UCI 2006 World Track Championships

Men's Scratch Race

April 15, 2006; Bordeaux (France) 

British Cycling's Larry Hickmott reports

2006 World Track Championships

Day 3: UCI World Track Championships

 

 

When Mark Cavendish joined the break, it looked like a World Title was on the cards but after the other efforts he had made chasing down other breaks, he was gassed and he retired from the race.

 

A look at the result and seeing the DNF next to Mark Cavendish's name doesn't suggest a good race for him but the Commonwealth Games champion raced his heart out but luck, and you always need some, went against him. Twice breaks went away early on and twice he had to chase them down and then when the winning move went, he again had to go it alone and chase them, catching them as well but that was as good as it got for him.

As the laps ticked by, and the bunch started to chase the leaders down, the break started to accelerate and it was all too much for Mark who ran out of gas and had to retire from the race to save his legs for the next day knowing today's race was run. He didn't seem his normal self, just like many of the riders who have done the Commonwealth Games and he was devastated afterwards.

He admits he struggled to get onto top of the gear he was on and that making three big efforts within the space of ten laps just nailed him to the boards. "Once the gap opened, I knew had the ability to close it. I have been going really well up to this but today's race was fast from the off, completely different to last years. Instead of just being on the black where you could just sit in, this year was just so fast."

 

 

Cav is on the charge! Mark Cavendish crosses to the break on his own but the effort soon took its toll.

 

 

Cav giving it full gas...

 

 

Jerome Neuville starts the winning break and finished it off with another World title to add to his collection.

 

 

Ioannis Tamouridis attacks. The Greek rider is consistently showing he is one of the Worlds top endurance riders.

 

 

 

Cav chasing down an early break -- two breaks within 10 laps and then the third effort to cross to the winning break.

 

 

Jerome Neuville (France) leads an early break during the Scratch race.

 

 

Podium for Scratch race.

With the crowd standing to see what happens, Frenchman Jerome Neuville wins, just, the Mens Scratch race in a photo finish.

 

 

A scrum soon engulfs the World championship winner ...

 

RESULT
1. Jerome Neuville (France)
2. Angel Colla (Argentina)
3. Ioannis Tamouridis (Greece)
4. Wim Stroetinga (Netherlands)
5. Danilo Napolitano (Italy)
6. Rafal Ratajczyk (Poland)
7. Vasil Kiryienka (Belarus)
8. Andreas Muller (Germany)
9. Unai Elorriaga Zubiaur (Spain)
10. Ivan Kovalev (Russia)
11. Hayden Godfrey (New Zealand)
12. Alex Rasmussen (Denmark)
13. Mario Lexm?(Austria)
14. Carlos Manuel Hernandez (Mexico)
15. Matthew Gilmore (Belgium)
16. Taiji Nishitani (Japan)
17. Jorge Soto (Uruguay)
18. Oleksandr Polivoda (Ukraine)
DNF Jiri Hochmann (Czech Republic)
DNF Mark Cavendish (Great Britain)
DNF Bobby Lea (USA)
DNF Martin Gilbert (Canada)
DNF Franco Marvulli (Switzerland)