The Masters National Track Championships took place from Friday 2nd July to Sunday 4th July, with the opportunity to compete for five titles across the three days.  As a glutton for punishment, I entered all five as usual!

Friday was all about sprinting and I was delighted to post a new personal best and the fastest flying 200m qualifying time for the women, across all age groups, with 12.451.  I had gone into the championships feeling good and this was just what I needed to get my campaign off to a good start.  Qualifying fastest, I earn the easiest route to the final and duly clinched gold there.

 On Saturday morning the heat was rising in the velodrome as we kicked off with the 500m TT.  This time I failed in my quest to be the fastest woman overall and had to settle for silver. 

If nothing else, it gave me huge motivation going into the scratch race.  I really enjoy the bunch racing and with 18 women on the track, it was a good size field and the racing was fast and aggressive.
 
British Cycling reported this race by saying “Janet Birkmyre (Orbea – For Goodness Shakes) was clearly going to control the race as she chased down each attack for the first half of the event.”  However, at just over half distance, a broken chain cause the bunch to fracture and seven riders managed to break away. 

I had been on the wrong side of the rider who lost her chain and had to chase hard to bridge to the breakaway, happily I did so in time to recover and win the sprint to take the race, securing my second title.

 By the Sunday of the championships, I am usually starting to flag a bit.  The morning session was pursuiting and happily my seeding meant that I rode last in my category.  So I knew what I had to do to win and my husband, David (who also is my coach, mechanic, tactician…) selected a schedule to do just that.  He then walked the line for me to ensure that I kept to the plan.

And then, just as the adrenaline from the pursuit has worn off, it was time to start warming up for the final event, the points race.  It had been a long hot weekend, but there was no lack of commitment from any of the riders, with a very close fight for the first sprint.  My intention was to score some points but not to give too much in this opening sprint, as I expected the attacks from the more endurance based riders to come in thick and fast and I wanted to be able to cover the moves.  There were some digs off the front, but none of the attacks came to anything and I was able to score in all of the sprints.  I had come over the line third in the first sprint, I then took second in the next and won the last two, accumulating 16 points – a winning margin of 8 points over the second placed rider, to take my fourth title of the championships.

 My next race will be the National Omnium at the Dudley Grand Prix on 11 July.