Another Weekend Another Omnium! by Janet Birkmyre
This time it was a windy Welwyn that played host, with the omnium events for the women taking place between derny paced races. Despite a forecast that threatened showers, the racing was never in doubt, although the blustery conditions definitely changed some tactics.
It was another interesting field, with two Olympic Development Programme riders – Emma Grant and Vicky Williamson – keen to show BC that their investment in bikes and training camps has been well spent. Both came to cycling via the Girls4Gold talent identification scheme, Emma for endurance and Vicky for sprint. Add to these New Zealander, Elizabeth Steel, riding and racing in the UK as preparation for the junior world championships, plus a good showing of experienced domestic riders, and it was clear the racing would be hotly contested in every event. Also riding her first ever omnium was my Orbea-For Goodness Shakes! team mate Emily Fisher.
©David Jack
As usual, the omnium kicked off with a 500m time trial, which I was thrilled to win from Vicky Williamson. It is an event I have put a bit of focus into this year and the training appears to be paying off.
After a short break, the scratch race got underway. It was a fast and attacking race, with the endurance riders hoping to break the sprinters before the end and a small group got away at the mid-point. I had to work hard to bridge to the breakaway, but happily was able to recover in time to win the sprint from Emma Grant and Elizabeth Steel.
So far so good, two events gone and just two points on the board (the lowest points scorer at the end of the day, is the winner), but the next event was the pursuit and the field boasted some real talent in this area. Emma Grant was the favourite and she did not disappoint, while I came a lamentable seventh, giving me 9 points at this stage and dropping me to second overall.
©David Jack
Next up was the sprint, an event that I hoped to do well in. Previously, sprint heats have been seeded on the results from the 500m time trial, but this year the rules have changed and seeding is done on positions in the omnium after three events. So it felt unlucky that, in second position overall at this stage and with the fastest 500 time, I drew the heat with the specialist sprinter, Vicky Williamson, who had posted the second fasted 500m. Four up sprint heats can be something of a lottery, with very little opportunity to dictate tactics, but Vicky made the best of them and jumped past me for the win. With no repecharge to come back though, I had to settle for the best I could do at that stage and that was to pick up 5 points, putting the overall win beyond my grasp – barring a most unfortunate incident involving both Emma Grant and Vicky Williamson, something I most certainly did not wish upon them!
So the points race started for me with nothing to lose and everything to gain and I set out like I meant business, winning the first sprint and scoring in two others, but it was not enough to give me 5th place in the points race and consolidate third place in the omnium overall. Meanwhile, Elisabeth Steel got away in a small group and amassed enough points not only to take the win in the points race (despite a puncture) but with Emma Grant finishing only 6th, she took the omnium overall as well.
There is no doubt the competition is getting hotter every year in this series … that must be it, because surely my age could not be a factor!! That said, I am now very much looking forward to the European Masters Track Championships from 27th July, when I will be fighting fellow vets for the honours.
Jan
