Revolution 23 Track Open

Posted: 10 January 2009; Manchester Velodrome
Report: Eddie Allen | Pictures: Larry Hickmott

Thrills and spills dominated Revolution 23, with big crashes in the Future Stars events and a heavy fall for Andy Tennant comprehensively ticking the 'spills' box. Thrills were supplied by an electric 1km Madison Time Trial, with Burke and Clancy edging ever closer to Hoy and Tournant's record, while in the Women's Sprint Omnium, freshly honoured Victoria Pendleton MBE showed just why she's earned the nickname Queen of the sprint. To say she entertained the crowd was an understatement. We were definitely amused. Even prior to any racing taking place, it was clear that she was a crowd favourite, with a roof-raising standing ovation for Pendleton during the opening ceremony.

Italian Pursuit


Above: Pursuit, Italian style, with a rugby league player thrown in for good measure

The penultimate Revolution of the 2008/9 season kicked off with a fun event starring rugby pros Denis Betts and Mike Foreshaw, who led the two teams off in the Italian Pursuit. With riders from every corner of the programme, including Pendleton, Clancy, Kenny and Future Stars, Denis Betts' team won in a thrilling race that saw Clancy just edge things from Kenny on the last lap. Great fun.

Elite Men Devil/Scratch Race


Above: Thomas victorious in the Devil Scratch

This hybrid event always gives value for money in terms of surprises, and tonight was no exception. The format is simple: the first half of the race sees the last rider across the line each lap eliminated from the race, until only half of the field are left, when the race mutates into a scratch race for the line. The first half saw some big names tumble including National Road Champ Hayles, former track world champion, Tony Gibb and points race specialist Chris Newton. However, the race had another trick up it's sleeve as the devil take the hindmost section ended and the scratch began.

Geraint Thomas broke from the front at the end of the Devil section of the race, with the remaining riders strung out in pursuit. First to attack was Peter Kennaugh joined by Andy Tennant, before a dramatic crash on the banking felled Tennant. Dowsett took over the chase with Thomas still ahead by the length of the straight with just one lap to go. With the 100% ME boys charging, Geriant Thomas crossed the line first to end a tumultuous opening race.

Revolution Women's Omnium - 200m Time Trial


Above: Jess Varnish on full throttle

The omnium is cycling's equivalent of a decathlon, where riders compete for points in a variety of disciplines. The first of which, the 'flying 200' saw Victoria Pendleton start as she meant to go on, posting an 11.258 for the 200 metres and showing the rest that she was in fighting mood.

Result
1 Victoria Pendelton 11.258
2 Anna Blyth 11.652
3 Becky James 11.82
4 Jess Varnish 11.98
5 Helen Scott 12.01
6 Helena Casa Roige 12.576

DHL Future Stars 6 Lap Dash - Girls 1.5km


Above: Miller takes the win in a thrilling late charge
 
The first Future stars event of the evening was taken by Ruby Miller with a superbly timed late charge that overcame three escapees on the line, showing once again her sheer speed and her growing ability to read the race to perfection.

Result
1 Ruby Miller
2 Hannah Walker
3 Harriet Owen

Series leader for the girls, Ruby Miller, wins another Future Stars race the day before she rode an awesome race in the Elite Women's British Cyclo-Cross championship and was fourth. New presentation girl on the night was Rowan Jamieson.

Women's Points Race 5km


Above: Action from the women's points
 
It was a tale of two KC's in the women's points race, with Katie Colclough and Kate Calvert having a ding-dong battle, ending the race tied on points, with Colclough taking the win due to higher placings in two of the sprints. Paralympian Sarah Storey was a notable entry in the elite women's lineup, breaking away and taking one of the sprints on her way to fifth overall.

Result
1 Katie Colclough 10 pts
2 Kate Calvert 10 pts
3 Corrine Hall 8 pts
4 Lucy Martin 7 pts
5 Sarah Storey 5 pts

Revolution Women's Omnium - Sprint Round 1


Above: Blyth on the way to beating Becky James

Heat 1 was taken by Anna Blyth, despite some stiff resistance from Becky James, with Helen Scott comfortable beat Helena Casa Roige to take heat 2. Heat 3 was won by Vicky Pendleton after an audacious early move from opponent Jess Varnish.
 
DHL Future Stars Scratch Race - Boys 5km


Above: John Paul won the war of attrition, otherwise known as the Boy's Scratch race

A big pile up 6 laps in involving five riders meant that the race was stopped. Once the track was cleared the race restarted with 15 laps to go. First strike from home was by Richard Forrest of Wales, looking to represent his region in the absence of Sam Harrison, who was keeping his powder dry for the National Cyclo Cross Championships. Just as Forrest got into his stride, there was another crash on the banking involving four more riders, once again neutralising the race. When the race restarted for the second time, Forrest tried to jump away illegally but was pegged back by the commissaries. Eventually, the longest ever 5km scratch race was won by John Paul of the South/South West Region.

Result
1 John Paul
2 Kyle Yates
3 Chris Nicholson

Elite Men's Points Race 10km


Above: The maestro at work - Chris Newton in total command of the points race

Rapha Condor's Chris Newton took yet another fine win in the points race, which saw strong opposition in the form of diminutive Manxman Peter Kennaugh. Here's how the race was won.

Sprint one was taken by the flying Steven Burke who had the legs on a charging Newton. Canadian Aitcheson tried to get away prior to sprint two, but was hauled back by the pack with Newton taking top points, tailed by Tom Murray, with Burke failing to score points and dropping behind Newton in the overall standings. Kennaugh and Geriant Thomas then broke away forcing a break in the pack. Kennaugh took top points ahead of Thomas, with Newton taking 2 points and stretching his lead with just one sprint to go. On the line it was mighty close, with Kennaugh just overhauling Newton, but Newton had done enough to take the overall win.

Result
1 Chris Newton
2 Peter Kennaugh
3 Luke Rowe

DHL Future Stars Scratch Race - Girls 5km


Above: Owen pips Miller by a hair's breadth to take the Girls Scratch

Last of the late chargers Ruby Miller just failed to take her second win of the night, leaving her lunge for the line a fraction too late with Harriet Owen taking the win.

Result
1 Harriet Owen
2 Ruby Miller
3 Beth Crumpton

Revolution Women's Sprint - Sprint Round 2


Above: Spanish rider Helena Casa Roige adds some international flavour to the women's sprint omnium

Heat 1 saw Jess Varnish beat Becky James in a well matched contest. Anna Blyth took heat 2 from Helen Scott, the latter rider giving the powerful Blyth too much room to work in. The final heat was taken by clear favourite Pendleton, adding further to her New Year's honours.

DHL Future Stars Points Race - Boys 5km


Above: Action from the Boys Points race

Following the thrills and spills of the first Future Stars boys event, it was with a little trepidation that the lads took to the boards for the second event, the 5km points race. However, the race passed without anyone hitting the deck with Simon Yates taking a fine win. Here's how the race was won.

Tom Gregory from the West Midlands took top points in the first sprint with Simon Yates taking sprint two, adding to the points he scored in the first sprint. Sprint three was taken by the strong John Paul while Yates added to his tally going clear in the overall standings with one sprint to go. Richard Forrest took the final sprint with the consistent Yates again pointing and taking the overall victory.

Result
1 Simon Yates 9 pts
2 Richard Forrest 5 pts
3 John Paul 5 pts
4 Tom Gregory 5 pts
5 Chris Nicholson 4 pts

1km Madison Time Trial 1km


Above: Ed Clancy coming mighty close to taking Hoy and Tournant's Madison TT crown

Burke and Clancy once again raised the roof with a stunning 54.572 to win the Madison 1km Time Trial. At looked like they were going to take the all- time the record set by Chris Hoy and Arnaud Tournant, but the milliseconds just slipped away in the final lap. Just prior to Burke and Clancy's heroics, it looked like the unlikely pairing of sprinter Kenny and endurance rider Geriant Thomas were going to take the record, with Kenny putting in a predictably potent opening lap, however it was not to be. Question is, how long will the sprinters hold on to their record, with Clancy and Burke edging ever closer?

Result
1 Burke - Clancy - 54.572
2 Thomas - Kenny - 55.339
3 Newton - Hayles - 57.584
4 Rowe - Fenn - 59.726
5 Gibb - Murray - 1.00.660
6 Schingboth - Aitcheson - 1.02.949

Flowers and kisses from Rowan but no record, not yet anyway for Steven Burke and Ed Clancy...

Women's Motor Paced Scratch Race 5km



Above: Delighted Dani King punches the air in victory

Dani King took victory in the motor paced scratch race, which is run like an oversized keirin race, with the derny lifting the pace steadily for 15 laps before peeling off and leaving the riders to fight it out for the remaining five. Despite a strong charge from Jess Allen, King just had the legs on the line, and was clearly rather pleased, punching the air as she crossed the line. 

Result
1 Dani King
2 Jess Allen
3 Sarah Franzoni
4 Lucy Martin

Revolution Women's Omnium - 500m Time Trial


Above: Sky+HD's Vicky Pendleton powering to victory in the 500TT

The 500m TT component of the omnium went true to the form book, with Pendleton once again in a class of her own, taking the win by over half a second from Anna Blyth. Could anyone beat Pendleton tonight?

Result
1 Vicky Pendleton 35.095
2 Anna Blyth 35.600
3 Helen Scott 36.640
4 Jess Varnish 36.648
5 Becky James 36.677
6 Helena Casa Roige 37.296

DHL Future Stars 6 Lap Dash - Boys 1.5km


Above: Bailey taking the win in the boy's dash

Matt Bailey took a tight win in the six lap dash, just pipping South/South West's John Paul into second spot. With strong showings in the previous races, however, John Paul was making the most of series leader Sam Harrison's 'cross induced absence.

Result

1 Matt Bailey
2 John Paul
3 Adam Yates
4 Jordan Hargreaves

DHL Future Stars Points Race - Girls 5km



Above: Action from the girl's points race

Hannah Manley took a fine victory in the points race with Ruby Miller not in her usual dominant form. There was another big pileup, the third of the night, with 5 laps to go and when the action resumed, Manley broke away and consolidated her position, crossing the line clear of the field and taking the win in style.

Women's 6 Lap Dash 1.5km


Above: Women's 6 lap dash (victor King is at the rear of the picture coming over the top)

Dani King took her second victory of the night in the six lap dash, following her earlier victory in the motor paced scratch race.

Result
1 Dani King
2 Kate Calvert
3 Sinead Jennings
4 Lucy Martin

Elite Men's Scratch Race 10km

Above: Gibb gets reeled in by the 100% ME train in the final few laps of the scratch. Clancy would go on to take victory.

Ed Clancy took a second win of the evening in the elite men's scratch in a cagey race were all the action took place in the final few laps.

Early on, things were pretty quiet, save for Alex Dowsett's heroic solo lunge. The 100% ME rider managed to stay away for 11 laps before swinging up and rejoining the field. Everything remained together with no-one prepared to show their hand, saving their energies for the final sprint. With 9 laps to go Tony Gibb of Plowman Craven lit the afterburners and woke up the bunch. He was then overtaken by Pete Williams and Geriant Thomas before everything came back together for the final sprint. With one to go, Clancy powered over the top and nobody could touch his speed.

Revolution Women's Omnium - Keirin


Above: Pendleton, sitting pretty in fourth place prior to her demolition job in the final event of the night

The final event of the evening saw Vicky Pendleton leave no-one in any doubt of both her speed and her versatility right across the various sprint disciplines. In many races, Vicky tends to do just enough to take the win. However, when Pendleton hit the nitro button with a lap to go, she powered past the three riders in front of her and just kept on going, surging away on the back straight and beating her nearest rival, the impressive Helen Scott, by a country mile. Commentator Hugh Porter, hoarse from a day's commentary at a frigid 'Cross Nationals in Bradford, used the last of his gradually diminishing voice to crown Vicky 'queen of the sprint', another honour that she richly deserves.

Result
1 Vicky Pendleton
2 Helen Scott
3 Anna Blyth
4 Becky James
5 Helena Casa Roige


Two glamour girls -- Rowan presents the flowers to Queen of the Sprint, Victoria Pendleton