Sparkasse Sprint Cup competition overall. L-R Siedenbecher (2nd), Forstermann (1st), Dave Daniell (3rd).
Two Olympic Academy sprinters in the Great Britain Cycling Team, Dave Daniell and Steven Hill were in Germany (Cottbus) last week for the final round of the Sparkasse Sprint Cup.
This latest edition of the Sparkasse Sprint Cup comprised of two competitions, Match Sprint on day 1 (Friday) and then the Keirin on day 2 the same as a similar competition held recently. Riders would be able to accrue points in each event which went towards an overall prize list for a series of three major Sprint events held during the summer.
Dave Daniell quickly put the recent European Track Championships behind him and managed to fit in a couple of training sessions before flying out with Steve and their coach Iain Dyer last Thursday to Cottbus. Prior to the final Sparkasse Sprint Cup, Dave was lying in fourth position and went into the event determined to improve on his position and make the podium.
For Steven, having just completed his exams and becoming a full time rider with the Academy in Manchester, this event marked his first proper international race as a senior rider where he was looking to gain from the experience which he will use as part of his preparation for the National Championships in October.
Match Sprint (Friday)
As ever, the day began with the qualifying session where the riders would do their best to record the fastest time possible over 200 metres. Dave finished this part of the competition in second having covered the 200metres on the outdoor concrete track in a time of 10.31 just behind Germany's Olympian Robert Forstermann (10.20).
Another German Olympian was in third, Carsten Bergemann with 10.33. Some of Dave's challengers in the overall standings were ranked further down qualifying which meant if Dave could capitalise on his seeding he could gain some valuable points over them. Steven Hill qualified in 18th place with a creditable 10.77.
Dave proceeded to make his way through the first round, the eighths, and the quarters without a hitch; getting the better of some strong German team riders like Stumpf in the process, as well as Vasev from the Russian National Team.
Steven meanwhile was racing equally well but having come up against the top seeds, he was having to do it the hard way. He came through the reps in round 1 to live again, but coming up against the top seed in the eighths was too much and then Steve was unable to come back through the reps again. He eventually placed third in the 9-12th final to end the competition in 11th overall, a major improvement over his 18th place in the qualifying.
Dave Daniell too met his match in the sudden death semi-final against Bergmann who won impressively leading out with a lap to go. With only a one-off format until the finals, Dave could only make amends in the best of three minor final against Germany's Michael Siedenbecher.
Saving his best two races until last, Dave impressed his coach and the watching crowd as he beat the home country’s Siedenbecher 2-0 to secure an excellent third place. In the final for first and second, Forstermann showed he was worthy of his number 1 seeding by beating Bergemann in two straight rides.
With the Match Sprint over with, Dave Daniell finished the day having held his fourth position in the overall series but crucially moving closer to the top three spots.
The Podium from day 1, L-R: Bergemann, Forstermann, Dave Daniell.
Keirin -- Saturday
The following day, the British riders rocked up for the final event in the competition which was their last chance to pick up points for the Sparkasse Sprint Cup overall which had a lucrative prize list. Going into the Keirin, there were six riders in the frame for the top honours which mean the event was going to be really hotly contested.
Unfortunately for Great Britain, both Dave Daniell and Steven Hill were drawn together in round 1 where two would qualify from the round with the rest having to race in the repecharges. Dave led out strongly to bring it home whilst Steve battled with two Russian riders but was unable to crack the top 2.
With Steve's Keirin rep looking very much like his sprint rep yesterday with the German team rider Forstermann to contend with, it was a big ask to win it and secure a berth in the semi. And so it proved. Forstermann used his massive jump to full effect and made the race his own with over 100m to go.
Dave's semi included some of his rivals for the overall ranking such as Wachter and Dohrer but he showed them the way home with another powerful win to make the final and give his rivals plenty to think about. Wachter also failed to make the main final which gave Dave the chance to narrow the points gap to those above him on the overall.
The same was also true of Siedenbecher in the other semi final however the Erdgas team mates Bergemann and Forstermann were beginning to look ominously well drilled together, with the Russian, Vasev nipping in for 3rd.
Unlike the normal format in a World Cup, the final in this competition comprised of two heats with riders scoring points which would provide the finishing positions for that event. The German Erdgas team was now three strong with Wittmann joining Bergemann and Forstermann and it was going to be hard for Dave to overcome this combine.
In the first final, Dave took it up from the front, but was swamped on the line in a four abreast photo finish. Unfortunately for Dave, fourth was the outcome with Bergemann leading his team mate Forstermann across the line and Dohrer taking 3rd.
In the second final, different tactics were called for but it proved hard for Dave to break the Erdgas stranglehold hold on the race. Crucially though, Dave managed to finish third in yet another photo-finish with Dohrer.
The countback rules mean't that although the two riders were equal on points from the day’s Keirin, Dave's better position in the last race gave him 3rd for the day behind Bergemann and Forstermann. These additional points proved vital for the overall and so after starting the weekend in fourth overall for the Sparkasse Sprint Cup, Dave had improved to 3rd overall by the close of play.
Forstermann's strong showing throughout the weekend lifted him into first, and Siedenbecher's 8th place in the Keirin was enough to retain second place with Dave in 3rd ahead of well known world stars stuch as Maximillian Levy, Wachter and Dohrer. It was a good end to a successful weekend's racing.
The Great Britain sprinters return to Cottbus in late August for a training Camp which concludes with a GP in Dudenhofen before it's time for them to focus on preparing for the British Track Cjampionships and then the first World Cup round which will be in Manchester.