This year the Youth and Junior Track Nationals were held in Glasgow. I was a little nervous going in, but also excited. I wanted to do well but I tried not to put too much pressure on myself. I knew that if I raced confidently and proactively I'd be proud of my performance and hopefully the results would follow. I haven’t had lots of time on an indoor velodrome over the past two years as many facilities were closed during the pandemic. I did, however, get a little time on the boards in the run-up to the competition and so went in having a slightly better idea of how I felt on the indoor track.
The championships began for me with a 40 lap Scratch Race. This is the most simple track race to get to grips with as whoever crosses the line first on the final lap wins. This race began well. I was a part of a group of four who took a lap on the field. However, it ended on a slightly less good note. I got myself in the frustrating position of being stuck behind riders coming into the final sprint and not having any space to escape around them. I was disappointed with myself after this ride but tried to focus on the upcoming races.
The next day was an 80 lap Points race. In a Points race, as the name hints at, the riders compete to tally the most points at the end of the race. Points are gained by the first four riders to cross the line on a given points lap, in our case the points lap was every ten laps. The first rider across the line on a specific points lap gets 5 points, the second rider gets 3 points, the third gets 2 points and the fourth gets 1. If a rider laps the field they get 20 points. I had a much better race on this day and was pleased with how I rode. I was proactive and smart and brave. Not all my tactics paid off but I came away feeling much more satisfied with my performance. And I enjoyed the race. I came second in this race.
The day after was the Madison race. This race is not dissimilar to the points race but it has a twist. You ride the race in pairs and hand over an imaginary baton each time you touch. At all times, one rider is racing at the bottom of the track and one rider is resting at the top of the track. The riders learn to do a specific arm change in which the resting rider coming into race from the top of the track is swung forward by the rider on the bottom of the track. Yes, it is a bit bizarre. It’s a little difficult to describe but I’d recommend watching one on Youtube and it may give you a better idea of what I’m talking about. These races are often a little hard to follow and a bit chaotic, but very exciting. My partner and I managed to gain some points and stay with the front of the race early on. However, we began to get dropped and spent a lot of the race chasing back to the lead as best we could. At the very end, we scored some points on the final lap and came in fourth overall.
By the final day, I was starting to feel a little tired. Track nationals can be quite physically demanding, but I’ve always found that the added mental energy it takes to stay alert and race sharp can make you feel quite fatigued. On the last day, I had the Individual Pursuit, so at least I didn’t have a bunch to contend with. In this event, riders complete a set number of laps as fast as they can alone, and the quickest time wins. Junior girls do 8 laps and so the effort is quite intense and explosive. I aimed to go out hard in the first couple of laps to get up to speed, back it off for a little bit and then hold till the line. I didn’t quite get the time I’d hoped for. But I didn’t come away feeling too defeated as the fast times we not so far out of my reach and, with a bit more practise and work, they were very attainable.
All in all, Track Nationals can be described as a mixed bag. I had some good races and some less good races. On the whole, I enjoyed the experience. It was lovely seeing my friends again, the weather was glorious and we stayed in a lovely cottage in Loch Lomond. I didn’t manage to get a swim in, much to my disappointment, but I’ll just have to go back again another time.
