The Senior National Track Championships took place last week from Tuesday through to Saturday and featured the cream of the UK's best female track cyclists.
Obvious favourites for titles were current triple world champion Vicki Pendleton in the 500m TT, Keirin and Sprint , national record holder in the Pursuit - Rebecca Romero, as well as current Points champion and Bronze medallist at the Commonwealth games - Kate Cullen plus the best that British Cycling could develop from their Talent Team and World Class Performance Programs as well as the UK's best domestic track cyclists including Janet Birkmyre & Emma Trott.
The first event on the program for women was the 500mTT, which is now no longer an Olympic event but is still a great guage of talent and speed, and the three top spots were taken by the BC squad with Vicki Pendleton blasting round the track fastest, Anna Blythe second and Jess Varnish third.
Women's 500m Time Trial
1 Victoria PENDLETON scienceinsport.com 34.825s - 51.687 kph 32.304 mph
2 Anna BLYTH VC St Raphael 35.259 - 51.051 kph 31.907 mph
3 Jess VARNISH Halesowen A & CC 36.806 - 48.905 kph 30.566 mph
4 Janet BIRKMYRE Sportscover-Planet X 37.393 - 48.137 kph 30.086 mph
5 Helen SCOTT Halesowen A & CC 37.984 - 47.388 kph 29.618 mph
6 Jennifer DAVIS City of Edinburgh RC 39.096 - 46.041 kph 28.775 mph
7 Sarah BAILEY VC St Raphael 39.458 - 45.618 kph 28.511 mph
8 Daisy SHERWOOD City of Edinburgh RC 40.127 - 44.858 kph 28.036 mph
9 Becki RIMMINGTON VC St Raphael 40.723 - 44.201 kph 27.626 mph
10 Femke VAN SCHELVEN Fat Birds CC 42.284 - 42.569 kph 26.606 mph
11 Lynn HAMEL thegreenroomgroup.com 44.319 - 40.615 kph 25.384 mph
Day 2
of the championship brought the women onto the track for the 15 km Scratch race and with a field packed with full time bike riders it was expected that one of the BC's up and coming pool of endurance riders would rip the field apart but as you will read, this was not to be.
15km's or 60 laps of the velodrome at Manchester means the race is a fast and furious one and the attacks came quick and fast from Femke Van Schelven, Jo Rowsell, Katie Colclough and Lucy Martin. These initial attacks would come to nothing but a great attack from World and National Masters champion, Janet Birkmyre, caused the field to fragment as the serious competition gave chase.
After 4 laps Birkmyre was back in the fold but then another attack from Lucy Martin, Sarah Byrne, Katie Curtis and Kate Cullen had the bunch really strung out as this group looked serious about staying away.
With many riders soft tapping through, not willing to use up too much energy, this group got further and further away and with it looking likely to succeed it was Birkmyre who put in a massive solo effort to make it to the back of the breakaway.
The main field continued to give chase but it was the break that was fragmenting, with Byrne leaving a gap and losing ground on the last wheel. Byrne had Birkmyre on her wheel, Birkmyre trying desperately to recover from her solo chase effort but the gap left by Byrne had them going back towards the main field and again, the field was all back together again.
Solo efforts by Jo Rowsell and later on, Katie Collough, would come to nothing as the field picked up pace towards the penultimate laps.
A great ride by track newby, Hannah Bussey, who rode the last 3 laps, all bar the final one, on the front, keeping the pace steady and keeping out of trouble but it was this steady pace that provided Kate Cullen with the perfect launch pad to the finish line.
As Cullen came off the back straight banking for the final time she opened up her sprint with an immediate response from Janet Birkmyre and Katie Curtis. Cullen, opened up a 2 bike length gap on her chasers, held this all the way to the line, with Birkmyre winding up her sprint and keeping Curtis at bay to take second with Curtis third.
Scratch Podium: Silver-Birkmyre, Gold-Cullen, Bronze-Curtis
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Women Scratch Race Final Result
1. Kate CULLEN City of Edinburgh RC
2. Janet BIRKMYRE Sportscover-Planet X
3. Katie CURTIS Global RT
4. Alexandra GREENFIELD Pinarello RT
5. Lucy MARTIN Team Chance
6. Katie COLCLOUGH Fat Birds CC
7. Gabriella COATES Evans Cycles RT
8. Jessica BOOTH Halesowen A & CC
9. Femke VAN SCHELVEN Fat Birds CC
10. Joanna ROWSELL Global RT
11. Becki RIMMINGTON VC St Raphael
12. Sarah BYRNE GS Strada
13. Hannah BUSSEY Team Luciano
14. Helen SCOTT Halesowen A & CC
15. Rusine AIRSTONE VC St Raphael
16. Caroline GAMMELL XRT Elmy Cycles-Orbea-Audi
17. Lorna MARLOW Welland Valley CC
18. Daisy SHERWOOD City of Edinburgh RC
19. Leanne THOMPSON Lune RCC
Race 20mins 19secs
Day 3
saw the start of the Womens Sprint competition , with flying 200m qualifying followed by quarter finals and the minor final.
World Champ, Vicki Pendleton agained showed her years of experience, training and current good form to qualify fastest with a Championship record of 11.392 seconds, followed by GB team mate Anna Blythe with Olympic Development Program's Jess Varnish qualifying third. Daisy Sherwood qualified fourth fastest and it was her along with the three fastest who would go on to win their quarter finals comfortably and to the next days semi finals.
200m Time Trial
1. Victoria PENDLETON scienceinsport.com 11.392s (CR)
2. Anna BLYTH VC St Raphael 11.682
3. Jess VARNISH Halesowen A & CC 12.138
4. Daisy SHERWOOD City of Edinburgh RC 12.612
5. Anne LEWIS Yasumitsu Schlaap 12.744
6. Helen SCOTT Halesowen A & CC 13.043
7. Jennifer DAVIS City of Edinburgh RC 13.230
8. Caroline GAMMELL XRT Elmy Cycles-Orbea-Audi 13.459
Meanwhile the losers from these heats competed in the minor final for 5th-7th where Helen Scott showed some great speed to hold off sprint newcomer Caroline Gammell with Jennifer Davis third.
The evening session saw the Women compete in the arduous 120 lap Points race. Sprints every 10 laps made it tough for even the strongest endurance riders, with many withdrawing. A huge crash at half distance involving Leeane Thompson, Katie Curtis, Lucy Martin and Jessica Booth caused panic in the field and several riders called it a day, not wanting to continue even though they were not caught up in the crash, as was the aggressive nature of the race. Jessica Booth was the only major casualty, being stretchered off but afterwards we found out she was grazed badly but otherwise ok.
Kate Cullen was the star of this show though, and as reigning champion she showed why, scoring in heavily through out the first 3 quarters of the race and gaining enough points to only have to cover her nearest rivals.
The battle became one between two GB and squad team mates, Katie Curtis and Jo Rowsell, with Rowsell attacking regularly and building up an early lead only to suffer later on and in the final sprint lost out to Curtis by one point with Curtis taking the final sprint and silver.
Results of Points Race
1. Kate CULLEN City of Edinburgh RC 31
2. Katie CURTIS Global RT 22
3. Joanna ROWSELL Global RT 21
4. Lucy MARTIN Team Chance 18
5. Katie COLCLOUGH Fat Birds CC 12
6. Becki RIMMINGTON VC St Raphael 10
7. Sarah BYRNE GS Strada 5
8. Femke VAN SCHELVEN Fat Birds CC 5
9. Janet BIRKMYRE Sportscover-Planet X 3
10. Emma TROTT VC Londres 2
11. Jessica BOOTH Halesowen A & CC 1
Day 4 ( Friday)
held only one event for the Women with the conclusion of the Sprint competition.
The Sprint which saw the favourites for the title, Vicki Pendleton and Anna Blythe, easily defeating their semi final competition 2-0 . Pendleton over Daisy Sherwood and Blythe over the fast finishing Jess Varnish.
Pendleton would then go on to beat Blythe, also 2-0 in two very closely fought finals.
Varnish completed the podium beating Sherwood 2-0, showing that the GB squad has some strength in depth for the next few Olympics to come.
Caroline Gammell
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Day 5,
The final day's competition, completed the events for the women with the Japanese inspired Keirin competition and the qualifying and finals of the 3000m pursuit.
The Keirin -Anyone who has seen this event will know it is about tactics, nerves and speed if you are to win.
With only 7 competitors this year it was a straight final so no chance to test yourselves against the opposition, but get down to the business of winning, and winning there was for the current Keirin world champion Vicki Pendleton. Pendleton drew slot 1 on the start line and held the derny's back wheel whilst Daisy Sherwood tried in vain to muscle in on Helen Scott so that she could take Pendletons wheel. Janet Birkmyre was in 4th spot with Caroline Gammell 5th , Jess varnish 6th and Anna Blyth holding station at the back.
With 2 ½ laps to go the derny pulled off leaving the girls rolling along at 25 miles an hour , and it was Pendleton who kept the pace high, whilst using her years of experience watching the other riders, waiting for attacks which came from Blythe ( a previous junior world Keirin champion). Blythe powered over the riders in front of her and latched herself to Pendletons back wheel whilst Helen Scott was holding off the charges from Sherwood, Birkmyre, Gammell and Varnish. Scott maintained her Bronze position whilst Pendleton was seeing off the fast finishing Blythe.
Keirin Results
1. Victoria PENDLETON scienceinsport.com
2. Anna BLYTH VC St Raphael
3. Helen SCOTT Halesowen A & CC
4. Daisy SHERWOOD City of Edinburgh RC
5. Janet Birkmyre Planet X
6. Jess VARNISH Halesowen A & CC
7. Caroline GAMMELL XRT Elmy Cycles-Orbea-Audi
The Pursuit qualifying was a much more cut and dried affair with Rebecca Romero's team mate Wendy Houvenaghel out of the championships with injury. Romero qualifying easily the fastest by 10 seconds from GB squad rider Nicki Harris to ride off for Gold and Silver later on. Jo Rowsell and Hannah Mayho also rode fast enough for a Bronze ride off later in the session.
In the 3rd/4th ride off it was the more experienced Rowsell who took her second medal of the champs to win by 3 seconds from Hannah Mayho.
Romero on the other hand had a much more dominant plan in mind for the final catching Harris at half distance and go on to record a championship record.
A super end to the championships with 3 golds from Vicki Pendleton, 2 from Kate Cullen and some notable results from up and coming riders to watch out for in the future like Jess Varnish, Jo Rowsell, Katie Curtis and Hannah Mayho plus some great rides from our domestic based riders, most notably 41 year old Janet Birkmyre who showed the youngsters a thing or two.
Good luck to the GB squad as they prepare for the World Cup season about to begin.
Kris
