British Cycling’s masters track championships are one of the biggest events in the track racing year and Epic-Viner RT were there with Pete and Matt in full flow, with Pete emerging victorious!  Read his full report here…

The National Masters Track Championships held Newport Track on 3rd, 4th and 5th July.

Scratch Race – last year was a disaster. I was not on good form and desperately wanted a result. The upshot was I hesitated too much, found myself out of the group and never made it to the finish.

Fast forward to this year. Proudly wearing my new Epic kit, feeling generally stronger but coming into a bit of form, I made sure that I came to the weekend fresh. My plan was not to attack on my own too soon but follow moves and make sure I was never anywhere near the back.

Matt went with the first big move, about 5 riders. I came up on William Fotheringham’s wheel at between 34 and 35 mph and feeling comfortable – could this be a good day? We got to the front, swung up, then Will went.

Following my rule, I went with him. Roger Harris from Gloucester City CC came too and we were away. It felt right, we had 1/3 of a lap easily and we got our heads down. A few laps later we had about 1/3 lap to go but the other two were suffering. I raised the pace, they slowed it. So I decided it was sh1t or bust and went for the back of the bunch – and got it. I was one lap up on my own. The other two didn’t make it and all I had to do was defend.

Matt and I kept the pace as high as we could to discourage attacks. With about 15 to go, two clipped off the front. Johannes Roux, a friend I train with from Climb On Bikes went after them and I decided that the best way to defend was attack. I caught Johannes and we held the other two at a constant distance. Inside the last ten laps and I was driving as hard as possible, Matt was slowing the group.

With 3 or 4 the other two got the back of the bunch but I was 1/2 a lap ahead. Johannes and I held on – I had won my first National title – boy it felt good….. and still does.

So, to Sunday morning and the pursuit. I have heard it said that the Northern Classic, Otley Town Centre is a bar room brawl of a race. Well the pursuit is like having dinner at the Ivy with your wife’s solicitor during a rather tricky divorce – precise, controlled and deadly. You want to put your point across as strongly as possible but are afraid to be too demanding for fear of a backlash. On the other-hand, if you aren’t forceful enough you will come away empty handed. Every word has to be judged with precision. Well so too the pursuit. Beforehand you are fearful – you know it will hurt and that scares you. You have chosen a schedule, but people seem to be going well, and you feel good, so should you go faster?  The tension in the track centre is oppressive, you can sense the nerves and you know what the loos will smell like. But you have to get those thoughts out of your head. Everyone is nervous and you have spent a lot of time and energy getting here – don’t blow it now. You warm up in phases. The race yesterday has opened your legs and you still feel fresh – besides that you are a National Champion, you are going well. The last 1/2 hour. Two minute intervals on the rollers to get the sweat pouring and the blood pumping, your pacer (Chris Davis) keeps you motivated and it is now time to stop thinking and just do.

The pairing ahead of you are on the track, so far two people have gone faster than your 3min 41 second schedule, which itself is 4 seconds faster than you have ever been. Do you try and go faster? Again Chris tells you no. Its your turn. Your bike is taken from you, put in the starting gate and you climb on – fcuk!

5, 4, 3, 2, 1, go. You explode out of the gate shouting at yourself to get moving. By the end of lap 1 you are doing 30mph, out of the third banking and you are over your cruising speed of just above 31mph. You must back off on lap two or you will blow. This is a free lap. Lap three and you should be settled. You are now back at the Ivy, dinner is over and the pudding wine has just come – time to talk seriously, take some risks but tread a fine line. Chris signals you are one second up on schedule. Do you back off more? Or do you trust your instinct and go with the feel. Four laps gone and it hasn’t started hurting yet. The national squad say you should chase the speed and not the pain – the pain will come. The golden rule is that it shouldn’t start really hurting until half way through. Six laps gone, 1/2 way and you are two seconds up. It is starting to hurt. You need to stay controlled yet must go faster than planned. Your wife’s solicitor asks you for your offer of maintenance – what to say? How hard to go? Seven laps gone and you back off a bit too much – not intentionally but just lose concentration, you lose a second, the crowd go wild and Chris gets urgent. Four laps to go and you dig in, the speed gets above 33mph and it feels too hard, stay calm. Three laps to go and you are catching the rider in front, you are honing in on the end game. Two laps to go, you almost start your sprint but at this stage 500m can quickly turn into 500 miles. Hold back a fraction yet bl00dy well go for it. One lap and that is it – you feel you are increasing the speed but you are just stopping yourself getting slower. Its over. You have hurt yourself but not as much as perhaps you should, could you have gone faster? However, you know you were in control and going well – what time did you do?

It is at this point I found out that I had done a 3 min 38 second ride. 7 seconds faster than I have ever done before and I am leading the event – fuck again. Tim Lawson, last year’s winner goes in the final heat. Capable of a 3:35, he does so again. I am second but only 2.5 seconds down compared to 10 last year. I am knackered now.

Sunday afternoon and it is the points race. I am still knackered and my legs can’t go as fast as yesterday. I get a few points but can’t go with any moves and end up I think about 6th.

However, I am a national champion, I have won gold and silver at the National Master’s Track Championships and I have pursuited faster than I ever have before - target achieved.