Session Galleries
Mallory Park Talent Team Road Camp
News Posted: 6 June 2007 (Event Date: 31st May)
Report and Pics by Eddie Allen
Link: Olympic Talent Team Update Feature
31th May 2007 saw a unique event take place at Mallory Park motor racing circuit. For the first time, an open invitation saw youth riders from all over the UK come together for a full day of road coaching , supervised by a host of Talent Team coaches.
The day was not only an opportunity for Talent riders the doors were opened to Go-Ride clubs and young riders between the ages of 10 and 16 were invited to attend the day long session on the closed circuit and over 130 turned up to enjoy the day.
Above: Expectant riders and parents register in the morning
I arrived at the Circuit, based in the village of Kirkby Mallory in Leicestershire to a car park thronged with cars, vans and minibuses bikes being taken out of boots, off bike racks and fettled ready for a hard day's riding. Talent Team kit was everywhere, along with a fair smattering of proudly emblazoned club colours.
Above: attentive faces at the pre session brief
The pre-session briefing was headed by Olympic Talent Programme Manager, Gary Coltman, who addressed a packed briefing room full of attentive riders and parents. Gary ran the riders through the itinerary and gave them an opportunity to talk about their aspirations, both for the day and for their cycling careers. Riders were full of high hopes and high spirits and it was clear that they were chomping at the bit and keen to get on their bikes and onto the track.
Above: Mallory Park is an ideal coaching environment
The session got underway with a warm up which was greeted with the obligatory shower of rain, which did nothing to dampen the spirits of the riders who were keen to enjoy the chance of riding on a circuit which has hosted numerous motor racing (as well as bike racing) events through the years.
Above: the warm-up and the obligatory downpour!
The circuit itself was a real treat with a mix of long open sections, short climbs and tight hairpin and chicanes. The circuit design, essentially a classic oval with a hairpin loop, incorporates many cut through sections, which allowed coaches to section off track areas and run multiple sessions simultaneously.
Above: The view along the finishing straight
Once the riders were warmed up, the weather obliged and cleared up ready for the coaching proper to commence. First came cornering, with coach Phil West using the tight banked hairpin section to demonstrate how to do it. Mallory Park's double chicanes also gave some great line picking opportunities.
Above: the track is wide enough for a whole range of bunch racing exercises
Next came bunch riding and swarming exercises, teaching riders how to hold position in a fast moving bunch and move through the bunch safely - the wide open track provided the perfect coaching environment.
After a quick break the riders were back on the circuit for more bunch riding work this time dropping back through the bunch to pick up bottles and to simulate wheel changes. Three British Cycling support cars were on the circuit to simulate real race conditions, with coaches on hand to offer swift wheel changes, allowing riders to rejoin quickly and chase down the bunch. This session gave an opportunity to get some great close up shots of the cream of England and Wales' young riders in action (check out the Galleries)
Above: Riders and coaches simulate racing scenarios like wheel changes
For the younger and less experienced riders, there was a separate bottle passing session in the pit-lane and infield section. The sheer amount of space both on and around the circuit made it the ideal place to run a whole range of activities.
Back on the track, the A and B riders practiced sprint lead outs paced by Jenny Gretton on the moped and the irrepressible Tim Buckle on a bike that looked like a prop from Mad Max. Tim's bellows of encouragement could be heard around the circuit (as well as most of Leicestershire) and he was an instant hit with the riders. The sprint session was an opportunity to show the sheer speed of the up and coming riders, demonstrating some of the awesome talents in the pipeline.
Above: The sprint sessions gave all riders a chance to show their mettle - Coach Phil West looks on in the background
The day was topped off with a series of races which allowed the riders to pool all of their acquired skills in a real race scenario. Despite tired legs after over 5 hours of riding, the races were thrilling and again showed the sheer quality of our Talent and top club riders.
Catching up with an enthused Gary Coltman after the event, he said:
"The day was an incredible success. Approximately double the numbers registered through the website than I expected and this was a great challenge to be faced with. The weather was kind to us which helped but with such enthusiasm being demonstrated by all the riders present, it would have taken a lot to dampen their spirits! I am obviously very keen to see healthy numbers of youth riders progressing in the sport and this day only aided my view that the future is bright for kids entering the sport right now.
"I'd like to thank all the coaches that did great work on the day and particularly the volunteers coaches and club officials that gave up their time to make the day the success it was.
"Following a de-brief of the day I will be looking for further opportunities to stage similar events not only on the road but also across some of the other disciplines. Details will be announced through the newsletter and website as soon as they are available."
More Photos
Above: The final race of the day was a chance for riders to put together everything they'd learned during the day
Above and Below: Coaches Tim Buckle (above) and Chris Young (below) poured forth enthusiasm and experience in equal measure
Below: Riders practice tricky cornering
Below: the assembled pool of Talent taking a break between sessions.
Below: Future pros in the making? With the help of Talent Team, who knows?
For more pictures from the day, check out the galleries.
