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What Richard saw:
Category: Various
Result: Various
Sunday was in 2 parts.
The morning was the flying 200m qualifiers for the sprints followed by
the team pursuits. There was then time for a siesta before venturing out
from under the shade to warm up for the sprint tournament and the
weekend was rounded off with the senior scratch race.
Frustratingly, I have yet to be timed under 13 seconds for a flying 200m
and this continued. I thought I was quick - I felt smooth, but the
judges' watches didn't agree and I did 13.10s, the slowest of the 5
riders in the 30-34 sprints.
Pritpal and I then helped out with the TTT's, first setting out and
taping down the sponges and then as holders for the standing starts.
Larry Nolan seemed to ride almost every heat.
Then it was time for the siesta. Whilst settling down for our naps, the
conversation turned to what could entertain us for part of the 3 hour
hiatus. Hmmm, "hours"...
I pipe up, "Larry? Do you know what the hour record is here?"
Larry: "No, why?"
Me: "Do you want to set it? We have plenty of time and we need some
entertainment!"
I swear that he was tempted, but only for a moment.
Time passed and as 3pm approached people appeared out of the woodwork to
tinker with gears and then very slowly venture onto the track. It was
hot. It took a while, but eventually a non-paceline began in the pole.
We were going so slowly. The group built up and eventually we got up to
a decent pace and a proper warm-up happened. My pulse was steadfastly
refusing to respond by this point.
We already (or so we thought) knew our heats for the first round of the
sprints so I spent a lot of time working out how I was going to ride
against Scott Rodamaker. I had him beaten both from in front and behind
depending on the draw.
Shortly before our rides however, the first of several impromptu changes
to the format of the tournament was announced, and I was re-grouped into
a 3-up against Tanaka and Koenig. (Scott, Forrest and I continued the
case of beer bet - it is turning into a tradition.) Hmmm, bugger -
everything is changed.
I rode a reasonable heat, but left it too late to jump from behind both
of them. They were waiting for me to go and I didn't catch them out. I
tried a little move to take Forrest up the track a bit, succeeded, but
he jumped well and that was that. I rolled over in second and started to
think about the repêchage.
Pritpal's heat was interesting. Scott Rodamaker did a standstill and
caused Pritpal to put a hand on the rail for balance. I was right
underneath when this happened and saw it. From memory, touching the rail
is an automatic re-start and immediately rode round to the starter to
tell him what happened and then got Pritpal to also make the claim.
Pritpal had done a good ride to have a close finish.
The chief referee read the first part of the rule, but didn't read the
conclusion and initially announced that Rodamaker's victory stood.
However, a protest pointing out the full rule caused the heat to be re-run.
In the re-run, Pritpal drifted out of the pole in turn 3 with Rodamaker
on his hip and was relegated. He wasn't the only rider to be so penalised.
Then the really bizarre things happened. The referee cancelled the
repêchage and more pointedly, I wasn't listed as the 2nd finisher in my
heat. I initially protested the cancelling of the repêchage, but then
really protested the result of my heat as I would have been eliminated.
Poor Alden was then left in the lurch, but decided not to press the point.
After a lot of talking rather than riding Pritpal and I ended up in the
ride-off for 3rd. We had some fun with each other and rode a relatively
tight race and I crossed the line first. Koenig needed only 2 rides to
beat Rodamaker so he got his gold.
The final race was the 45 lap scratch race. The field was thin thanks to
this being the last race. Chatting beforehand it was clear that the
RHvilla.com Jamaicans would attack. Sure enough, one of them tried to go
off the front before the whistle. We let him get a little way and then
held him at 50 metres so he would tire himself out.
After a while he desisted and I was ready for the counter from his team
mate. Sure enough there he goes and Longstreth goes with him and I
follow Longstreth. I am flat out, giving my all. We slow a little, the
Jamaican goes again, Will asks me if I have anything left, "No."
So we sit up for the rest and just as they come through there is an
attack. Bugger, I cannot even get on to attempt to hang on and am spat
out the back with rocks for legs. I try to chase solo for 3 or 4 laps,
but I am slowly slipping back. Time to call it a day.
So that was the District Track Championships. It was an excellently run
event save for some bizarre occurrences in the sprint competition on
Sunday afternoon. Marc Franklin stepped in very much at the last moment
to promote the event and made a very good job of it. The high entry fee
with rebates for volunteering did the trick and ensured that there were
plenty of helping hands for all the necessary tasks required for running
such an event and with so many people helping to run the thing, there
was a great atmosphere the whole weekend. This is what racing should be
like.
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