Women's Track Training Day

26th June 2011

 

After missing out on last year’s track season due to injury, I decided to go along to the Ladies Track Training Day last Sunday for a refresher accreditation and an introduction to omnium racing.  18 of us signed on for the day and the newcomers went through the accreditation (learning how to ride safely on the track), passing with flying colours.

 We were then given a chance to try the starting gate and everyone managed this successfully except for one male rider who will remain anonymous to preserve his dignity!  Following a quick lunch break we started off the omnium with a flying 250m which was tough enough due to the nice breeze on the track. 

This was followed by an elimination race, which is never easy with sprints every lap.  Next up we had a points race over 12 laps, a four lap, four person pursuit, a 10 lap scratch race and a 500m TT using the starting gates. 

The informal racing provided us with a fun way to gain track experience and a chance to figure out what events we are most suited to.  At the end of the session we were given feedback from the coaches and our times for the 250m and 500m TTs.

The Track at Sundrive has been greatly improved over the last few years and the pavilion is a great addition to the facility.  I had a great day, learned a lot and we even got some sun!  The standard of riding was very high and we should see some exciting women’s track racing in the future. 

Many thanks to Aideen, Dave, Hugh, Stephen, John, Owen and everyone who gave up their Sunday afternoon to help us out.

 Natalie Grieve, Orwell CC

 LadiesTrackTrainingDay

We look forward to seeing more riders at our next Ladies Track Training Day on Sunday 24th July for a mock Omnium racing day in prepartion for the demo National Omium Championships in Orangefield, Belfast on 30th-31st July – to express your interest and for further information, please contact Aideen Collard on 087 4179967, E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  For more info on the Women’s Omnium, see http://www.trackcycling.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=594:womens-omnium-whats-it-about&catid=41:womens-news&Itemid=60