Top tips for the riders
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I signed up for the Women's Track Day at Manchester Velodrome, not knowing quite what to expect, but needing the track time whatever was on the agenda. I had in the past had the pleasure of being on the receiving end of coaching sessions from Andrea Ingram and that she was running this session was good enough for me.
The annual, women's only event was well attended, with over 20 women and girls, from all ages, backgrounds and with a broad range of track experience.
Throughout the day there were two groups of riders; a novice group, with relative new comers, and a more experienced group that included Aileen McGlynn MBE, the paralympian who won a gold medal at Athens, plus World Masters and National Masters title holders and a youth record holder.
Andrea made the point that a rider with good technical track skills can often triumph over a faster rider with fewer skills and that when training, we tend to overlook developing these, in favour of hard physical workouts.
The day was a smorgasbord of track skills for both sprinters and endurance riders. It was primarily based on the track itself, with a huge five hours of track time, but also included lunch and a classroom based session. In this informal discussion, we were given an insight into the different types of races and tracks available in the UK, including grass, tarmac, concrete and wood. There was also a discussion of the equipment required, gears and training techniques, including a question and answer session with Aileen, who is now a full time athlete.
On the track itself, for the aspiring sprinters amongst us, there was an opportunity to understand the best technique for, and then to try our hand at, a 200m flying time trial, 500m TT, standing starts and observation skills. With her stop watch in hand, Andrea gave the new comers their first PB (personal best) to work at bettering and for the more experienced, an early season 'line in the sand' against which to judge their form.
On the endurance side, we rode individual and team pursuits, with emphasis on sharp changes and holding a wheel at speed, and also a mock scratch race that combined these skills with awareness and observation.
We were delighted to see Victoria Pendleton, who paid the group a brief visit after her weights session at the velodrome gym. She had sadly been forced to delay her departure for Australia, in preparation for the Commonwealth Games, due to illness. Happily now, with the illness behind her, she will depart to catch up with the rest of the team and we all wished her the very best for success in the games.
Vicky talked to us about the importance of grass track racing in her early cycling career and encouraged us to give it a try. She also gave us some tips for riding a good flying 200m time trial (the qualifying event for the sprint competition, in which she is the current World Champion) and talked briefly about gearing.
How refreshing it is to come across a rider at Vicky's level who will take time out to encourage newcomers and talk openly about her background and training. There was however no doubt in anyone's mind that any niceness would be put to one side when she gets on the track in Melbourne, as we had a glimpse of the steely determination that propelled her to her World Championship title and into which she will have to dig deep when riding against the Australian Meares sisters, on their home turf.
At the end of the day I asked a few of my fellow riders if they had enjoyed themselves and all agreed with enthusiasm that it was 'excellent' and that they would definitely ride it again. The general consensus was that, whilst it was good to train with men, it made for a refreshing change to have a women's only session and certainly we all made some new friends and allies.
If you would like to join Andrea for a taster session or learn more about the training that is coming up, please call Andrea on 0161 223 2244.
For anyone who is not sure if track cycling is for them, I will leave you with this quotation from Henri Desgrange, the father of the Tour de France:
'I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five. Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailleur? We are getting soft...As for me, give me a fixed gear!' Henri Desgrange, L'Équipe article of 1902
Key dates for Women's Track racing*:
- National Omnium Series
- 7 May - Kirkby National Women's Omnium Round 1
- 20 May - Welwyn National Women's Omnium Round 2
- 10 June - Herne Hill National Women's Omnium Round 3
- 16 July - Scunthorpe National Women's Omnium Round 4
- 5 August - Newport National Women's Omnium Round 5
- 13 August - Dudley National Women's Omnium Round 6
- Masters National Track Championships: 6-9 July - Welwyn
- WCRA Track Championships: 22 July - Welwyn
- World Masters Track Championships: 11-16 September - Manchester
- National Track Championships: 4-8 October - Manchester
*If you are interested in competing in any of these please check details on the calendar at www.britishcycling.co.uk
