National Women's Track Omnium Series

National Women's Track Omnium Series - Round 3 at Scunthorpe on Sunday 16th of July.

The day can only be described as blistering. The weather, the track and most importantly “the competition”.

500m TT

As per the normal format, proceedings started with the standing start 500m TT and it was recently crowned (and defending) National Masters champion, Janet Birkmyre of Team Planet X, who set the fastest time of 38.51 on the newly resurfaced Scunthorpe Track. The next closest time was from another women who won her age group National Masters 500mTT title last week, Raleigh ERV's Siobhan Mullan with 39.93. Following closely in their tracks and extremely close together were VCL's Emma Trott with 40.38 and then Cyclestore.co.uk's Elliw Mostyn with 40.51.

Scratch Race

The field of 13 riders set off at high tempo and Sutton CC's Louise Mahe making the early attack with VCL's Alice Monger-Godfrey, but as everyone had fresh legs, this attack was covered easily by the main protagonists. Good individual attacks from Cyclestore.co.uk's Alix Chester and then Jo Tindley of VCL kept people attentive, but with the track temperature at around 30 degrees, no one was keen to stay out there alone for long.

So it was to stay together for a sprint finish and many riders clambered for the back wheel of the Omnium Series leader Birkmyre, as they rounded the final bend. And Birkmyre it was who put the hammer down, being chased all the way to the line by Siobhan Mullan and Alice Monger-Godfrey, with Birkmyre holding the two off to win, with Mullan 2nd and Monger-Godfrey 3rd.

Pursuit

With the pursuit being slightly longer than the anticipated 2k, at 2425 metres, this meant that the stronger pursuiters could put some points into the leader, Janet Birkmyre (Planet X), in this event and they did. With Emma Trott setting a super time of 3m 19secs and Siobhan Mullan second fastest on 3m 24s and then Louise Mahe 2 secs adrift with 3m 26s, they were able to take back some lost points on Birkmyre, who finished 6th with 3m 31s. Alix Chester and Jo Tindley finishing in between those riders with 3m 29.1 and 3m 29.7 respectively.

Those who follow the women's racing closely, will note that Jo Tindley would normally finish in the top 2 in the pursuit, but a tussle with a truck last week had Jo suffering with severe bruising on her right shin. All credit to her for to turning up and giving it her usual 100%.

Sprint

Several of the riders from Cyclestore.co.uk, Alix Chester and Elliw Mostyn, who are talent team riders, fancy themselves as sprinters, so it was to be an interesting tussle in this event to see how they would stack up against Janet Birkmyre, who won bronze in the sprint at the Senior Nationals last year and Siobhan Mullan who won the National Masters 30-35 sprint title last weekend.

With all four making the semi's by winning their first round heats, it was Birkmyre vs Chester in one semi and Mullan vs Mostyn in the other. Both semi's started slowly, with the young riders using lots of Manchester Velo styled track tricks on their counterparts.

In the 1st semi Birkmyre lead out and Chester went to the fence to gain height. Birkmyre upped the pace slightly and Chester failed to keep close to her rival. With 250 metres to go Planet X's Janet Birkmyre decided that the 30 metre lead she had would be easy to defend and she launched her bid for the finish. Chester used the banking to get up to speed but it was all just too little too late, as the gap had opened to 60 metres and she was unable to make up any ground.

In the second semi it was a similar tactic as Mostyn went high too, but stayed closer to Mullan. Mostyn then attacked, leading into the final banking and as they came up the finishing straight it was a drag race to the line, with Mostyn having just enough momentum from the banking to win by half a wheel.

In the final it was a similar affair with Janet Birkmyre leading Elliw Mostyn round the track but keeping the pace too high for Mostyn to get too fancy and, as they hit the 230 to go mark, Birkmyre wound up the gear and hammered round to win in 13.1 seconds for the final 200m. In the 3rd and 4th ride off Chester held off Mullan to win by a wheel.

With only the Points race left to run the placings at this stage of the Omnium saw Janet Birkmyre (Planet X) lead with 9 points, Siobhan Mullan (Raleigh ERV) in second place with 12 points and Emma Trott (VCL) on 18 points with the three next placings being separated by 3 points. Jo Tindley (VCL) on 22, Alix Chester (Cyclestore.co.uk) on 24 and Alice Monger-Godfrey(VCL) on 25 points.

Points race

(16 laps of 485 metres, Points every 4 laps - 5,3,2 and 1) Starting slowly and with the heat keeping the long attacks at bay, the pace finally started to pick up when the whistle for the first sprint blew. It was a mass charge of riders 4 wide from the last bend and with no one leading out, it was Birkmyre's superior power which had her take the first, second and third sprints in much the same fashion; no lead out, with riders waiting until the last moment to open up their sprint and take the minor placings.

Several attacks during the race from Cyclestore.co.uk's Alix Chester and VCL's Jo Tindley plus Louise Mahe (Sutton CC) had the speed accelerate enough to shell out several riders but in the last sprint of the race a final lunge from Cardiff CC's Rachel Ball pipped Janet Birkmyre from taking maximum points. In fact, the race was over from the 8 laps to go mark, as the announcer called out that Birkmyre had an unassailable lead. What many hadn't realised was that Siobhan Mullan had more than a fighting chance to catch Janet Birkmyre in the Omnium, as it would have taken a win and several riders in between to cause the tables to be turned.

Final placings

1. Janet Birkmyre - 10 points
2. Siobhan Mullan - 14 points
3. Emma Trott - 23 points
4. Alice Monger-Godfrey - 28 points (ahead because of better final position in last race)
5. Jo Tindley - 28 points
6. Alix Chester - 31 points
7. Rachel Ball - 33 points
8. Louise Mahe - 39 points (ahead because of better final position in last race)
9. Elliw Mostyn - 39 points
10. Joanne Mather - 41 points
11. Sarah Byrne - 48 points
12. Becki Rimmington - 56 points
13. Amy Willoughby - 65 points

Top five placings in the Overall National Omnium Series after 3 events. ( Best 4 of 5 scores to count)

1. Janet Birkmyre - 75 points
2. Siobhan Mullan - 50 points
3. Jo Tindley - 47 points
4. Emma Trott - 44 points
5. Alice Monger-Godfrey - 35 points

A huge thanks to Sue and Steve Parsons from Scunthorpe Poly, who organised on a superbly run event. Plus thanks to BCF's chief commissaire Terry Palfreyman for putting up with much clarification of events and rules and all of the volunteers who helped with timing and coordinated such a fabulously well run event and organising a beautiful day too.

Congratulations to the organisers of the re-surfacing program. How fantastic is the track now? It has got to be the fastest outdoor track in the country - if you haven't ridden it yet, get up there for a track league night. It's super!