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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Bookings
For Olympic Trials
(Thursday, Friday & Saturday)
Tickets Days 1-4: These will be available on the door only.
Adult 4 day pass �12.00
Child 4 day pass �6.00
Adult 1 day pass �5.00
Child 1 day pass �2.50
The above do not include a reserved seat
LATEST NEWS
Rider
Lists
Info
for Press/Photographers
Tickets
and Parking News
INTERVIEWS
Bryan
Steel: Looking for a PB
Craig
Maclean Defending a Title
Chris
Hoy: Road to Athens
Entry Forms >Details...
Star Riders | Men
| Women
|
Champions over the Years
>Details...
Manchester
Velodrome
British
Records ... >Details
World
Records ... >Details
2002
Championships >Details
Track
Championships Rules
Get
into Track Racing!
Coming soon...
Your Guide to Track Racing
Championship Start Sheet
| ENTRIES: Riders must enter on the form
issued by the Organisers at least 28 days before the opening
day of the Championships. |
Track Racing Photos
London's
Good Friday >Go!
Rumble
in the Jumble >Go!
Yasumitsu-Schlapp
Meeting
Photo
Gallery Index >Go!
TRACK RACING LINKS
Chris Hoy Website
Go!
Herne
Hill Velodrome Go!
Masters
Nationals 2003
GLOSSARY
Sprinter: A rider who normally specialises in the shorter
events like the match sprint, team sprint, keirin or kilometre.
Well known sprinters include Olympic champion Jason Queally, World
champions Chris Hoy, Craig Maclean, Jamie Staff and World Cup heros
Vicki Pendleton and Ross Edgar.
Endurance Rider: These riders take part in the longer events
on the track such as the Individual and Team Pursuit, Points or
Scratch race. They could also be Madison riders or even top road
riders. Well known endurance riders include Chris Newton who is
not only a World Points champion but was also the winner of the
Irish RAS road race this year. Other 'names' include Emma Davies,
Tony Gibb, Bradley Wiggins, Paul Manning, Rob Hayles, Bryan Steel.
Apologies to the stars who I haven't mentioned!
The Bike: These differ to a bike used by most people in
that a track bike has only one gear which is fixed so the rider
cannot stop pedalling (unless stopped!) and has no brakes! The rider
slows down by applying "back" pressure to the pedals.
The bikes used by sprinters and endurance riders differ also in
the type of handlebar setup and you will also see a variety of wheels
from discs to spoked ones. At Manchester, you will see some of the
best bikes in the world built from carbon fibre at the Sports Institute
here in the UK.
The Races: The events on the track vary in length with the
riders travelling in an anti-clockwise direction. Some are against
the watch (timed) while others are rider against rider. A detailed
description of the events will be appearing soon in this preview.
The Tracks: These can be indoors or outdoors and made of
wood, tar or concrete. Manchester is 250 metres per lap board (wooden)
track that is indoors and can be used all year round. At each end
you will steep bankings that the riders can use to accelerate away
from rivals mid race.
Tracks in the UK and around the world vary in size a lot depending
on their location and the use of the area within the track. Some
big tracks (400 metres) for example, are used for football.
Track Racing in the UK: The track nationals at Manchester
will be the season highlight for the many riders who compete week
in, week out at the velodromes around the country in what are known
as track leagues. These are held on out door tracks in places like
Kirkby, Reading, Newcastle, Welwyn, Halesowen Leeds, Herne Hill
(London), Brighton, Cardiff, Wolverhampton and Meadowbank.
| RACING JARGON
Attack:
When a rider makes a sudden acceleration to move ahead of
another rider or group of riders.
Break/breakaway: A rider or
group of riders that has left the main group behind and leads
the race.
Chasers: Rider(s) trying to
catch a breakaway group.
Draft: To ride closely behind
another rider and save energy by sitting in the draft the
rider creates as they move forward.
Flyer: A surprise attack, usually
by a solo rider. Look out for riders who ride high on the
banking and make a surge past the group.
Pole line: The innermost line
on the velodrome surface, used to measure the length of the
track; also called the measuring line.
Pull: To take a turn at the
front of the group, maintaining the same speed of the group.
Repechage: A round (usually
in sprint competitions) in which losers of previous heats
race against each other to gain re-entry into the competition.
Sprinters line: A red line
which marks the outside edge of the sprinters lane over the
final 200 metres.
Standstill: A sprint manoeuvre
in which neither rider wishes to lead, resulting in both remaining
motionless and balancing on the track for a maximum of three
minutes; also called a standstill.
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The best track cyclists in the world will
converge on the Manchester Velodrome in August for the National Track
Championships for both Youth and Senior riders. The events on show will
include Match Sprint (men and women), Keirin, Individual Pursuit (men
and women), Team Pursuit, Team Sprint, Time Trial (Kilo and 500 metres),
Points (men and women) and Scratch race (men and women).
To celebrate, here on BritishCycling.org.uk, we'll
be providing you with a comprehensive preview with details for riders
and spectators alike. See the table of contents on the right to see what
we have in store for you over the coming months.
THE ROAD TO ATHENS
The program of National Championship title races will also include Olympic
Qualifying events, very much part of the selection process for Athens
with a win in the trials guaranteeing a place on the coveted Olympic Long
Team. Never has the National Championship week been so important and because
of it, Manchester will see many of the biggest stars of 2002/2003 competing
hard for the right to go to Athens.
Riders such as Olympic champion in the Kilo, Jason Queally (pictured left).
Jason was the first Gold medalist for Great Britain in the Sydney Olympics
and put cycling on the front pages of the nations newspapers and was featured
on TV and radio alike. For him, qualifying for Athens is the most important
goal of the year.
And then we have the World Champions from the 2002
World Championships. The sprinters who scorch around the track at speeds
in excess of 40mph.
Riders like Commonwealth
Games and double World Champion (2002) Chris Hoy, World Team Sprint Champion
Craig MacLean who also holds the 250 metre standing start World record
at Manchester, and Jamie Staff (World Team Sprint Champion).
And there's more. World Points Champion 2002 Chris
Newton is also racing along with Worlds Silver medallist in the Scratch
race Tony Gibb and a whole host of other Olympic medallists including
Bryan Steel, Rob Hayles, Bradley Wiggins and Paul Manning.
THE HOPEFULS
But these champions will not have the track to themselves. Also at Manchester
will be a group of other top names gunning for a place on the Olympic
team for Athens.
Like Commonwealth Games Silver medallist Huw Pritchard.
Or World Cup sprint star from 2003 Ross Edgar who is based at the World
Cycling School in Switzerland and in the Sydney World Cup this year was
in top form and displaying the type of ability that should see him continuing
to emerge as one of the Worlds best sprinters.
Other names to look out for are Barney Storey,
Jon Norfolk, Joby Ingram-Dodd, James Taylor who is recovering from a broken
collarbone, and the Downing brothers, Dean and Russell. No doubt there
will be a few dark horses coming down from Scotland too as well and many
more from England and Wales with points to prove.
WOMEN'S RACING
The national championships will also see World Class Women riders competing
for that sought after place on the team for Athens. One of the most exciting
prospects is Vicki Pendleton who had the World talking about her when
she not only performed brilliantly in her sprint events at the Sydney
World Cup but also stunned everyone including herself with victory in
the Scratch race. Vicki, still only in her early 20's, is sure to set
the championships alight with her lightening speed around the boards.
Fighting her all the way will be Welsh rider Denise Hampson.
Another world class performer will be World number
4 in the Womens Individual Pursuit, Emma
Davies who year on year has steadily got quicker and quicker and may well
end up with multiple championship wins if she contests more than just
the pursuit. Then there's Commonwealth Games
bronze medallist on the road, Rachel Heal who looks as comfortable on
the track as she does on the road. These
Great Britain girls though will face stiff opposition from many others
looking to prove themselves on the big stage. Riders like Angela Hunter
who took home a couple of Gold medals last year and wil be favourite to
repeat the feat this August after showing great form on the road in the
Womens Natinaln Series.
A GREAT TRACK NATION
Over the last five years, the Great Britain Track Team has become one
of the dominant teams on the World stage. With talent in abundance, as
well as training and conditioning that is world class, the mix has seen
great success over the last five years. And the expectations are growing
for next summer's Olympics.
The British riders built on their successes at
the last Olympics in Sydney with three golds, a silver and a bronze at
the World Track championships in Copenhagen last year. And with this years
Worlds, another of the key factors of the selection process, taking place
a month before the trials, the heat is really on for our top track riders.
The National Track Championships for 2003 certainly
have all the ingredients to entertain those that make their way to the
World Class Manchester velodrome -- just look at the program below and
then book your ringside seat for a spectacular week of track racing from
the best riders in the world. Treat yourself today! Its going to be amazing!
National Track Championships
-- Program of Events
Links to the latest schedules below:
Day 1, Sunday 17th August, (More Details) RIDER INDEX
Under 14�s Sprint & Pursuit & TT RIDERS
Under 12 Sprint & Pursuit & TT RIDERS
Under 16 500 metres TT RIDERS
Open Kilometre TT (Qual.) RIDERS
Day 2, Monday 18th August (More Details)
Open Sprint RIDERS
Under 16 Boys Pursuit RIDERS
Under 16 Girls Sprint RIDERS
Open Team Pursuit RIDERS
Under 16 Girls Points RIDERS
Day 3, Tuesday 19th August (More Details)
Open Sprint RIDERS
Under 16 Girls Sprint RIDERS
Under 16 Boys Scratch Race RIDERS
Open Points Races Qual. RIDERS
Day 4, Wednesday 20th August (More Details)
Under 16 Boys Sprint RIDERS
Under 16 Girls Pursuit RIDERS
Open Olympic Sprint RIDERS
Women's Pursuit RIDERS
Open Points RIDERS
Day 5, Thursday 21st August (More Details)
Under 16 Boys Sprint RIDERS
Open Mens 20kms Scratch Race RIDERS
Under 16 Girls Scratch Race RIDERS
Women's Points RIDERS
Women's 500m TT RIDERS
Under 16 Boys Points RIDERS
Open Mens Kilometre TT RIDERS
Day 6, Friday 22nd August (More Details)
Open Mens Pursuit RIDERS
Women's Sprint RIDERS
Invitation Mens Sprint
Day 7 Saturday 23rd August Session (More Details)
Invitation Mens Keirin
Women's Sprint RIDERS
Disability Pursuit RIDERS
Disability 1000m TT RIDERS
Invitation Mens Points
Disability 200m RIDERS
Women's Scratch RIDERS
NOTE: Olympic Qualifying
Events. The events which will be Olympic Qualifying ones are marked in
Yellow.
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