The start list for round five of the National Omnium Series at the Dudley GP, suggests that Janet Birkmyre (Planet x - Cycling Plus) will be hard pushed to continue her unbeaten run from the first 3 rounds of this national series.
The hot favourite would have to be Kate Cullen (City of Edinburgh RC), who is a Scottish international and a full time athlete. Kate rode at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne this year and took a very creditable bronze medal in the points race. Since then, Kate has continued to dominate women's track in Scotland, taking the Scottish national titles in Pursuit and 500TT and, in order to push herself in competition, has had to take on the boys in the Grand Prix of Edinburgh, something she will do again at the Dudley GP.
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The other international and full time athlete entered for this Omnium is Lorna Webb (KSV Deerlijk - Gaverzicht), who spent all of last year as a full time member of the GB track squad, based out of Manchester, honing her sprint skills. This year, Lorna has returned to road racing and is based in Europe. She returned to the UK to take silver in the BC National Road Race Championships this year, behind world number 1 ranked, Nicole Cooke. Lorna has always had a devastating combination of endurance and sprint and should find the omnium format to her liking.
The rest of the field is made up of women who have to fit their training around work or studies, but there is some real quality in there. Siobhan Mullen (Raleigh ERV) is currently lying second in the overall Omnium Series and has been consistently improving her results over the season, taking 2nd in round three in Scunthorpe. And no-one should discount Jo Tindley, series winner in 2004 and always an exciting and consistent rider.
This final round of the series and, depending upon the result of round four in Newport on 6 Aug, it could decide who takes the prestigious national series this year.
daphne
