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ACT Easter Monday Meeting - Manchester Velodrome

edited April 2012 in Road Racing
You may or may not be interested to know that CCA was represented in the Sprint categories at Manchester Velodrome on Easter Monday?!


Ed Goater and Andrew Leverton will be representing the club all over the UK in the National Sprinters league the UK and also the National 800m Grass Track Championships this season. The event in Manchester was a good 'warm-up'.

Ed and Andrew entered the 750m junior/senior invitation Sprint in a field of around 25 riders from various UK clubs.

In order to qualify for the match sprint 750m finals, it was necessary to qualify by posting one of the 12 fastest flying 200m times.

This was always going to be a tall order for Ed. It was his first event as a junior and he was understandably nervous about competing with experienced adults, some of whom were twice his size! He has also not had the chance to get many practise runs in on a Velodrome for the 200m. More excuses, but he had also returned from a school trip to China on Friday evening and was quite jet-lagged across the weekend. (Although there are a lot of bicycles in Beijing, he didn't get the opportunity to ride any!)

Having said all that, he posted a time of 12.84 and it placed him around 17th. He didn't qualify for the match sprints but it was a brilliant first effort and we know there is lots more to come. (Andrew Leverton posted a 13.1 at the same event last year).

All the riders that failed to qualify were entered in an 8 lap Keirin. Again, a daunting race for Ed mostly against adults. He made a storming start and got straight on the back of the Derny.


It wasn't his plan to lead from the front but he found himself a good aero position and got his head down. With three laps to go, the derny pulled in and the race was on.

It's difficult to anticipate the derny pulling out of the way and those behind get the advantage of being able to push on slightly earlier but Ed's change of speed surprised them and the race was on!

With two laps to go, Ed was overtaken (Ed was as big as one of his legs!) but he hung on brilliantly. Going in to the last corner, the third place rider was 'busting' to get round Ed and 'pipped' him on the line but congratulated him at the end and was impressed by his turn of speed. Lots more to come this season.....


Andrew Leverton is an outstanding sprinter and proved the point by annihilating the opposition to win the 750m Invitation Sprint overall !!

He posted the fastest flying 200m qualifying time in 11.4s.

He rode brilliantly to get through the heats and semis finals and his tactics in the match sprint final were very well thought out and he comfortably beat his opponent in the final!


Well done and congratulations Andrew!!

Comments

  • Thanks for bringing this event alive for us with your report.

    Yes very interested and delighted to see Ed doing so well.

    Looks like it is going to be a great season for Andrew and Ed.

    Daniel
  • Indeed, keep us posted. And respect to Ed for doing so well up against the big boys. Must have been quite intimidating.
  • just heard from Ed and he was very happy with the event and his ride...add my thanks to Nipper bringing this alive for us.......wish I could have been there to see their rides.....love the image of Andrew "annihilating" the oposition. Have seen him do this on the grass and heard the groans from adult racers when they know he's racing an event...looks like Ed is going to follow on from Andrew....Chapeau to both lads.
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