European Track Championships 2006

 

July 19-23; Athens Olympic Velodrome

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Under 23 Mens Points Race

 

Text book move which would have looked so much better had they been wearing GB kit. Wasn't to be as Geraint Thomas had just been caught (top of the track) and the Dutch countered straight away which no-one had an answer for. But for all there race savy moves, the Dutch had to give best to the Russian Rovny.

 

After a hard and fast final for this event, GB came away without a medal despite a sterling effort from Geraint Thomas and Ben Swift. Thomas managed to get in an early move that gained a lap and from there, had help from Swift to continue adding points to his total but a classic text book move from the Dutch put paid to the Cardiff rider's hopes of another medal.

 

The Dutch tandem went on the attack together, and after one of them rode himself into the ground to get his teammate close to the back of the group, he swung up and then Terpstra did the rest to get a lap back on Thomas that left G in the worst place of all, 4th. Special mention to Ben Swift who did what he could to help his teammate but with the Russian machines and Dutch teams being so strong, the GB boys had to give best to the better teams on the night.

 

Danish rider Morkov remonstrates with one of the riders who he feels took out his Danish teammate leaving him on his own in a race with many a strong pairing. 

 

The Olympic Points champion Mikhail was like a machine, getting to the front again and again to help his teammate Rovnoy. 

 

Geraint Thomas in a move to try and gain a lap which failed due in no small way to the efforts of Ignatiev. 

 

 

Dutch go clear and one of them, Terpstra, takes the lap which with a better points total put him above Thomas.

 

Geraint wins another 5....

 

Ben lines the field out as Geraint awaits his moment.

 

Final sprint and the Dutch yet again are too strong for the GB rider Geraint Thomas.

 

Heat 1
First onto the track for GB in this heat was Geraint Thomas, Gold and Silver medallist already in the Championships. He quickly got up to speed after some early skirmishes by other riders off the front, he wins a sprint behind a lone Belarusian rider to get 3 points. The Belarusian continued on to take a lap and although Geraint tried to take one, the field were not letting him go.

He continued to gain points though but with riders gaining laps, his position wasn't as secure as it could be with some riders able to take laps in next to no time if the field wasn't interested in chasing them. He did however stay calm, finishing the race in the top 12 as required to make the final, adding afterwards, his legs continued to feel tired.


Heat 2
Ben Swift was in this for GB and unlike the race before, laps were being taken at will by the stronger riders. With 60 to go, Ben in a small group of four or five including the Dutchman Terpstra, took the first of his laps before taking a second straight away as the Terpstra blasted straight past the group and around the track with Ben to gain a second lap. Even with his two laps, Ben also contested the odd sprint to end up in third place and happy to be in the final in one of his favourite events.

 

Heats 1
1. LISOUSKI Aliaksandr BLR 45
2. KALZ Marcel GER 28
3. ROVNY Ivan RUS 27
4. STROETINGA Wim NED 25
5. HOCHMANN Jiri CZE 25
6. DE KETELE Kenny BEL22
7. KRUOPIS Aidis LTU 20
8. MORKOV Michael DEN20
9. THOMAS Geraint GBR 14
10. LAUENER Alain SUI 8
11. BUTTAZZONI Alex ITA 8
12. MOUCHEL Jonathan FRA 8
13. TULACZ Hubert POL 7
14. CALLEJO ESPADA Augusto ESP 5
15. LAUSCHA Georg AUT 5
16. PASSADAKIS Ioannis GRE 1
17. ALAKBAROV Mahammad AZE
18. CONCANNON Miceal IRL


Heats 2
1. TERPSTRA Niki NED 88
2. CHRISTENSEN Michael Faerk DEN 60
3. BUJKO Lukasz POL 50
4. OSS Daniel ITA 50
5. SWIFT Ben GBR 46
6. KUNITSKI Andrei BLR 45
7. IGNATIEV Mikhail RUS 45
8. KRUOPIS Aidis LTU 43
9. DEPOORTERE Ingmar BEL 28
10. MYNASHKIN Sergiy UKR 26
11. GRAF Andreas AUT 23
12. BALLY Maxime SUI 23
13. DELIDIMITRIOU Christos GRE 21
14. MIXA Marek CZE 8
15. LALOUETTE Kevin FRA 5
16. LORENZO FERNANDEZ Fausto ESP 4
17. KRIEGS Robert GER 3
18. MURRAY Micheal IRL
19. NEXHIPI Zydian ALB -20