Report by the Club President John Drake
On the 13th of October 2019 ABC Centreville member Ken Whitehead became a World Champion at the World Masters Track Championships which were held at Manchester Velodrome, the home and originator of the Masters Championships
His victory came in the 65 to 69 year-old Team Pursuit, riding for the team ‘Made in Manchester’ which consisted of two members (Bob Barber & Mervyn Wilson) who were in the winning team last year and Steve Davis, a proven pursuiter. All ride the weekly Vets SQT’s at the velodrome and have put in additional sessions over recent months to refine their team skills, including specific ‘gate starts’ along with full bore team sessions to perfect their changes and the periods that each individual does on the head of the team.
Ken also put in Individual Pursuit sessions, turbo & roller sessions and also off-the-bike weights & flexibility exercises. Along with a nutrient & protein-focused diet and the important electrolyte maintenance achieved via liquids supplemented with electrolytes. Shortly after any on-track training, home turbo or roller sessions a formulated recovery drink would be consumed to recover proteins, carbohydrates etc.
In the qualifying rounds in the morning the team produced a time for the event of 4 min 57.384 seconds which was practically 5 seconds ahead of the second team, who they would be racing against for Gold, who recorded 5min 2.393 seconds.
So a few hours later they would ride for the Gold medal and World Champions jerseys.
The team went through their warm up and preparation schedule but 15 minutes before the race start disaster struck for Ken, for a team assistant, without Ken being aware, went around the bikes and checked their tub air pressure. When attending to Ken’s rear wheel he went to increase the tub air pressure and bent then snapped the valve stem! Panic! There was then activity to source a replacement rear wheel which was luckily sourced and fitted. But such ‘panic & activity’ should not occur in the last 15 minutes when psychologically you need to be calm and totally focused.
They took the start line against a team from France, gettingt a perfect start honed by all their practice and gradually, lap by lap, they gained time and distance on the French team and caught them at a time of 3 minutes 47 seconds.
With the catch they became World Masters Champions.
Illness takes the edge off
Wednesdays Points race was not to be, for on the Monday Ken felt ‘off’ and on Tuesday was wrapped up, with his feet up, feeling groggy and as if a cold was coming on. Prudence proved stronger and more sensible then valor and Ken made the decision to miss the Points race.
So his next and final race was to be on Saturday in the Individual Pursuit over 8 laps with the qualifying round in the morning with the fastest 2 going for Gold & Silver and the next 2 for Bronze.
Ken was 9th in a time of 2min 36.089 seconds, though he had been recording 2min 31’s in practice. Bob and Steve from the Team Pursuit achieving 8th in 2 min 35.685 sec and 5th in 2 min 33.279 sec respectively. So it was to be no medal run-off for Ken or any of the ‘Made in Manchester’ team, the remnants of the grogginess and feeling ‘off’ surely having an impact along with the consequent lack of training.
A ‘flat’ end to the championships which started so well with becoming World Masters Team Pursuit Champion.
Congratulations to Ken on this fantastic achievement achieved through talent and a lot of hard work & persistence.
John Drake
Read John’s introduction to track racing
