Pre-World Championship Interview: Ross Edgar
March 22, 2007
Interview by Larry Hickmott (larryhickmott@britishcycling.org.uk)
Ross at Manchester where in the Team Sprint, he, Craig MacLean and Chris Hoy recorded one of the fastest ever times for Team GB on a 250 metre track.
Having been in the GB team since 2002, 24 year old Ross has experienced success at the Commonwealth Games (3 medals of all colours) and World Track Cups, but is still searching for a World Championship medal. Palma may well be the event that changes that after he made the Team Sprint line-up for the World Championships. It is the Holy Grail event for the sprinters and to make the initial line-up of three to do the race was a major achievement for him.
“I was definitely happy to break into the Team Sprint. Hopefully I can do the business as I have been doing all year and get it together on the day and win a World Championship medal.”
“Do that and I’ll be as happy as Larry he added cheekily”
“I have ridden man 2 all this year and the data we have had come back has looked good. Selection has been a lot more scientific this year. After my performance in Melbourne (Commonwealth Games), they were looking at putting me in the team for the Worlds (France, 2006) but there were certain things they were concerned with like the aerodynamics and whether the rider behind me would get a good draft. We have done a lot of testing now though and there is not a lot in it.”
The Gold medal winning Scottish team from the 2006 Commonwealth Games with Ross in the middle.
It will mean that the GB line up in Palma, providing there are no last minute changes, is the same as the Scottish line-up that won Gold at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and has been so successful in World Track Cup competitions. Ross explained that the fast time they did at the Manchester World Track Cup shows the threesome on the pace.
Being curious I looked back at some times from recent years to see just how those Manchester World Track Cup times (44.163 & 44.155) stood up against other Team Sprint times on 250 metre tracks. At the 2006 Commonwealth Games the times there were Scotlands 44.282 to England's 44.309. Then at the 2005 Worlds in LA where Team GB was victorious, they were 44.337 and 44.379.
Last year in Bordeaux the GB riders did 44.407 and 44.194 against Frances world’s fastest for a 250 track of 43.969 which is still the benchmark. At the 2004 Worlds the times for GB were 44.482 and 44.620 whilst at Manchester in the same year, they were 44.568 44.605. You have to go back to the Olympics on a track where riders were setting World records all over the place to find a time faster than the one they did at Manchester in February (44.693, & 44.075, BR).
So having established that the time at Manchester was truly ‘quick’ not only in British terms but World terms as well, it is clear that the GB team do stand a good chance in the Team Sprint and who knows, it may well be a ground breaking result for Ross. “I am really hopeful of winning my first medal and I think we can do at least that, if not win it. The French are strong though (defending champions) and I expect they will be our main competitors along with the Aussies perhaps or Dutch.”
Ross competing in the Keirin in Manchester.
The Team Sprint though is only one of three events Ross is entered for. “They gave me the option to do all three events, and I looked at the program with the Team Sprint first followed by the Keirin and the Sprint and I didn’t think with the Sprint over two days, that schedule would be too taxing. It is the best possible schedule for me especially with our emphasis on the Team Sprint.”
The other two events he is down to do are the Men’s Keirin and Men’s Sprint. Talking about the Keirin, he says “I have got the legs to do it now, the confidence and an understanding of the Keirin so I am confident I can make the final. When you’re in that, anything can happen as long as you’re pro active”. As for the Sprint, he says “I have been knocking on the ‘semis’ door for so long now, I just want to get into those semi finals, in the last four and see what I can do.”
Finally, asking about his preparation, he says it has gone well. “It could not have been better and I’ve not been ill or anything so no excuses. I should be going the same or better than I was at Manchester and I am starting my taper about two weeks out. All the training I am doing works for everything I’m doing, man 2 in the Team Sprint, Sprint and Keirin.”
And then as if to underline just how well he’s going, he says in parting, “I did a PB standing start this week which shows I’m going well.” Ross then took to the track and with coaches Jan van Eijden and Iain Dyer watching from the side of the track, the Scotland representative was impressive in near full race kit and we wish him well in his quest to win that elusive first World Championship medal.
