June 30/05 11:50 am - Track Nationals Day 1 Session 2 (Results and Story)

Posted by Editor on 06/30/05
 

Canadian National Track Championships Calgary AB
Courtesy Kurt Innes

The first day of the 2005 Track Nationals has concluded in Calgary. Despite worries earlier in the week when it was raining, conditions were close to perfect today, with temperatures in the mid-20s and little wind. We spoke with two of the winners of national titles which were awarded today - Gina Grain (Victory Brewing), who won the Women's Scratch Race, and Travis Smith (Alberta), who won the Kilo, setting a new track record in the process.

Gina Grain: "It was an active race, with two attacks and a few counters, but I just kept a steady pace. Five laps before the end it really started to pick up. Jenny Trew did a really good attack with a lap to go, and Mandy (Poitras) got on her wheel, and then I got on Mandy's. Mandy went with about 300 metres to go and I just stayed on her wheel and focussed. I kept telling myself 'fast legs, fast legs' until the last 100 metres, when I was able to come up beside her. It was a real photo finish, it was so close."

Travis Smith: "I wanted to break 1:06; a 1:05 was never been done at the Nationals, and I felt good, so I went for the record. I knew I was riding well, because I broke the flying one kilometre in T-Town (Trexlertown, Pennsylvania) last week, and that record's been up for 20 years. The conditions were pretty good here tonight; 20C and minimal winds, so it was fast for Calgary. Plus, I had lots of mosquitoes chasing me around the track (laughs)."

Was the removal of the Kilo from the Olympics a factor, was it harder to get motivated? "Yeah, it was definitely harder to get motivated, it took the wind out of my sails when I heard about it. But, I decided that I can't dwell on it, that I have to make my focus more on the Keirin now. Right now my main goal is the Commonwealth Games (in Melbourne, Australia next March)"

Why do you think you are faster now than at the Worlds in March? "Some of it's the time of year; less training more racing, so I'm not into as heavy a workload. I switched coaches after (Pan Am Championships in) Argentina, I was working with Erin Hartwell, but Roger Young and Jamie Staff approached me, and I am working with them now. It's awesome to be coached by a world champion (Staff). Right now, we are working a lot more on acceleration, getting big gear strength on the bike instead of the weight room."

Kurt Innes also supplied some commentary in the racing:

AWESOME racing all around. The Junior Women's Scratch was HOT, Monique Sullivan (of Calgary, 16yrs old) came through in the final 100 Meters to win in super cool style over a very competitive group of girls.

The Senior Women's Scratch came down to a great sprint ... Gina winning it.

The Men's Kilo's produced two track records here in Calgary, with Eric Smith (16yrs old ) from Calgary setting a Junior track record and Calgary's Travis Smith, now living in Los Angeles, also setting a new track record for the Calgary track, and from memory, the fastest ever Canadian time within Canada.

Keep in mind that the Canadian National record is held by Curt Harnett (1:03.11) was set at altitude in Colorado Springs in 1986 at the Worlds. So Travis' time today is truly world class!!

Thanks to the volunteers and to the Oval Crew (organizers extrordinaire), and the top notch commissaires (Mike Shea and team).


Day 1 - Session 2