Reading Velodrome Racing

Published: 7 June 2004

News and story from Reading Velodrome from John Dennis 7th June 2004

Some of the fastest racing seen at Reading Velodrome came out of the Caversham based A W Cycles sponsored race meeting at the weekend, despite a gusty wind that hampered riders as they entered the home straight. Brian Taylor, VC Londres, in unbeatable form repeated the treatment he meted out to win the British Derny motor paced Championship in the Stadium last year when he knocked close on a minute off his finishing time of 2003. He covered the 30 kilometres in 35mins 43 secs and was lapping the 460 metres track, at times, at more than 55 kph.

Set against several of last year?s Championship finalists, Taylor let the others have their fling in the early stages of the race, but with half the distance covered he urged his Derny motor pacemaker Colin Denman to turn up the speed which gradually spread the field out behind him. One by one the competition slipped back, but while such a performance was not unexpected from a man of Taylor?s reputation, the strongest response came from a surprising quarter. Tom Smith, 17 years old in January this year and therefore still in the junior category, held on longest of all and finished less than half a lap behind Taylor who had lapped everyone else. Tom Smith from Cardiff, now signed up with crack track specialist team, City of Edinburgh, had been invited to participate in the select event to introduce new young blood into the sport, and what a good decision that turned out to be. He is a young man clearly destined for future fame.

For pure speed over a short distance one had to look at the afternoon?s sprinting which came out of British Cycling?s National Sprinter?s League competition. Barney Storey, VC St. Raphael/Waite contracts, headed up a strong St. Raphael entry and left no doubt who was top man of the day. He was the fastest of the 12 qualifiers to proceed from the 200metres flying start time trial with a time of 11.91 seconds, the only man to crack 12 seconds on the day. In the gusty conditions on the open space that goes with outdoor Velodromes, and little in the way of banking on the corners to hit the speed of 60 kph unpaced, says much for the man?s quality.

Barney, proceeded through the competition in a similar commanding way to win the final and snatch leading position in the season long sprint series from Matthew Haynes, City of Edinburgh who, relegated by Storey in the second round, won the minor final for ultimate 3rd place. Storey?s opposition in the two up match race final was club mate Dave Heald in a shoulder to shoulder battle around the last corner and down the home straight.

Bryan Taylor was on show throughout the afternoon and took five of the ten lap sprints in the Course des Primes race before finishing his day with a resounding dominance of the 20 kms Endurance Points race. Matthew Haynes was a surprise contestant in the event, for as a sprinter he was not expected to make any solo breakaway attempts, but this he did, and stayed out in front long enough to amass enough points to claim the second prize from Martin Freeman, who has developed from being Reading Track League Champion 3 years ago.

Results:-

National Sprinter?s League 500metres.