Mark Kelly (Isle of Man)

 

15th of March, 2006; by Larry Hickmott

Home Nations for Commonwealth Games

 

The rider who has probably been out in Australia the longest out of all the home nation teams is 24 year old Mark Kelly. He's been here more than four months after going out there in the middle of last November. "I feel like a local now" he said to us and with the tan he had, he looked like one as well although the accent needs some work!

Asked was his trip to Oz specifically for the Games, he replied "yes. The other boys are lucky enough they are on the GB squad and have been able to get to the different camps and races where as I've been on my own so it was a better option to be out here rather than be out in the cold and snow back home."

"Especially as we don't have a track on the Isle of Man which means lots of trips back and forth to Manchester so its probably cheaper for me to be out here and gives me better racing and training which is good".

Mark has spent a lot of the time here in Australia training with the Victorian Institute of Sport with head coach Dave Sanders who has been looking after him. Talking about the events he'll be doing, Mark says he'll be riding the Scratch, Points and Road Race the same as last time in Manchester.

"It will be interesting this time because before I've been the only Isle of Man rider but this time with a full squad, I have a few more options."

Having been in Australia for a while it won't only be supporters from the Isle f Man cheering him on as he says there'll also be friends he's made in Oz coming along to see how he gets on.

In previous years racing in France and England, Mark has had his share of ups and downs which have taken the shine off his performances in races but things he says have gone pretty well leading up to these Games. "I've been going well out here. I went over to Tasmania for the Christmas carnivals and was going well there and got some top 10's in the Bay Crit series as well. Unfortunately I went to a stage race in Thailand and got ill in the middle of that so I came back here at the end of January virtually back to square one."

"So I have had to do some hard training in February but its all come together nicely."

On the track in Melbourne, Mark certainly seemed to be in good form as he trained with the young squads from England, Wales and the Isle of Man. We wish Mark all the best for this third Games riding in the distinctive colours of the Isle of Man.