European Track Championships 2006

 

July 19-23; Athens Olympic Velodrome

Home Page European Track Champs

by Larry Hickmott

Olympic Academy Riders Back on Track

 

Geraint Thomas, Silver medallist at the 2006 World Track Championships, leads the Under 23 Team Pursuit during training at Manchester last week.

 

One of the key championships at the Track Europeans is the Under 23 men's category. There is no World Track Championship for these riders like there is for the Seniors (where Under 23s compete with older riders to qualify to race) and Juniors which is why this is such a valuable goal to give these riders the Major Championship experience they need as they progress from the Junior ranks to their goal of being part of GB's Olympic Podium Programme.

So for the Great Britain Olympic Academy (Under 23) Endurance riders, Athens will be their major goal for the year, the event they have been building up to starting with the World Track Cups last winter, to the spell on the road in Italy and finally two weeks of track work leading up to the championships.

Two of the team have already been part of senior teams at World Championships, Ed Clancy and Geraint Thomas, but the rest are first year seniors stepping up from having won the European Junior championship last year with the aim of doing the same in the Under 23 category this year.

The person in charge of preparing them for this challenge is Olympic Academy manager and coach Rod Ellingworth. Looking back at their time in Italy where these young guns were racing against riders many years older than they were and acquitting themselves well, Rod explained "the whole idea of going to Italy has worked well as they are all now a lot stronger which is proved by their recent SRM tests."

Rod then explained how for the last month the riders have been talking about the European championships and what they need to do. "For the last two weeks, every conversation has been about the track sessions to come this week."

The day I visited the team two weeks ago was the first serious one on the track after Italy and for sure, they seemed to have picked up where they left off in Sydney where they won a Bronze medal in the World Track Cup there. It is the first time on the track since Sydney (March) for many of them although Geraint Thomas rode the Track Worlds in April as did Ian Stannard. Looking at them in formation in the Team Pursuit, you wouldn't have known they have been off the track for four months, a legacy of the skills work they do in all the Great Britain programmes such as ODP and Academy.

Okay, it wasn't full race pace, but it was still probably quicker than most teams go when giving it full gas. Getting back into the swing of things so quickly though was no accident as Rod explained.

"This morning we watched a whole hour and half of team pursuit work, Moscow, Manchester and Sydney and snippets of training work leading up to it. And you can see how much the guys have improved since November and most of that is down to their thought processes. I'm pretty chuffed with them really".

The day I was there, the riders were put through various Team Pursuit drills followed by the obligatory video feedback from the EIS sports analysts. Then once the team work was done, Ed Clancy and Andrew Tennant finished their afternoon off with some more specialist work as no stone was left unturned as they prepare for Athens 2006.

 

After an effort on the track, the riders assemble to view the video and analyse what went well and what didn't.

It was but one of many days they would then spend on the track over the next two weeks culminating in a race effort for the Team Pursuit on Thursday last week where they went faster than the team did last year. Recording a time that would win them a World Track Cup or had them qualify in the top four at this years World Track Championships.

What impressed the coach though was when they had done the time, the riders were still not happy. The standard they have set for themselves is a high one because they know what they need to be doing to be world class Team Pursuiters and only the perfect ride is good enough for them.

Asked is the Team Pursuit the big goal for the Euros, Rod replied "We have four events and each of them are as important as each other. The Individual Pursuit is perhaps of a lesser importance because I feel at the moment that Ian (Stannard), Andy (Tennant) and Ed (Clancy) can do the work but that they'll get more out of the Team Pursuit and this is about the team going forward and showing a lot of discipline. But certainly the Points and Scratch races are equally important."

One rider who won't be going is Ross Sander (pictured) who looked good on the track training with his teammates but with his wrist still heavily strapped means the team were not willing to risk it. So that means only five male Under 23 Endurance riders travelling to Athens, all of whom have done the Europeans before. Note: Nikki Harris is the only female Under 23 rider going to Athens, Interview link at the end of this article.

 

The Under 23 Endurance riders selected are Geraint Thomas, Ed Clancy, Ben Swift, Andy Tenant and Ian Stannard. Two of these, Ian and Andy were part of the Junior European championship winning team last year and it would of course be a coupe for the team for them to back that up with a win in the Under 23 category.

And once the competition is over in Athens, the Europeans will be the last track work they do prior to October when they have a break before the Winter track season of World Track Cups kick off.

Post European Track Championships
After the European track championships, the next goal for the Academy riders will be the World Road Championships in Austria which means the team will be going back to Italy to continue their road work which they began in April of this year. This will enable them to get yet more experience on the road there and as well as add more depth to their road work.

"We didn't race loads out there" Rod says "but enough for the first year. We wanted to get in perhaps two or three more races but that's it. The racing was good and Italy is a hard place to live. Within 10 minutes, they are at over 600 metres and working at altitude and they could be out there for over four or five hours. Climbs from 600 to 1400 metres, and from 10 minutes to 50 minutes long."

"Long term development is what these guys need" Rod says of the road programme. "Next year, we're hoping Geraint will move on as will Cav and Ed and we'll then be looking for a new Academy leader after we take on some more lads in November. Andy, Ian, Ross and Ben are expected to remain and there will be places for the others coming through."

Looking ahead to the Road Worlds, the Academy manager is expecting the Under 23 team to be led by Mark Cavendish and Geraint Thomas who have both performed well on the road this year with victories to their name in UCI ranked races and a top 10 is the performance goal.

As for next year, when asked if the Italian job is to continue for the Academy, Rod replied, "yes, next year we'll be going back and doing the same races again in Italy. They were very happy out there and the juniors that are hoping to make the Academy should be getting ready for that, moving away from home."

For now though, minds are focused on the European championships and we wish Rod and his Academy riders the best of luck in Athens.

 

RELATED ARTICLES

Andrew Tennant Interview >>>>

Ed Clancy Interview >>>>

Nikki Harris Interview >>>>