The British masters track had been a bit of a disaster with my self inflicted accident I just about scraped through without any permanent damage but looked forward to these races after a holiday but only a few days on from riding in the Pyrenees to 3 Km pursuit on the Thursday a bit of a challenge. Unfortunately I was pitched against Tim Lawson (SIS) the winner of the British title in the qualifying round and had to suffer the ignominy of being caught while doing a PP of 3:38 (good enough for 6th place) but then being disqualified for not dropping back twenty meters, the same thing happened last year with Tim who can put in a 1:9 first kilo but finishes with a 1:14, me I'm starting with a 1:14 so out of the reckoning and don't even get to keep my time unsatisfactory all around.
Pursuit:- Ettles - Lawson - Burke
The 20Km points race a different challenge altogether, we were the only age group to need heats to qualify for the final, only a couple to be eliminated from each 10Km heat and with only four sprints there was some panicky moments (Clayton) but all those that qualified scored at least a point. With numerous closely matched riders it was always going to be a 'burn up' and a terrific race, I sat out the first couple of sprints always fiercely contested, with a lull in the pace I then took my chance to get away, Ian Greenstreet (Newbury RC) always a rider with similar ambition was soon with me and we worked for the next 8 laps where I took the 5 points and we kept going with Trevor Burke (Finchley RC) and Peter Ettles (Sandy Wallace) getting up to us in time for the next sprint where I took another couple of points. I was blowing and sat out the next sprint and was just pipped half a wheel by Ettles for a point on the next sprint taken by Steve Clayton (Planet X) who also took the next from a group including a German Michael Blasczyk, Ettles and Greenstreet which put them all in contention for the medals but the race was very close and I knew a few more points or a win would get me in the medals, Working my way up through the field on the penultimate sprint was nigh on impossible as the sprints were being contested from 3-4 laps out and the pace made it difficult to move up let alone get in the top 4 places for points. After the sprint I took my chance to break away, I held a quarter of a lap and Blasczyk made it across to me and we stayed away to the bell where I jumped him for the win, unfortunately a French rider Jaques Suire exploded out the bunch and caught me a bike length from the line reducing my 5 points to 3 and I missed the silver medal my 10 points only good enough for 4th. Ettles taking the Gold with 14 Pts. from Blasczyk and Clayton both with 11 Pts. Blasczyk getting the verdict by virtue of his higher final placing.
Result tells the facts but not the story
After the race I apologised to William Fotheringham (Halesowen C & AC) who I'd (accidentally) ridden over at the British Masters, he looked a bit battered. I felt good that I had tried my best and put up a good defence of my title, in the light of recent events a single point at half way and the final charge for the line would have made me second, together they'd have won it for me but that's racing and it's always good to be in a closely contested race. Everybody who had been in the final knew that it had been a race worth winning.
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