This year my track worlds started with the team's pursuit and with a very inexperienced team we were unsure how we would go. Well we qualified 4th, which with the time we rode surprised the hell out of us, but you can only ride to the conditions and this showed that we were right up there. In the second ride we rode the Russians.  We went into this ride with a lot of confidence of beating them.  We had qualified faster, but only just. Everything was going well until disaster struck with 2 laps to go,  I pulled up to see 2 riders,  so I swung down but just couldn't close the gap so therefore they beat us. If we had of finished together then it would have been close�.but�.never mind, these things happen.

 

Next up for me came the Madison. Greg Henderson was my partner. Well we went into this 51km race hoping to do well, but in an event like this experience plays a huge part. So we sat down the night before and discussed our plans. We decided that the race would be won on laps taken, so we geared right down knowing that the crunch would come late in the race and if you were on a bigger gear then you would be in trouble. We sat in for the first half of the race; actually we did nothing at all. Then about mid way through we won a sprint. Just before this sprint 2 teams got a lap up. Anyway I crashed with 60 laps to go, I gave Hendy the 'get ready' call, he gave me the wait till the French attack. Sure enough the French attacked, and as soon as they were caught I launched right round the outside of the bunch�. booooooof hahahyeah gone!  I got a gap instantly and threw Hendy in (who was biting at his bit) and he rode flat stick to sling me in.  We rode 20 laps or so like this until we were only meters off the back. When you are just about there and the bunch starts to sprint and then gap you, shit starts forming in ya shammy! But we played it cool, and battled through to finally get on and settle. We were then told we had to beat the Argentineans to finish in 2nd spot as we were tied. Hendy slung me in with 2 laps to go and I rolled straight past the buggars!

 

So there you have it�. 2nd in the world. Crossing the finish line I had the most amazing feeling running through me�tried to find Greg during the few laps I did rolling but couldn't as he was straight on the phone to NZ. It was unreal to think that the 2 of us have only rode 1 Madison together before this and we finished 2nd, and I know we were the strongest in the race as we were the only team to take the lap solo. Now the tough time comes as everyone knows us and we will be watched a lot more closely next year. But I know that we have what it takes.

 

So now I am back in Belgium, starting to get some good miles in before my first race on the 19th. I have some good races coming up with Cofidis, the biggest being Paris-Tours world cup race�.I cant wait!