2006 UCI Junior World Championships

Men's Scratch Race

 

August 5-13; Track & Road, Belgium
Report & photos by Larry Hickmott

 

The picture says it all -- World Champion, Peter Kennaugh!

 

Final
What can I say to describe Peter Kennaugh's performance. Here we have the best endurance riders in the World and he rode them off his wheel. And he's a first year Junior! It was the most awesome ride I have seen in a long while and fully makes up for his ride in Athens where the strongest rider in that race didn't win a medal. Peter.

The race started a few tentative attacks, and Peter didn't waste any time getting in amongst them, joining Yosvangs Rojas (Ven) and Isaac Speirs in a short lived move. More moves followed and anything that looked good, Peter was on it, making sure no-one got away from him. With 31 laps to go, Gerrit Peetoom attacked and he was joined by the Spanish rider as well as an Argentian and they didn't get far before Peter countered and joined them with a Czech rider. The break though didn't stay away long and with 28 to go it was back together.

 

Peter celebrates his awesome victory across the line in what was a very special ride.

 

The attacks contined though and the constant chasing was having its effect and soon a Belgian rider went away much to the delight of the small crowd. Peter saw the danger and joined him and we soon had four leaders and with the Kiwi Van Velthooven joining them 10 laps later, the break was strengthened. They were now into the crucial part of the race as the laps to go entered single figures. Peter was getting more and more frustrated with his companions seemingly lack of commitment and could be seen giving them all a piece of his mind until his speed simply blew them away.

There were still five or so laps to go when Peter took the lead on his own, the bunch on the rivet trying to get him back. They caught the remaining riders from the break but the frantic pace saw a major crash take out half a dozen a riders in the closing few laps whilst Kennaugh continued to power around the track with no sign of fatigue.

 

The start of the winning move, Peter joins the Belgium who kicked it all off.

As he entered the final lap, his face said it all, the lad was going to become World Champion and he knew it! Across the line, arms in the air, the new World Champion was in a state of shock. With his parents watching from the stands, Peter came into the pits and his first words were "unbelievable, I don't think its true but it is! This is out of this world. I was screaming at the New Zealander who looked fresh and I put in a hard turn with four laps to go and looked back and no-one was there."

"I didn't think I had it with four or three to go and was thinking is this possible? Then when it came to two to go, I started thinking this might be true and one to go was just an amazing feeling. It's the best feeling ever in the world. This is easily the best thing that has happened to me. The amazing thing is I didn't think twice about winning this as the main goal is the Team Pursuit -- I'm blown away."

"My strategy was to be patient and follow the wheels, keep the nose out of the wind. As the moves started to progress I got a bit impatient because I just wanted it that much. I went with a few attacks and then I can't remember who went but I used the banking to dive down and got straight on the wheel (of the Belgian). Then a few others joined us but they were messing about. I didn't know what to do because when the Kiwi jumped across I didn't know whether he was playing with us and didn't want to take him to the line."

"When I got away it was just a hard turn, not an attack. I looked back and saw the gap and decided it was now or never, all or nothing. It surprised me when I was away with the riders in the break and thinking I can't be that much stronger than them but I was."

Asked about his development under the Olympic Development programme and coaching by Darren Tudor, he said "I have to thank Darren and all the coaches. It's the Team Pursuit training that has brought me on. Since Easter, we have done 110 team pursuits and they say it's the best training you can get and this is proof."

Peter simply rides away from them early on in the break. No-one could live with him on the night!

 

Frustration sinks in as Peter has a verbal dig at the Kiwi rider.

 

You could say that Peter was pleased with himself.

 

Pleased indeed!

 

Top 3 with Peter in his rightful place.

Mens Scratch Race Final
1. Peter Kennaugh (GB)
2. M Lamoisson (Fra)
3. V Galanis (Gre)
4. S Vedri (Spa)
5. D Stark (Sui)


Heats
Getting the championships under way at 10am on Saturday morning was the first heat for the Mens Scratch race. There were no British riders in this race and although there were a few attacks here and there, the main action came in the last 50 meteres when a crash took out a three or four riders and only quick thinking on the part of the Dutchman saw him get up and drag his bike across the line for 12th. Aussie Leigh Howard was not so fortunate, and although he to got up quick and got his bike across the line, his luck was definitely out as he finished 13th and was out of the final.

 

 

 

Heat 2 saw Peter Kennaugh take to the track in a heat where only 1 rider was going to miss out on qualification. Despite this, there were a flurry of attacks to start with but nothing really of note happened until a lap and a half to go Peter Kennaugh got to the front and turned on the gas. With the field lined out behind him, the Isle of Man rider continued to press hard on the pedals all the way to the line where he finished second behind an Iranian rider who had clipped off the front late on.

Afterwards, Peter admitted it was very twitchy out there on the track. "Riders out there were nervous, and that includes me. My plan was to go with two and a half to go and be safe, but nothing was happening and I was confident of qualifying so I waited until there was a lap and half to go before leading it out and no-one came round me."

"I felt good out there and it was easy enough. The sprint took a bit out of me but my confidence is good after that."

 

Peter lines them out with a lap to go.

 

HEATS
Heat 1
1. P Chorlampenkovas, Lit
2. D Stark, Sui
3. P Klein, Ger
4. V Galanis, Gre
5. B Ligneel, Bel
6. S Vedri Mora, Spain
7. T Krysztofik, Pol
8. J Cancino, Chi
9. M Lamoisson, Fra
10. Y Rojas, Ven
11. I Speirs, Irl
12. G Peetoom, Hol

13. Leigh Howard, Aus

Heat 2
1. M Mazafari, Iri
2. Peter Kennaugh, Great Britain
3. M Monufar, Mex
4. S Kline, USA
5. M Pokidov, Rus
6. T Alberio, Ita
7. R Matthysen, RSA
8. J Dostal, Cze
9. S van Velthooven, NZ
10. C Sammer, Aut
11. A Kilibayev, Kaz
12. A Shaskouski, Blr