Pre-Worlds Interview: Paul Manning

 

March 24, 2007

by Larry Hickmott (larryhickmott@britishcycling.org.uk)

Home Page Track Worlds

 

 

A key rider for eight years in the Team Pursuit, Paul Manning acknowledges that selection for the team to do the event is now no longer assured. “There are six of us now and you could see from the two flying efforts today, both looked as comfortable as the other within reason at race pace so its going to be a really tough call for the selectors”.

 

Paul started out in the Team Pursuit at the 1999 Track World Championships where he was fifth man and since then, has been in the line-up on the track at successive World Championships. So he knows what is on the line here saying “you really have to feel for who ever is chosen as  fifth man and has to train with the team right through to the race. We’re all in it for the Olympics though and this is just a stage in that process.”

 

Putting pressure on the likes of Paul for a ride in the Team Pursuit are the young riders coming through from the development programmes put in place after the Athens Olympics.

 

Talking about the up and coming riders putting pressure on him and the others he says “these guys are superb and you forget how young they are. They step up and are physically and technically very proficient because of the academy regime they have grown up with. They are very professional at such a young age and pushing us older riders all the way. Even Jonny Bellis (first year senior) could be slung into the Team Pursuit line up and do the job.”

 

“Both Ed and G (Geraint) are going fantastically well and with riders of Bradley and Steve Cummings calibre coming in, everyone is going to have to be at their very best to get a ride in Beijing. For Sydney and Athens there was certainly less pressure to justify your place in the team” adding “it has to become the norm for the young lads to go quicker (sub 4) so the team as a whole has had to step up a level.”

 

Asked what role he prefers for the Team Pursuit, he replies “I just concentrate on what I am asked to do.” A common sight for Paul though has been his riding at man 1, in the gate and of that position he says “I certainly would not put myself down as being the quickest out of the gate or over the first half lap but I am steady and they know what they are going to get.”

 

“Where and if I ride in Majorca I don’t know and the team will for sure weigh all that up next week. Once out there, we’ll need to get on the track and find out how fast Palma is going to be and then look at the pace we can do on it”.

 

Asked is the starting position a more demanding one having to get the team up to speed out of the gate, he says “I think in 1 and 2, you don’t have the height on the track to drop down and you are having to get up to speed quicker but once you start training in different positions, you realise that 1 and 2 may be a little harder in the first 30 seconds but then the onus is on positions 3 and 4 to keep things moving (keep the speed) through kilo 3 and finally stitch it together through the final four laps so there is no easy ride.”

 

Paul winds the pace up for the other four duing the first effort on the final day of track training at Manchester.

 

Individual Pursuit

At the last World Championships, Paul also rode the Individual Pursuit and medalled. Asked does he intend to do that again, the Commonwealth Games champion replied “I knew from a long time out that Bradley was doing it. I have to be realistic and I can’t see myself ever being as quick as Bradley in the individual and as people say, we’re not here to come second so I would rather put my eggs in the one basket (Team Pursuit) and go for that because it has always been the theme for as long as I have been doing it.”

 

“The same for the Olympics. I have to go for the events I can maximise my own personal chances in and the nations chances and I am sure for me, it will be the Team Pursuit where I’ll have the best chance of competing in the Olympics and winning anything. I am not ruling out doing the Individual for World Cups to qualify places but when it comes to the big one, that is the sort of mind set we’ll have to have.”

 

 

Riding for a Pro Team in Europe

Asked how important is it for him riding in Europe on the road this summer with the Olympics next year, Paul replied “it’s crucial. As soon as you look at the line up, seven guys potentially out there from the current crop of riders competing for places, and others may well pop up, and from that four are chosen to ride. That is quite harsh odds for anyone who wants to be part of it.”

 

Right: Paul in a break during the Tour of Britain last year.

 

“Once we come back from the road season to face the winter together, the slate is wiped clean and it will be the four best guys who get to ride each time and so you have to be on your toes. So it is crucial for everyone to use the road season to try and improve and take yourself to the next level.”

 

“My year here racing for a domestic team I didn’t really enjoy and it was hard to get motivated and I ended up racing less or not as hard and that was the reason for going to Landbouwkrediet-Tonissteiner to get the racing, harder racing. It didn’t work out last year after having so much time off (track and knee injuries) but I am going to go over there with Ed and stay near the team to be near the racing.”

 

“I’m not looking forward to it but it is a necessary evil.”

 

Hardest thing

Asked what is one of the hardest things for them racing in Europe, Paul says “when you enjoy racing on the track so much because you are with your mates and going quick, and although it isn’t easy it is enjoyable and what we’re good at. The road is different however. The majority of the days on the road, you’re going to be suffering, you’re not going to be winning and you’re there to do the work and sometimes it is hard to do that day in, day out, but you have to remain focused on why you are doing it.”

 

“The Landbouwkrediet-Tonissteiner team is quite understanding of where our objectives are and if you can get the jersey up the road on the odd day like I did to Birmingham (ToB 2006) then they are quite happy. The Tour of Britain was for me an opportunity to show I can do it because I was struggling a lot of the year and you feel they are probably wondering why you’re there, why you have a place in the pro team.”

 

“After the Track Worlds, I am confident that Ed and I can both get stuck in and get some results for the team, exposure for the team. It would also be great if one or both of us can bring back a rainbow jersey to the team. Landbouwkrediet-Tonissteiner may not be a track team but it is good for them. The director Gerad has already joked with us that after the Manchester World Cup that he is going to have to get the team car tuned up because we’re riding faster than 60k an hour all the time. So they do appreciate it!”

 

And with so many British riders from the programme racing pro events in Europe, Paul admits they do seek each other out when doing the same races. “When we’re at the track we do discuss what our programmes are. The little times you see each other through the season are precious moments and help keep you going through the hard bits even if they are going well and you’re struggling. There is a good camaraderie in this endurance team.”

 

We wish Paul luck in his quest to ride the Team Pursuit and who knows, maybe a second Team Pursuit Rainbow jersey will come back with him from Majorca.