Obree Stars on an Emotional Night!

 

Revolution 15 Track Meeting
Saturday 9 December 2006
Report: Phil Ingham, Images Larry Hickmott

Official Results (600kb pdf Download >>>>)

This was one of the best Revolutions yet, with an added human touch. Hugh Porter began the evening with a moving tribute to Isaac Galvez, who had been booked to ride the event, but who was killed in an accident at last month's Ghent 6 meeting. This was followed by an immaculately observed minute's silence. Galvez's fee for the evening has been donated to the memorial fund set up in his memory. It was a poignant start to the evening.

Spanish riders Alonso and Elorriaga observe the minute's silence for countryman Isaac Galvez. The duo funded their trip to the event themselves as a tribute to the much missed world Madison champion.

 

Graeme Obree was a very popular visitor to the Revolution

 

Tony Gibb (left) and James Taylor won the Madison Kilo Time Trial

 

The Racing

 

Event 1 Royles Elite Team Elimination 30 laps
A Madison devil take the hindmost is a rare animal and made for an intriguing start to the evening: the timing of changes was crucial with a team eliminated very lap and it all made for a very busy race. As usual, the big stars used their experience, keeping well out of trouble early on. The youngsters Blythe and Kennaugh did some long pulls at the front with Wiggins and Marvulli content the follow their wheels. In the end it was the experienced duos Wiggins and Marvulli and Marco Villa and Iljo Keisse who had to contest the sprint. With a couple of quick changes out of the way the last lap came down to Wiggins verses Marco Villa, with Villa taking it by half wheel. A great start to the evening!

Event 2 Ravenswood Sprint Omnium - 200m Time Trial 3 laps
Steven Hill began the sprint omnium with a fantastic unofficial under-16 national record. Tom Buck also went under the old figure (set by Matt Haynes). Dave Daniell was the first rider to slip under the magic ten second mark. Jason Kenny then raised the bar a chunk with a classy 10.520s seemingly at half throttle, so smoothly is the triple world champ now riding. This was more than good enough to hold off Chiappa, Staff and Van Eijden, but not Craig MacLean who produced a typically physical effort to record 10.336 seconds.

Results in order of draw
Steven Hill - 11.130s (unofficial national Under-16 record)
Tom Buck - 11.302s
David Daniell - 10.912s
Christian Lyte -11.111s
Jason Kenny - 10.520
Roberto Chiappa - 10.739
Jamie Staff - 10.589s
Jan Van Eijden - 10.781
Craig MacLean - 10.336

Event 3 DHL Future Stars Boys - 5km Scratch 20 laps
A twenty lap scratch race flies by on a 250m track and the boys went at it with their usual enthusiasm. This year's line-up includes a lot of riders of a very high standard and as yet no equivalent of last year's runaway winner Peter Kennaugh has emerged, but this has actually made for some great racing.

First attack came from Sam Fry of the Eastern Region, but he soon relented, but not before the speed of the race lifted a notch or two. With 4 laps to go Ben Plain made a strike for home and he pulled 50 meters clear and looked well placed until he inexplicably celebrated as he crossed the line with two laps to go - realising his mistake immediately he put the hammer down again but his moment had gone and the head of the field surged over him, with Andy Fenn just creeping past Rob O'Loughlin to win by a wheel in a tight bunch sprint.

1. Andy Fenn
2. Rob O'Loughlin
3. Tom Skubala
4. Sam Freeman

Event 4 DHL Future Stars Girls - 1 mile Dash 6 laps
Straight from the gun, Louise Mahe tried to catch everyone napping with a very early break, but she was hoovered up by the field with 2 laps to go. Hannah Rich then went away and dangled half a bike length clear of several riders who drew alongside her only to drop back. Incredibly Rich maintained this precarious lead for a full two laps to claim the win. Ella Sadler Andrews was second and Jess Varnish third in a blanket finish.

1. Hannah Rich
2. Ella Sadler Andrews
3. Jess Varnish
4. Ella Hopkins

Event 5 Ravenswood Sprint Omnium - Round 1

Heat 1
Daniell inevitably found himself at the front with his more experienced rivals tracking him and the young GB rider seemed happy to lead things out from about 400m out. However, Jamie Staff showed that his relatively sluggish 200m time trial had been deceptive with a superb surge to victory with a sub 11s final 200m, with Daniell taking second from Chiappa.

1. Jamie Staff
2. David Daniell
3. Roberto Chiappa

Heat 2
This heat had the lot - Buck almost crashed and pulled a foot out two laps out, before Kenny found himself out-thought by Van Eijden who came over him with perfect timing and took the sprinter's line just as Kenny wanted to accelerate with 150m to go. Kenny didn't panic though and came over his experienced rival to take the heat right on the line.

1. Jason Kenny
2. Jan Van Eijden
dnf Buck

Heat 3
Another cracker saw Craig MacLean win but not before he'd been distracted by Hill's brave refusal to give best in the early jockeying for position. Lyte took off, taking advantage of this, but MacLean was watching and went straight past Hill in hot pursuit and took Lyte in the final corner. Hill didn't give up and clung to MacLean's wheel and almost threw himself off his bike crossing the line and claiming second.

1. Craig Maclean
2. Steve Hill
3. Christain Lyte

Event 6 DHL Future Stars Boys Madison 50 laps
The team of Freeman and Atkins took the first sprint which was almost immediately followed by a crash which took a rider out on the north bend. The teams of Christian and Worral and Skubala and Webb then took the race by the scruff of the neck, going clear and taking the second sprint in that order, before being caught by the main field.

The race then settled down and Christian and Whorral also took the third sprint to take a strong hold on the race. Understandably, the young riders were finding the race technically as well as physically challenging. Skubala and Webb then made their move, taking second in the next sprint and breaking clear with a concerted surge as they aimed to gain a lap and claim the win.

However, they were brought back and the final sprint went to Fenn and Rowsell but it was the consistent duo of Christian and Worral taking third who took the race win comfortably, from Skubala and Hill.

1. Mark Christian & Chris Whorral North West 15 points
2. Tom Skubala & Mike Webb Yorkshire / Wales 9
3. Sam Freeman & George Atkins East Mids 9
4. Dom Jelfs & Dane Percival West Mids - 5

Event 7 Ravenswood Sprint Omnium - Round 2
Heat 1
Van Eijden controlled this one from the front, but Hill again showed great bike control and an intuitive feel for a race with an impressive second ahead of the older and more experienced Daniell

1. Jan Van Eijden
2. Steve Hill
3. David Daniell

Heat 2
MacLean struck another blow for the big guns going to the front a lap out and leading Chiappa over the line for a straightforward win with the brave Buck holding on to the big men well in the closing half lap.

1. Craig Maclean
2. Roberto Chiappa
3. Tom Buck

Heat 3
This was a mouth-watering clash on paper, but in the end Staff had much too much in the tank even for a rider of Kenny's talent and a 10.7s last 200m blew the younger duo off his wheel.

1. Jamie Staff
2. Jason Kenny
3. Christain Lyte

Event 8 Plowman Craven Elite 10km Points Race 40 laps
Graeme Obree was the star draw in this race and the legendary Scot was pushing a huge gear and moving to the front of the field straight from the start.

Rhys Lloyd was a perhaps surprising winner of the first sprint but Keisse and Kennaugh then launched a strong attack, only to be brought back as the second sprint approached. Steven Burke took this, holding off Wiggins and Millar with a strong burst.

Millar then showed his improving track skills with a classy break for half a dozen laps before being swallowed up. Blythe then took the third sprint with a characteristic two lap surge, with Jonny Bellis second and Lloyd taking third and the overall lead.

The final ten laps were run off at lightening speed and at the finish it was Blythe again at the head of the field taking the sprint and the overall win.

Sprint 1
1. Rhys Lloyd
2. Peyer Schep
3. Alex Dowsett
4. Elorriaga

Sprint 2
1. Burke
2. Wiggins
3. Millar
4. Rowe

Sprint 3
1. Blythe
2. Bellis
3. Lloyd
4. Alonso

Sprint 4
1. Blythe
2. Dowsett
3. Millar
4. Lloyd

Overall
1. Blythe 10 points
2. Lloyd 8
3. Dowsett 5
4. Burke 5

Event 9 DHL Future Stars Boys - 1 mile Dash 6 laps
An impossible race to sum up, the mile is always over in the blink of an eye. In this case no sooner had Vince Cartwright made an impressive break then he was swamped and Andy Fenn was emerging at the front of the field to claim another impressive win with a show of real strength, holding off Mark Christian in the process.

1. Andy Fenn
2. Mark Christian
3. TomSkubala
4. Dan McLay

Event 10 DHL Future Stars Girls - Devil
With two out every lap, this race also flashed by with the final sprint coming round in no time. Welsh duo Alex Greenfield and Jess Allen took the spoils - Greenfield in particular looked very impressive once again. The Welsh are once again starting to dominate the Future Stars Girls in a way reminiscent of their great riding in the 2005-6 season.

 

1. Alex Greenfield Wales
2. Jess Allen Wales
3. Katie Fearnehough Yorkshire Region

Event 11 24-7 Recruitment 1km Madison Time Trial
There were heart-warming scenes in this event as Graeme Obree made team-mate Franco Marvulli ride three laps instead of the usual two thanks, apparently, to over-enthusiasm - there was certainly no malice in the mis-calculation, but going off the evidence of the starting hand-sling alone, Obree was not really technically equipped for event. No matter, it made for great viewing and Marvulli was charmingly unbothered by the whole thing as he acknowledged the great Scot as they left the track.

Back at the sharp end, Tony Gibb and James Taylor took the honours with a typically slick and technically smooth ride, with crowd-pleasing youngsters Adam Blythe and Peter Kennaugh just finishing outside their time to claim second.

1. Tony Gibb & James Taylor 59.002
2. Adam Blythe & Peter Kennaugh 59.437
3. Jonny Bellis & Matt Brammeier 59.940
4. Marco Villa & Iljo Keisse 1.00.742
5. Danny Stam & Peter Schep 1.02.445
6. Franco Marvulli Graeme Obree 1.04.544

Event 12 Science In Sport Mixed Flying Team Sprint 3 laps
This was an intriguing premise and it produced a compelling spectacle. The first heat saw David Millar put in a stonking first lap and a clearly well-planned early move up the track to let MacLean loose. Here things fell apart a bit as Van Eijden basically got dropped and came over the line with a lap to go some 5 yards down. He hung on well but he was riding through treacle in the last half lap. The second team of Wiggins, Chiapp and Staff didn't try anything clever and kept it together much better as a result, winning by almost a second.

Heat 1

Millar, Maclean & Van Eijden 43.558

Heat 2
Wiggins, Chiappa, Staff 42.739

Event 13 DHL Future Stars Boys - Devil
The speed of these young riders never fails to impress and watching a flying bunch hanging two riders out to dry every lap, at full race speed, is always fun. Having finished the whittling down, the final sprint is often an anti climax in Devils as tired riders seem to run out of steam, but this was an exception: Tom Skubala just won a cracking gallop from Andy Fenn with Chris Whorral and Mark Christian both breathing down their necks.

1. Tom Skubala
2. Andy Fenn
3. Chris Whorral
4. Mark Christian

Event 14 Isaac Galvez Memorial Elite Madison 80 laps

 

The first fifty laps were ridden as a scratch race before sprints every ten laps for the last 30 laps. The aim was clearly to try to gain a lap in those early laps and Dowsett and McNally were the first to go for it. They gained almost half a lap before there was a reaction led by Marvulli and Wiggins and the race really began to hot up. The young duo looked really good for a time, before Keisse and Villa and Stam and Schep showed their 6-day experience and lifted the pace. Still Dowsett and McNally stayed away before finally buckling after a really brave and determined effort.

With the first sprint approaching Marvulli and Wiggins were again active along with Kennaugh and Blythe. Keisse and Villa then surged clear and suddenly took half a lap lead and won the first sprint, but with more ambitious aims clearly in mind, and they went on to grab a lap with Marvulli and Wiggins following suit a lap later.

Spanish duo Alonso and Elorriaga then also gained a lap before a nasty crash on the south curve forced the race to be neutralised. With recent events at Ghent in mind it was a worrying couple of minutes as two fallen riders stayed down whilst medics attended to them. One of the Rowe brothers was involved. However, thankfully, both riders finally rose to their feet, to retire from the race, clearly feeling the effects of the crash.

At the re-start it was basically a three-team race with Alonso and Elorriaga, Wiggins and Marvulli and Keisse and Villa all a lap clear.

Marvulli took the penultimate sprint from Kennaugh with Keisse third, to close things up still further at the top. With Marvulli and Wiggins a point clear of Keisse and Villa, it was all down to the final sprint. Marvulli and Wiggins were looking good surging to the front with a couple of laps to go, but Villa and Keisse marked their every move and it all came down to a fabulous sprint, with Marvulli holding off Keisse by half a length and even having the time to give a victory salute as he crossed the line. It was a classy win by a very classy pairing.

 

1 Wiggins & Marvulli 13 points
2 Villa & Keisse 10
3 Alonso and Elorriaga 7
All other teams at one lap

Event 15 Ravenswood Sprint Omnium
Heat 1
Daniell took this race but once again Hill showed a complete disregard for reputation, not to mention the rules, as he roared up the inside and only just failed to catch Daniell on the line.

1. David Daniell
2. Steven Hill
3. Tom Buck

Heat 2
Kenny showed his class again holding off a determined Chiappa in the closing half lap. It looked easy - it always does with Kenny!

1. Jason Kenny
2. Roberta Chiappa
3. Christain Lyte

Heat 3
This was the big-hitters' heat and the meeting of the two sprinters of the night, MacLean and Staff. As expected it all came down to Staff against MacLean on the last lap with Staff going from the front and MacLean coming round the outside and just edging out his GB team-mate to take the win and the overall victory in the Omnium.

1. Craig MacLean
2. Jamie Staff
3. Jan Van Eijden

 

Event 16 DHL Future Stars Girls - 5km Scratch 20 laps
This is a great bunch of young riders and a race ridden at high speed saw no-one able to break clear and it all looked set to come down to a last lap gallop. However Hannah Rich had other plans and went off the front with two laps to go and blew the field away to claim a win by some ten lengths. Nice move and another win for the Welsh!

1. Hannah Rich
2. Alex Greenfield
3. Becky James
4. Louise Mahe

Event 17 DHL 4k Pursuit Challenge 16 laps
Obree verses four young stars riding as a team pursuit quartet - nice idea! But what gear was Obree using for this event? Huge is the only word for it and it looked like he might stall out of the gate. The four boys closed very quickly in the first lap before Obree began to turn on the power. Could he hold it? Towards the end of the second kilo, Obree was catching the youngsters, but then the combined speed of their young legs began tell on the legendary and obviously still very fit Scot. With 3km gone so was Obree and the inevitable catch came with a lap to go. But it was an amazing experience to watch and there was a standing ovation, full of affection, for the amazing Scot, who then went on to do a couple of laps on his "Old Faithful" bike on which he took the hour record. That was the original cycling revolution!

Skubala, Freeman, Fenn & Christian caught Obree

Event 18 Ravenswood Keirin 8 laps
A superb Keirin field duly treated us to a fitting finale to a memorable night. Craig MacLean came over Jason Kenny two laps out to go to the front and surged to victory (winning his own weight in Revenswood wine in the process!). Jamie Staff was closing at the line, having left his sprint a little too late. Kenny was third, once again losing little in comparison with is more experienced rivals.

1. Craig Maclean
2. Jamie Staff
3.Jason Kenny

 

Official Results (600kb pdf Download >>>>)