World Masters - 50-54 Pursuit

Champion - Monthier (Fr)

First up the 2000m Individual Pursuit, I have to do my stretching at 10 O'clock the night before after driving from Leicester but I managed to get some sleep although waking with a flat phone battery caused a mild panic until I was able to confirm it was only 6.00, too late to go back to sleep, so I had a leisurely breakfast in my room

Qualifying

Twenty five minutes warm-up on the track before the session is all the riding I'm going to get on my Time Trial bike that doubles for Pursuiting but the position has to pass UCI regulations for dimensions and weight so the position always feels a bit weird compared to my other bikes. My alloy P2SL Cervelo makes for a lovely light bike but Its a good job I left my sensors on (UCI says No! to computers) as its only 8 grammes over the 6.8KG weight limit, I didn't realise it was that close otherwise its cutlery down the seat tube time.
Formalities over I just managed 10 minutes on the rollers before my ride, it's so hot in the velodrome that any more leads to over heating, sitting in a pool of sweat on the line with it streaming down the inside of your visor a tad distracting before an all out effort so just get over to the waiting area

Silver - Le Beau (Can)

I'd done a final session with the starting gate on Saturday evening and it was fresh in my mind so no need for visualisation just keep it all together as practised, 22.1 is better than last year 22.7 with 100.6" (97.4" 2012) and the whole ride goes to plan. With me up against closely matched Steve Clayton (Litchfield RC) in the 7th heat I'm up at the start then loose a bit over the next few laps then come back with my usual fast finish to beat him by a slim margin 2:27.203, I would so like to get inside that 2:27 but without track time it seems I'm stuck at the same speed a fraction down on last year at 30.4mph Av.

Bronze - Dardi (It)

Fastest is recent Euro winner Pascal Montier (Fr) 2:20.197 (31.9mph) from reining Champion Stephanie LeBeau (Can) 2:20.956 although I think he eased up on the last lap when he knew he had enough over third man Roberto Dardi (It) and Ian Greenstreet (Newbury RC) keeping up the British end less than a tenth apart on 2:23.793 and 2:23.810 respectively. I am placed 8th as last year and 3rd British rider.

Ian goes to the start

During the break in the middle of the day we are treated to the GB squad tuning up for the impending European Championships going through their sprinting and TP drills, its a fine sight and the riders watch in rapt awe as the new generation of riders with some of the established stars (Trott, Barker & Tennant) show what they can do

The finals in the evening go to form, Le Beau not able to turn the tables on the Frenchman as he did last year and slipping back to 2:21.34 while Monthier moves up from the Bronze in the 45-49 age group to take the title in a faster time 2:19.292 In the bronze ride off Ian after leading for all the ride slipped back over the last lap and a half and Dardi won out marginally slower in 2:24.973, he's a big rider and I've no doubt he will pose some problems in the other races as will all these riders. o7ò

Result

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