Revolution #2 (Manchester)
24-Jan-2004

Report by Phil Ingham, Photos by Larry Hickmott (British Cycling)

The second Revolution Track meeting saw another packed house enjoying some top-quality racing at the Manchester Velodrome. An array of British Olympic hopefuls, headed by world champion Bradley Wiggins, locked horns with some top Europeans, including the cream of the Greek endurance team, who have been in the UK this week training.

The racing itself got off to a spectacular start with a huge field contesting the 6km Motor Scratch race. The pace of the race as it wound into the last four laps was incredible and the GB stalwarts Tony Gibb, Chris Newton, Rob Hayles and Brad Wiggins were all at the front of the field, clearly determined to get things moving with a home win. On the line it was Wiggins who took a hugely popular win - his first in Credit Agricole colours - from Austria's Roland Garber, with Hayles third. However, it was interesting to see the Greek riders well placed and clearly keen to make a mark on the evening's proceedings.

In the Elite 1500m Time Trial, the Greeks duly made their mark with I Tamouridis storming round the six laps to record 1m 42.355s, almost two seconds quicker than Chris Newton is second, with a very fit and keen looking Tony Gibb third a further second back.

The Madison Time Trial allowed the riders to show off their hand-sling skills at the mid-point hand-over. Rob Hayles and James Taylor looked both slick and quick in recording 58.890 seconds, almost a second quicker than the second placed duo Chris Newton and Tony Gibb, the only other team to dip under a minute.

Chris Newton did his usual demolition job on the opposition in the Points race, showing tremendous leg speed and acceleration to take the opening two sprints and second in the third sprint after I Tsakouridis took the five point with a lone break. Roland Garber won the final sprint, but by then Newton had things wrapped up, though he scored again with a third place. Also going well in the race was Russell Downing, who scored in the first three sprints and took second overall.

The final elite race of the evening, the 10km Scratch, was a classic with numerous attacks. Brad Wiggns, Rob Hayles and Tony Gibb all made their moves in the last five laps, but they were swallowed up by the overseas contingent who dominated the last lap, the win going to Roland Garber by a tyre from V Anastopoulos of Greece, who, like all his team-mates, showed a determination to entertain as much as race, lifting his wheel as he crossed the line in an effort to hold off the Austrian. Third was another Greek rider, G Ninos, with Malcolm Ellliott fourth. Elliott was unlucky in that he was boxed in as he made his move at the start of the last lap, when he looked like he might have the legs to claim the win.

ELITE 1500M T

Heat 1
H Pritchard 1m 45.724s beat B Steel 1.50.474

Heat 2
T. Gibb 1.45.713 beat M Elliott 1.48.367

Heat 3
R. Hayles 1.46.019 beat R. Garber 1.46.355

Heat 4
I Tamouridis 1.42.355 beat P Manning 1.50.289

Heat 5
C. Newton 1.44.062 beat J Neuville 1.51.269

OVERALL
1. Ioannis Tamouridis Greece
2. Chris Newton Corima RT
3. Tony Gibb Plowman Craven RT
4. Huw Pritchard Angliasport
5. Rob Hayles WCPP
6. Roland Garber Austria
7. Malcolm Elliott Pinarello RT
8. Paul Manning VC St Raphael
9. Bryan Steel Team Chilwell
10. Jerome Neuville France

1KM MADISON TIME TRIAL

1. Rob Hayles WCPP 58.890
James Taylor City Of Edinburgh

2. Tony Gibb Plowman Craven RT 59.860
Chris Newton Corima RT


3. Barney Storey VC St Raphael 1.00.447
4. James Notley VC St Raphael

4. Vasileios Anastopoulos Greece 1.00.560
Ioannis Tamouridis Greece

5. Russell Downing 1.00.765
Dean Downing John Saey RT

6. Jerome Neuville France 1.01.310
Roland Garber Austria

7. Geraint Thomas. Cardiff Jif 1.02.492
Tom Smith City Of Edinburgh

8. Jon Norfolk Yasumitsu Schlapp 1.02.694
Ian George Yasumitsu Schlapp

9. Paul Manning VC St Raphael 1.04.158
Bryan Steel Team Childwell

10. Ray Clarke Ireland 1m 13.817
Malcolm Goggin Ireland

ELITE 15KM POINTS RACE

1. Chris Newton Corima RT 15
2. Russell Downing 7
3. Roland Garber Austria 5
4. Ioannis Tsakouridis Greece 5
5. Ioannis Tamouridis Greece
6. Kristian House PCA-Orbea
7. Malcolm Elliott Pinarello RT
8. Steven Deneef Belgium
9. Vasileios Anastopoulos Greece
10. Elpidoforos Potouridis Greece
11. Bradley Wiggins Credit Agricole
12. Paul Manning VC St Raphael
13. Geraint Thomas Cardiff Jif
14. Tom Walters Dataphonics RT
15. Georgios Ninos Greece
16. Kieran Page SP Systems-Wightlink
17. Bruce Edgar Dataphonics RT
18. Bryan Steel Team Chilwell
19. Rob Hayles WCPP
20. Ed Clancy Wheelspin Cycles
21. Tom Smith City of Edinburgh
22. James Notley VC St Raphael

Sprint 1 C Newton
Sprint 2 C Newton
Sprint 3 I Taskouridis
Sprint 4 R Garber

ELITE 10KM SCRATCH RACE

1. Roland Garber Austria
2. Vasileios Anastopoulos Greece
3. Georgios Ninos Greece
4. Malcolm Elliott Pinarello RT
5. Chris Newton Corima RT
6. Elpidoforos Potouridis Greece
7. Ioannis Tsakouridis Greece
8. Kieren Page SP Systems-Wightlink
9. Tom White VC Des Londres
Time: 11.50.085


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