Nationals glory for Bob and Andy

Bob Moore reports from last weekend's LVRC National Track Championships which he rode with Andy Grant:

"Andy was 5th in the matched sprint I was 6th in 60 lap points race and 3rd in 40 lap scratch.Together we won the LVRC Team Sprint Championship

Andy Grant was at the Velodrome early on the Saturday, warming up in preparation for his 200 metre flying start seeding round. His time of 13.13 put him sixth fastest and ensured a fair race in his first round.

Andy’s first round match sprint pitched him up against Dave Smith (5^th in last years worlds) who was looking supremely confident as they walked up the track to their bikes. As I held Andy up for the start I could hear the other 2 riders exhaling and snorting, Andy was looking across them and wondering if their carbon frames and Campag disc wheels shod with Dugasts would make a difference. It turned out that they didn’t as Andy rode a blistering and tactical race, Dave Smith had to dig deep to stop Andy from getting past on the line. ‘’That wasn’t as easy as I thought’’ Dave Smith was heard to say as he left the track.

Bouyed up with confidence from his first round, Andy got back through the repecharge to the next round.

A four up sprint, he was fourth at the bell and it looked like Andy was going out but 125 metres later

he had moved up to third, then second as the track unwound and finally hurtled across the line in

front, taking the long way round it was a classy win.

The first semi final round saw a matched sprint of epic proportion, 4up including silver medallist

from the European Championships Keith Williams and Mark Zashke. Andy rode a smart race but with only the winner going through to the final it was going to be tough. Andy led out and was high on the banking with Williams and Zashke watching each other a few lengths back, in an instant Williams jumped with Zashke on his wheel, they ripped below Andy who chased hard for 350 metres to get third on the line, only just off the wheels of 2 riders who have practised their track craft at world championship level.

Andys final ride was in the Bronze medal ride off where Zashke showed his class for a confident ride to the podium.

Finishing third, 1 length down put Andy 5^th in the LVRC championship. A fantastic result from a year fraught with crashes, broken ribs, sore hips and enforced time off the bike.

Andy and I rode the Team Sprint at last years LVRC Track Champs. Although it was the reason we

started to ride the track together we weren’t well matched on the day. Fitness is important but track time and experience count for a lot, gearing is critical. Timing is critical as well, a slow start or too fast a start will wreck your ride. At the race last year I struggled for a whole lap to get on Andys wheel, so when he swung up for me to start my lap I was totally wrecked creeping round to finish in a disappointing 39.2 seconds. Cronshaw and Smith won in 35.6 seconds, we were a world apart. A year later we rode again, more track time and more confidence we hoped to get a 37 something.

The Team Sprint is an amazing event for getting everything out of yourself. You find yourself in an intense zone of effort, like riding in a muffled tunnel, where you lose your hearing and some of your vision, only aware of the screaming lungs and legs and the image of the finish line in your mind.

Andy led away from the whistle, out of the saddle for the first 175metres, I dropped onto his wheel as the first bend unwound and managed to hold his wheel all the way. Much better drilled than last year, I was starting to go through on the black line as Andy headed up the track at the end of his lap.

This time I was on top of my 94’’ gear and further wound it up for the next three quarters of a lap, only fading in the last 50 metres. We had no idea what time we did and left the Velodrome at the end of Saturdays session. It was only at the end of Sundays racing that I was told that were missing from the Team Sprint presentation the night before.

We had won the event in 36.56 beating the current champions Cronshaw and Smith team in to third place.

Open mouthed in disbelief when I was told, I stood on the top step to collect both of our medals, LVRC Team Sprint Champions. It was a real shame that Andy wasn’t there on the day, he would have been 'speechless' (this is Andy Grant I’m talking about!!!!)"