Revolution 22 International Track Open

6th December 2008; Manchester Velodrome
Report: Eddie Allen | Photos: Larry Hickmott

Revolution 22 saw Chris Hoy’s emphatic post-Olympic return to track racing, featuring in the sprint and keirin. Sam Harrison and Ruby Miller both consolidated their positions in Future Stars, while there was another intriguing Sprint/Endurance face off.


Above: The current king of the sprint, Chris Hoy (centre), meets the former wife of sprint legend Reg Harris,  Jennifer  who is now married to Mike Oliver (right). Jennifer and Mike were the guests of Pinarello importer Phil Griffths.


Above: Whilst the racing continued at a frantic pace on the track, there was some equally frantic book signing going on in the track centre as Bradley Wiggins signed copies of autobiography for several hours.

Revolution Sprint

Above: Hoy's triumphant return to track racing at Revolution 22

It was a triumphant return to the track by triple Olympic Champion Chris Hoy, taking top honours ahead of Cleveland Wheelers’ finest, Dave Daniell, in a tight competition which saw some big names eliminated in the first round. 

200m Time Trial

Result – Qualifying
1. Jason Kenny – 10.247
2. Matt Crampton – 10.267
3. Dave Daniell – 10.279
4. Ross Edgar – 10.336
5. Chris Hoy - 10.352
6. Jamie Staff – 10.495
7. Roberto Chiappa – 10.645
8. Craig Maclean -10.695
9. Teun Mulder 10.714
10. Pete Mitchell – 10.809
11. Christian Lyte – 10.851
12. Itmar Esteban – 10.973

Round 1
The first match saw a triple header between Maclean, Edgar and Staff.  Edgar edged it on the line after a charge from the back by Staff. Match two had Pete Mitchell pitted against the awesome prospect of Kenny and Crampton. Crampton won by a country mile with Mitchell taking second ahead of Kenny.

Match three was an international affair between Chiappa of Italy, Mulder of the Netherlands and Dave Daniell from Great Britain. Daniell used his kilo training to good effect taking the experienced riders on from the front and beating them with sheer speed. Match four saw the hugely popular Chris Hoy pitted against Christian Lyte and Esteban of Spain. Hoy took the heat looking comfortable and composed, progressing to the Semi Final

Result
Progressing to Semi Final
Ross Edgar
Chris Hoy
Matt Crampton
Dave Daniell
Semi Final

Match one saw Dave Daniell do it the hard way, coming over the top to out-drag Ross Edgar and progress to the final in a thrilling encounter.


Semi final two saw the two powerhouses of Hoy and Crampton meet to contest a place in the final. From the very start it was an absorbing contest with Crampton eventually deciding to take it on from the front after much ado in the first lap. Hoy opened up and overhauled Crampton around the outside on the last bend to take his place in the final.

 

Result
Progressing to the final
Dave Daniell
Chris Hoy
Losers Final – Six Lap Dash


Matt Crampton took top honours in an absorbing six lap dash between the ten eliminated riders, seeing them in a whole new tactical arena. Chiappa of Italy looked good for the win, taking an early dig for home. However, Crampton had other ideas, overhauling Chiappa on the final lap. The Sky+HD duo of Staff and Kenny charged through from the back to follow the two leaders home.

Final

Dave Daniell took the leading position, craning his neck and keeping his eye closely on the awesome Hoy in a first lap ridden at walking pace. Hoy wasn’t about to concede his position, forcing Daniell to take it from the front. Despite unloading his blistering power for the final 250, Hoy just had the legs to overhauling him on the line.

Result
1. Chris Hoy
2. Dave Daniell

Chris Hoy is presented with his flowers by the winners of the mornings Youth DHL Keirin competition

DHL Future Stars Points Race - Boys 5km


Above: In control and loving it - series leader Sam Harrison of Wales

The first Future Stars event was won by, you guessed it, series leader Sam Harrison… The Welsh rider once again showed his mettle early on, closing down a last lap breakaway with a searing charge, timing things to perfection and taking the final sprint.

Elite Men Devil/Scratch Race 6km

Peter Kennaugh took the devil scratch race in a bunch sprint after the devil eliminated a whole host of big names, including Cummings, Clancy, Burke, Hayles and Newton.

Result
1. Peter Kennaugh
2. Luke Rowe
3. Andy Tennant
4. Alex Dowsett

DHL Future Stars 6 Lap Dash - Girls 1.5km
Lucy Garner took the six lap dash and top points in the first girl’s Future Stars race, with the field overcoming a valiant lone charge from Wales’ Elinor Barker. Series leader Ruby Miller also scored well.  

Result
1. Lucy Garner
2. Ruby Miller
3. Harriet Owen
4. Laura Trott

Womens’ Points Race 5km

Sarah Reynolds took a tight points race which saw the sprint points distributed amongst a multitude of riders, with no-one stamping their authority on the race. It was down to the final sprint, with Reynolds having just enough left in the tank to take enough points to claim the win.

1. Sarah Reynolds 7
2. Jess Allen 6
3. Dani King 6
4. Kate Calvert 5
5. Anna Blyth 5

Elite Men Points Race 10km



The stands were packed and there was a ring of people around the boards to watch the action on the track. Here Rob Hayles is away on his own in the Elite Men's event. Luke Roberts from Australia took the win in the men’s points race, in a tight contest which went all the way to the final sprint. Here’s how the race unfolded.

Sprint number one was taken by Peter Williams of Pinarello, after a long strike for home by perennial favourite Chris Newton. It all stayed together until sprint two which was taken by Geriant Thomas ahead of Peter Kennaugh. Rob Hayles promptly broke away with Ian Stannard trying to cling on and failing. Hayles grinned and grimaced his way around trying to gain a lap.

Dowsett bridged the gap and joined Hayles when the bunch split into two briefly before reforming. Sprint three came with Hayles and Dowsett still ahead. Dowsett took top points in sprint three with Hayles overhauled by a charging Steve Cummings. Geriant Thomas led the points overall with just the final sprint to go. Hayles, clearly in crowd pleasing form, went again before giving up and dropping out. With three to go, Clancy strung the field out in a long line with Thomas in third wheel. The final sprint was taken by Aussie Luke Roberts, just pipping Geriant Thomas to the win.

Result
1. Luke Roberts
2. Geriant Thomas
3. Chris Newton
4. Luke Rowe
5. Alex Dowsett

DHL Future Stars 6 Lap Dash - Boys 1.5km
Sam Harrison of Wales once again showed his superiority by taking the six lap dash after a sterling effort by Simon Yates of the North West region. 

Result
1. Sam Harrison
2. Simon Yates
3. Rob Lampton
4. Tom Gregory

1km Madison Time Trial



Above: Burke and Clancy after their stunning ride in the Madison TT

Ed Clancy and Steven Burke set a scorching time of 54.666 to take an emphatic win in the Madison TT, just coming outside of Hoy and Tournant’s record.

Result
1. Clancy – Burke - 54.666
2. Hayles – Newton 58.448
3. Rowe – Fenn  1.01.443

DHL Future Stars Scratch Race - Girls 5km



Above: Harriet Owen takes the win

Harriet Owen took the win in the scratch race after another valiant solo effort from Elinor Barker of Wales was caught in the final few laps.

Women 500m Flying Start TT


Above: Rowsell giving it plenty in the 500m time trial

It was endurance rider against sprinter in this unusual event, with Joanna Rowsell taking the win and proving that there’s a lot more to her game than just winning Olympic and World pursuit titles…

Result
1. Joanna Rowsell – 32.829
2. Kacey Manderfield – 33.184

DHL Future Stars Scratch Race - Boys 5km
All eyes were once again on the steamroller Sam Harrison who’d dominated the series so far. Tom Moses of the Yorkshire Region made an attack of biblical proportions, but his lead was shortlived once the field responded. Ashley Marshall was the next to show some Yorkshire grit, going clear and hauling two riders with him. Once again the field closed up and all eyes were on Harrison. At two to go he was in second spot and hit the front at the bell, wringing the neck of the race and taking another win and tighter stranglehold on the competition.

Result
1. Sam Harrison
2. Simon Yates
3. Chris Nicholson

1km Team Sprint Challenge


Above: Staff celebrates the sprinters win in the head to head team challenge.

Revolution 21 saw a 750m flying start challenge between the Sprint and Endurance guys, with Endurance taking first blood. This time saw a face off over 1km with a standing start. Would this be a chance for the fast-twitchers?

The result was evident from the first lap, with the sprinters opening up a huge advantage – with Staff putting in an awesome 17.9 opener – from then on in, the Endurance guys were unable to do very much about it. A score settled then… Would they meet again in Revolution 23?

Result
1. Sprint Team- 58.832
2. Endurance Team - 1.01.438
 

DHL Future Stars Points Race - Girls 5km

The final Girls’ Future Stars race saw a ding dong battle between Laura Trott and series leader Ruby Miller, with Trott beating Miller by a point in a race which saw a big fall early on taking out two Scottish riders. Miller had done enough throughout to maintain her overall lead in the Future Stars standings just ahead of Trott.

Result
1. Laura Trott
2. Ruby Miller
3. Harriet Owen
4. Lucy Garner

Women - 6 Lap Dash 1.5km



Above: It was a close run thing for Hannah Mayho in the six lap dash. 

Hannah Mayho took the six lap dash by a whisker after taking an early lunge for home, going a little too early but just saving enough gas to hang onto the lead on the line, with sprinter Anna Blyth in close attendance.

Result
1. Hannah Mayho
2. Anna Blyth
3. Kacey Manderfield
4. Helen Scott

Elite Men Scratch Race 10km

Above: Crowd favourite Hayles celebrates a fine win.

Rob Hayles took a popular victory in the 40 lap scratch in a race with more twists and turns that a Hollywood blockbuster. Pete Williams and Jo Mozley took an early breakaway taking turns at the front. Williams was first to give up leaving Mozley of Plowman Craven out on his own. Cummings and Magnier gave chase and overhauled Mozely and suddenly the race was all back together with Mozley spat straight out of the back and struggling to hang on.

Cummings then went away on his own, with Newton and Whorral responding. Whorral quit the chase and left Newton to chase and catch Cummings with Mozley recovering and joining the duo, albeit a lap down. Peter Kennaugh, Luke Rowe and Jon Mould bridged and made it a group of six, before the rest of the field made the catch. Just as it was looking like a bunch sprint, another group of seven broke away with a handful of laps to go, including National Road Champ Rob Hayles, who came to the front at the bell and motored to victory.
 
Revolution Keirin and Invitation Keirin



Above: Hoy rounds off a good night's work with a keirin win.

The first of two Keirins was taken by on-form Dave Daniell, once again showing his ability to take a win from a long way out. The invitation event saw a hugely classy field, including Hoy and the rest of the Sky+HD team, plus keirin legend Teun Mulder. Hoy was in third wheel as the derny pulled off and unloaded two laps out, bringing the crowd to their feet taking the victory and crowning another fine night’s racing at Revolution.