Talkingshop: Interviews at the Tour Series

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Talking to Olympic champion Ed Clancy, IG sprints leader Tom Scully and UK Youth’s Tobyn Horton

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Ed Clancy: “This was one of the more emotional wins. I have won bigger races than this but if there was one race I didn’t think I’d win it would be today. I didn’t think it was possible.”

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John said something this morning on Twitter about an old song ‘running on empty’ and he’s got a point; not just the riders but the managers, staff and everyone in the series. We’re only a small team and what with the track racing and the Milk Race; Kristian, Jimmy and me have done all the Tour Series rounds and races in the middle and we are tired. John is looking after us the best he can and giving us the best chance to recover but we are all tired.”

“As much as we love the Tour Series, we’re all looking forward to having a week at home!”

“It was hard watching Kristian (House) and Jimmy (James McCallum) doing all the work but I knew as soon as I put my nose in the wind there was no way I was going to get a result. I hung around tenth wheel the whole race but didn’t have the legs to make the racing and really gambled on there being a bunch sprint. If it been anything else, I wasn’t going to do anything about it because I couldn’t.”

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“With a lap to go, I made a big effort down the hill and slotted in on the back of the UK Youth train and then it was so fast with Wilko (Ian Wilkinson, UK Youth) nobody was able to move up and I was able to sit fourth wheel crossed eyed and when I came round the last turn I thought “I haven’t come this far without giving it a go and just did my usual thing. I was tired and sat in the saddle again and was waiting for Opie to come alongside me but thankfully he wasn’t here!”

“This has always been a hard circuit and I never liked it as I have never had a good race here and always been on the back foot. I felt terrible at the start and was moving up two riders at a time and eventually found myself near the front and I was hanging on the wheels.”

Ed explained how having two masters, his Rapha Condor JLT team and GB, its tough keeping everyone happy. The Olympic champion went on to explain how much the trip to Spain for an Olympic qualifying event in the Omnium took a lot out of him and that he was tired in Redditch, Canary Wharf and in his words, ‘completely useless’ on Saturday (London Nocturne).

“It is nice to get a result when you are not feeling 100 per cent”.

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Tom Scully (Team Raleigh) Winner of the IG Sprints competition on the night and extending his lead in the overall, Tom said afterwards “That was a hard race, dragging all the way up to the finish line into the wind and there wasn’t too much let up on the descent either. I think the effects of the Tour Series are really starting to kick in and there are some tired bodies out there with two rounds to go”.

“Saturday night’s win was great and one to remember with such an awesome atmosphere and the crowd unreal.” Talking about his lead in the IG Sprints competition, Tom explained “hopefully I’ll have enough energy in the next two rounds to secure it and I’ll be really happy with that”.

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Above: Tom Scully in the Gold jersey ….

Tobyn Horton – part of the winning team, UK Youth: Tobyn was one of the most aggressive riders on the night who said after the podium presentation, “it was a hard, really hard race but for us, it was a case of keeping the pressure on, trying to get us up there and in the moves.”

“There were a few times we put Raleigh under pressure which was good but it was a shame there was a headwind on the finishing straight because it meant it was easier to sit in the wheels. ”

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Tobyn on the attack….

“With a tailwind, it probably would have broken up a bit but it was a really good round for us. It is a team event, so that is the most important thing for us. We knew Ed Clancy was up there as he was floating around there in the last five laps and if he’s there, you know he’s going to be a hard one to beat. Opie did an awesome job in Canary Wharf (to beat Clancy).”

A core rider in the team during the Tour Series, Tobyn said he was really happy with how it has gone for him personally. “I have a lot to thank the team for because the main thing for me is that they have looked after me and supported me. I was riding with a back injury last year and not having that has made a big difference this year to the form.”

“So I’m really really happy but it would nice to win one!”

 

 

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