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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WORLD MASTERS - Manchester - 2Km Pursuit

After a shorter season (started racing in June) than of late the World Masters my ultimate target for the year, It's been good to get a couple of Time Trial PB's under my belt in the past months to know that I have decent fitness but the track such a different discipline, Do I have the 'form' to win a World Title? It's my first year in the 50-54 age group so in theory my best chance to win but I have at least Trevor Burke (Finsbury RT) to contend with the triple British champion and fifty other riders from 14 nations to contend with. I've done a diet of Turbo and Interval work to compensate for not having any track time but to be honest I do not know where I am as my other racing seems to be suffering and I have no Power in my normal racing and put in a series of poor or lack lustre performances in the weeks coming up to the Championships.

Waiting for the off - 2Km Pursuit

This year the events I've entered Pursuit, 15Km Points race and 10Km scratch race compressed into three days so there will be no let up from the pressure that accompanies heats and finals, warming up, and diet over the programme of being prepared and focused to race. First up the 2Km Pursuit down a kilometre from last year and only eight laps of the velodrome, I was second to Burke in the Nationals with a 2:28 and I feel I can improve with more rounded fitness and Adrian's lent me his disc front wheel. I have put my gear up an inch as well to 55 x 14 (97") as I figure with the race over quicker I'm not going to run out of 'puff'

First Lap

I've had a niggardly hamstring these past few weeks so I have been limited in my starting practise, I can feel it after a couple of efforts so I have to be content with being stylistically efficient if not powerfully correct, I take Emma Trott as my model, she hardly ever seems to be putting an effort in when starting, just a serene look of composure when all i can feel is grunting and a gnashing of teeth! I have a bit of a scare on my warm up when my rim splits and explodes with a BANG! The riders and officials around me think its another starting pistol but the only upshot I have to use a tri spoke (and 6oz tyre!) for the rest of the week which gives my winter bike a 'sporty' look to go with the mudguards (well it is Manchester!) and rack.

Last Lap

Brother Phil is here to 'walk the line' and add support but mostly its down to the individual so I'm up on the starting gate against Gonzalez (COL) I've been up on the track with the 'disc' and there is a definite difference to a conventional wheel, the need to steer the bike now, it won't just go around the banking on its own like I'm used to. Out of the gate I crash a few foam blocks but 22.701 for the first lap and over half a second up on my opponent, it's difficult to know how the race went in retrospect as it was over so quickly At the kilometre I was 1:15:171 as opposed to a long 1:14 last year and giving the foam blocks a bit of a beating as I 'threepenny bit' my way around the banking's walloping one onto the sprinters line, I bet Rubiel over the other side was wondering what was going on and how I was staying in front of him. I ended with my usual flourish for 2:27.192 over five seconds up on the Colombian and the fastest to date. I had gone nearly a second and a half faster than earlier in the year and the next two heats provided nothing faster but I feel I need to be inside 2:25 to get in the last four to contest the medals
Burke also went over a second faster than his National time 2:23.066 it was only good enough for third fastest, Michael Popplewell (AUS) was fastest with 2:20.311 only marginally faster than Stephane Le Beau (CAN) 2:20.485. Clause Christiansen (DEN) was fourth 2:24.044. I could warm down knowing I would not have to ride again that evening but get ready for the next days Points race. In the ride off Burke took the Bronze with a similar time while the Dane went backwards the result of two recent crashes and not having the form to back up his morning effort. In the Gold and Silver ride there was a reversal with Le Beau going faster and the Australian so we had a Commonwealth 1-2-3 and I ended up in 8th place and second Brit once again.

Warm down (with Tim Mulrooney - USA)

While we were having our own ding dong battle I had to take note of what was happening to my old pals in the 45-49 group, I was billeted at the track next to the USA pen and got talking to last years champion Daniel Casper who was a bit worried about the riders coming up from below but was here to enjoy himself and enjoy the camaraderie and the racing as were most of us.  One of his countryman Kenny Williams was fresh into the group and making everybody a bit uncomfortable for returning from a 2 year drugs ban He proceeded to win this age group taking the wind out of the sails of many who might train a bit harder if they thought there was a level playing field for Masters like there is in the post Lance era (should that be Cera?) There was much muttering but little we can do but 'Play up! Play up! and Play the Game!' More Here

Results Here