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Day 2 - National Senior Track Championships
21 October, 2009
Return to Event Homepage | Afternoon Session Report
EVENING SESSION
WOMEN'S SPRINT
Jess, Varnish, Vicky Pendleton & Becky James
Medal Finals
The finals of the women's sprint saw Becky James just hold off Helen Scott in two close heats to claim the bronze medal. Meanwhile, Vicky Pendleton cruised serenely to yet another national title, using her remarkable acceleration to disarm Jess Varnish's challenge in two one-sided heats.
Speaking afterwards, Victoria Pendleton was upbeat: "It's probably the fastest I've been going at this time of year, I've never gone into a World Cup with this much speed, so it's very reassuring that my training has paid off - it bodes well for next week."
Becky James was also pleased with her medal: "qualifying second put me on a real high. I felt I rode well in the quarters and I got a great start beating Jess in the semi's even though I did lose to her in the final two heats. It's my first senior nationals and to win a bronze medal I have to be pretty pleased with that."
1. Victoria Pendleton Team Sky+ HD beat 2. Jess Varnish Halesowen A & CC 2-0
3. Rebecca James Abergavenny Road Club beat 4. Helen Scott Halesowen A & CC 2-0
The match of the night was the women's sprint semi-final between Jess Varnish, leading here, and Becky James
Semi-Finals
Victoria Pendleton moved with her customary ease through the semi-final against Helen Scott, passing her rival with a lap to go in the first heat then riding clear off the front in the second, doing just enough to win each time.
The other semi was always going to be a lot closer. It began with James edging the first heat. Varnish came back at her in the second, holding off the junior world champion with a gritty last lap effort. The third heat began cagily, with James tracking Varnish. Varnish went with a lap to go, countered James' attempt to come over her by pushing her rival up the banking, before holding on well to win by a wheel to claim a final spot against Pendleton.
Victoria Pendleton Team Sky+ HD beat Helen Scott Halesowen A & CC 2-0
Jess Varnish Halesowen A & CC beat Rebecca James Abergavenny Road Club 2-1
Victoria Pendleton heads for another sprint title in the final against Jess Varnish
Jess Varnish wins the second semi-final heat against Becky James
Minor Final
5. Charline Joiner City of Edinburgh
6. Alison Chisholm Edinburgh RC
7. Cassie Gledhill XRT - elmycycles.co.uk
MEN'S SCRATCH RACE - FINAL
Chris Newton celebrates an awesome win, whilst Alex Dowsett shows the agony of a tough race
The men's Scratch race was set alight from the off by a solo attack by Alex Dowsett. The field were in no mood to let him go, but the tempo of the race had been set. Attack after attack came and went with everything countered, to start with. Finally, a brief lull led to a brilliant burst off the front from Chris Newton who was then joined by Jon Mould and Ben Swift. Ed Clancy then burst clear to join them, with the field fragmenting behind them. Sam Harrison also joined the leaders to make it five at the front. The main field then split into two, the leading half joining with the leaders to form two distinct groups.
Newton wasn't satisfied and went again with Alex Dowsett for company. Again the lead group broke up as Clancy, Evan Oliphant, Mark Christian and Ben Swift went off after the leading duo. An elite group of six then formed about a third of a lap clear.
Even now, the action didn't relent and Christian drove them on to join with the back of the main field. Newton went again, looking for a second lap's advantage. But with the lapped riders leaving the track, it all came back together with some 25 laps left to go. With 12 riders still in the race, things were far from settled.
Young Welshman Sam Harrison chanced his arm off the front, showing his determination and class. Newton also kept up the pressure, along with Evan Oliphant and Ed Clancy. Christian and Dowsett then went with 9 laps to go, the 100% ME duo building a gap before being joined off the front by Chris Newton, Ben Swift and Ed Clancy.
Another awesome burst took Dowsett, Christian and then Newton clear with 2 laps to go and it was the ageless Newton who took the front and hung on to win from Dowsett, with Christin close on his heels. Swift came in a few lengths down in fourth.
Chris Newton's last lap ride to victory
After the race, Newton said "I saved myself with six to go and when Alex went I thought everyone was gassed. The finish was perfect and really suited my style of riding." He admitted he'd felt good in qualifying, but that he knew he'd have a tough race on his hands, "looking at the line-up with Ed and Swifty, who are fast finishers and Alex." He concluded with a typically professional comment that " you have to turn up and put in a good ride - it's been perfect preparation for the World Cup!"
1. Chris Newton Rapha Condor GOLD
2. Alex Dowsett 100 % ME SILVER
3. Mark Christian 100 % ME BRONZE
4. Ben Swift Team Katusha
5. Edward Clancy Team Halfords Bikehut
6. Evan Oliphant Endura Racing
7. James McCallum Endura Racing
8. Sam Harrison Planet X
9. George Atkins Websters Cycles
10. Daniel McLay Hargroves Cycles
Alex Dowsett, Chris Newton & Mark Christian - the Scratch Race podium
WOMEN'S PURSUIT - FINALS
Hannah Mayho, Sarah Storey & Dani King - Women's Pursuit podium
Gold Medal ride-off
Sarah Storey continues to re-write the script for paralympic athletes, winning her second open pursuit title with a thoroughly convincing ride in a fine final against Hannah Mayho, one of the rising stars of women's endurance racing. Mayho went off very hard, blasting into 2.8 second lead at the 1km stage. However, that was the limit of her advantage and Storey didn't panic. At 2km the multi world champion had pulled Mayho's lead back to just a tenth of a second. From then on it was all one-way traffic as Mayho faded and the super-smooth Storey piled on her advantage to win by almost 5 seconds.
1. Sarah Storey VC St Raphael 3:40.244 beat 2. Hannah Mayho 100% ME 3:45.025
Bronze Medal ride-off
The bronze medal ride-off saw Corrine Hall go into an early lead, but Dani King gradually wound her back in and took a slender lead after the half-way mark. It was very close throughout, with King only breaking the elastic in the last couple of laps, to claim the bronze medal by just over a second.
3. Dani King Vision 1 Racing 3:50.717 beat 4. Corrine Hall Team Corridori 3:51.926
Other placings
5. Ella Sadler-Andrews Teamwallis CHH RT 3:53.775 beat 6. Emma Grant DNA Cycles 3:57.350
7. Rachel Turner VC St Raphael 3:58.558 beat 8. Emile Fisher XRT - elmycycles.co.uk 4:10.252
