Race Reports by Hugh Trenchard

Breakaway attempts began nearly immediately, each one threatening. Different combinations were tried: Bob was off on his own for 2 and half laps, Don Gilmour (my team-mate) and another were out; Vaughan and another, and other combinations. I also found myself at the front a few times early on, chasing or keeping the pace high.

Two thirds into the race, after Scott Martin and another were off the front on a very dangerous breakaway and some high-speed chasing with gaps opening everywhere, I counter-attacked just as those two were brought back. The efforts were taking their toll on the riders; my attack well-timed. Very quickly I put nearly 30seconds on the group. I was twisting myself to hold the pace into the difficult headwind along the backstretch, but that was where I was going to make time if anywhere, I knew.

After over 10 minutes out front, holding the 30 second gap, I could hear people from the side shouting that someone was chasing and that he and I should work together. Alistair Howard, whose brother Malcolm is off to the Olympics as a member of the mens-Eight rowing team, was crossing the gap. With about 7 minutes to go, he caught me. We worked together: he pulled up the windy stretch, I pulled down the long tailwind straight-aways. Somewhere behind the pack was bearing down on us.

With two laps to go, just after my pull, Alistair attacked up the windy stretch. I was nearly spent and couldn’t grab his wheel. He opened 5- 10 seconds through the last lap and to the finish for a well-deserved win, and I was elated with my second place effort.