Youth 190
3 Sky Procycling 165
4 CHEP 160
5 howies 159
6 Cunga Bikes 158
7 Maxgear Racing 154
8 Rapha Condor Sharp 132

Future Stars Girls Leader
Emily Kay

Future Stars Boys Leader
Oliver Wood
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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