FRENCH
MAKE IT A REVOLUTION TO REMEMBER
The third Revolution meeting at Manchester Velodrome picked up where
the previous two left off, with a huge crowd (there was talk of a sell-out)
and three hours of top quality racing.
There was a more balanced feel to the programme this
time, with the GB Sprinters fresh from a winter spent in Australia taking
on three French sprint stars in a series of sprint events, which perfectly
complimented the fine endurance action in both elite and Future Stars
categories. There were also two entertaining interludes when young bicycle
trials stars Danny and Ashley Butler wowed the crowd with some gravity
defying stunts. Throw in the official debut of Team Persil and it was
some evening.
Highlight of it all though was the appearance of Arnaud
Tournant and Florien Rousseau, who both clearly had a wonderful evening,
playing to the crowd, racing their hearts out and bantering with crowd
and fellow riders alike. The GB trio of Jason Queally, Chris Hoy and
Craig MacLean (pictured in new Team Persil kit) also brought star-quality
and charisma to the evening and looked in fine form ahead of a very
important season.
Motor Scratch Race 6km
As usual the Revolution got underway with a pacy 6km motor-paced race.
Team Persil couldn’t quite engineer a fairytale start, just failing
to deliver a win for Rob Hayles as Tony Gibb managed to get in amongst
the new team and stealing the win with a well-timed run for the line.
Hayles was given a great lead-out by Bryan Steel and Chris Newton, but
a very focussed looking Gibb managed to break into the line and took
full advantage of the Persil boys’ efforts. Alwyn McMath looked
set to gate-crash the Persil party as well, but the high pace of the
final laps took their toll and he could do no more than hang on for
third.
Result
1 Tony Gibb 7.11.283 (31.1mph)
2 Rob Hayles
3 Alwyn McMath
4 Russell Downing
Revolution Sprint
Round 1
Revolution sprint Heat 1
Jon Norfolk led out the first heat with a lap to go, but Tournant simply
powered round to win with apparent ease. Colbert simply couldn’t
live with the other two.
1 Arnaud Tournant
2 Jon Norfolk
3 Mark Colbert
Revolution sprint Heat 2
Craig MacLean won a tight second heat, which was led out by Matt Crampton
with a lap to go. The national junior champion bravely held off the
two older riders who had to work very hard to come round him in the
final bend, with MacLean just holding off Frenchman Bauge.
1 Craig MacLean
2 Gregory Bauge
3 Matt Crampton
Revolution sprint Heat 3
A superb late burst brought success for Chris Hoy in heat three as he
surged past Morton and then reeled in Storey to win by a wheel. Morton
had led the race out and Hoy looked stranded at five lengths with a
lap to go – but his class counted and he actually seemed to have
a bit in hand, waving to crowd as he crossed the line.
1 Chris Hoy
2 Barney Storey
3 Richard Morton
Revolution sprint Heat 4
Matt Haynes went for a long one, having just avoided a collision with
Ian George with two laps to go, but Florien Rousseau looked on another
planet as he controlled his effort to win by just enough with Haynes
second and George close behind in third.
1 Florien Rousseau
2 Ian George
3 Matt Haynes
Revolution sprint Semi-Final 1
We had the lot in the first semi – track stands, flicks and feints
– but in the end it came down to raw power as Florien Rousseau
just held off Arnaud Tournant to progress to the final.
Arnaud Tournant
Florien Rousseau 11.213
Revolution sprint Semi-Final 2
A much quicker second semi saw Chris Hoy achieving the seemingly impossible,
catching and passing Craig MacLean after the shorter of the two Scots
led out from 300 metres to go. MacLean has been the fastest British
sprinter over shorter distances for some time, but on the rare occasions
he rides the match sprint Hoy always looks very good and the way he
eased past in the last half lap was indeed very impressive.
1 Chris Hoy 11.263
2 Craig MacLean
Revolution sprint Final
Chris Hoy took a pulsating final absolutely on merit, having let Florien
Rousseau get the jump on him with just over a lap to go. Rousseau opened
up a couple of length lead, which Hoy seemed to be struggling to close
and even when he came alongside the Frenchman going into the final bend
you wondered if the effort would be just too much. However, in a style
befitting a kilo star, the Scotsman kept coming to win by half a wheel
to a huge cheer from the crowd.
Slow first lap, track stands
Chris Hoy 11.214s
Beat
Florien Rousseau
Future Stars 6km Scratch
Another very high quality race was marred by a big four-rider crash
at 9 laps to go. Coming into the home straight four riders got tangled
on the inside and went sprawling across the track. All four got up after
being checked out by medical staff with the race neutralised. Another
spill took out two more in the closing lap, but national junior scratch
champion Steven Burke avoided the carnage and won with a characteristic
long surge for the line.
Results
1 Steven Burke
2 Pete Williams
3 Tom Murray
4 Andy Nightingale
Sprint 1 Chris Lyte
Sprint 2 Jason Kenny
Future Stars Devil Take the Hindmost
Steven Burke made it two wins out of two with a hard-working win in
the Future Stars Devil. Battling to hold position throughout, Burke
just avoided elimination on several occasions, having to sprint hard
to redeem himself each time, but he still had enough left to take the
final sprint, from Pete Williams, with Tom Murray close behind.
1 Steven Burke
2 Pete Williams
3 Tom Murray
