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What Richard saw:
Category: Masters 30-34
A relatively early start was required to get down to the velodrome in time to register and get an on-track warm-up. The menu for me on Saturday was a Kilo and a flying 200 metre as a qualifier for the sprints.
In both events, I registered as a Master 30-34. Towards the end of the warm-up Pritpal arrived, so there were 2 FFBC riders in this age-group. This was only the second time that I had done a kilo and I remember blowing mightily after going out too hard the first time. This time I made sure I held something in reserve for the end of the race. I rode 1:19 which is a little faster than the 1:20:23 I did at the end of June 2001. Upon reflection, I could probably have gone quicker had I gone out harder. It seems beneficial to go into the red early on as this gains more time than is lost towards the end with not being able to keep things going.
Pritpal rode 1:17, which was good enough to give him 3rd. I got 4th.
My flying 200 was 13.03s which I think is a PB, so I was pleased. I was hoing that I had gone under 13s, but I just missed it. Next time! Pritpal pulled his pedal due to a broken cleat on his attempt and was allowed a restart. I am not sure of his time, but judging how the seeding of the sprints were done, he was 3rd fastest and I was 4th.
This meant that we were up against each other in the first round of the sprints. We had some slow-motion fun for a while, but Pritpal was able to hold off my spirited attempt to come round him, so I was into the repachage for the final place in the semi-finals. I lost my heat, so that was me out.
Pritpal lost the first of his best-of-three semi-final as he was caught napping by the other rider, but he managed to win the nest two, putting him in the final against Forrest Koenig of the California Road Club. In the first heat, Pritpal unshipped his chain trying to come round Forrest, so that was him down one. Next leg, and Pritpal breaks the hub of his rear disk. This was a valid mishap so the leg was run again with Pritpal using my rear wheel. Pritpal was unable to get round Forrest in the re-run so got second in the sprints.
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