Chatting to the ever popular star of crits & track racing, Ed Clancy, double Olympic Champion and record holder
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Ed Clancy is one of a few Olympic champions we get to see racing a lot in Britain. During the summer, he’s ripping up the crits and riding road races, winning races and showing he’s one of the fastest sprinters in the country. Then, in the summer, it’s the track season and his ‘day’ job donning the GB colours and helping his teammates in the GB Cycling team win titles.
On Friday, the most experienced Team Pursuiter in the world, will be competing in yet another major competition. The laid back and laugh a minute athlete will be racing the World Cup at Manchester. Asked how the form is after a very narrow win over Russia in the Europeans, Ed replied after a long pause and very thoughtful moment, “um, we’re doing all right. We won the Europeans and it’s always good to win.â€
“You can become blasé about winning that sort of stuff riding for GB. The Russians were going well but having that said that, when you have ridden 3.51’s, 3.52s, you always want to hang on to that. You have to stay real though and let go of that stuff for a while because it’s not going to happen.â€
I put it to Ed that of the four in the Europeans, and probably on the track at Manchester, three of them prepared and were part of the team at the London Olympics; Ed Clancy, Steven Burke and Andy Tennant. Ed agreed adding “And Andy could have rode in theory so essentially we have good riders here.â€
Why they are slower now than in London, Ed explains “we’ve just come off the back of a road season and we don’t have the same sort of training camps like we do in Olympic year and that all adds up.â€
Asked if the training in Olympic year is a lot different to the ones in between, he replied “yes. Every road ride you do in Olympic year, isn’t about the Tour Series, or the Tour of Britain. It’s purely about that one or two Team Pursuit rides you have to do in the middle of summer. In Olympic year, you’re always in a controlled environment. GB do a real good job looking after you in Olympic year.â€
“You’re never out of the training camp really and when you are at home, you have nutritionists and sports scientists flying around to everyone all the time. So, I think we did an alright performance at the Europeans all things considered.â€
“At the World Cup, we’ll want to do an even better job in the Team Pursuit and go a bit quicker.â€
Asked if it’s going to be a busy winter, Ed’s answer highlights what disarray the international track season is in with only two World Cups confirmed. “We don’t know. There are World Cups we don’t know about yet. I don’t know what I’m riding next week though, never mind during the winter!â€
Flashback: 2005 and Ed (centre) rode the first round but never got a jersey or Gold medal. Since then, he’s won a houseful of both along with World records.
“If I am going to ride the Worlds Omnium, I am going to have to do a World Cup. Originally we thought I’ll do it at Manchester but it’s the same day as Team Pursuit and I want to ride the Team Pursuit of course.â€
“These are not my decisions though but I would like to ride Team Pursuit but I need to ride an Omnium. So will I go to Mexico (second World Cup) on my own and do it there or is the whole team going or is an Academy team going.â€
“Right at this moment, I don’t know the answers to what I will be doing on Friday. Whether I’ll ride qualifying for the Team Pursuit and then get on with the Omnium or just do the final of the Team Pursuit and do the best I can in the Omnium. Or just scrap the Omnium and ride the Team Pursuit and do an Omnium elsewhere!â€
“We don’t as yet know where or if there is going to be a third World Cup.†The one thing we do know is the Worlds are in Cali (Columbia)! We’re trying to be flexible with the track doing general work. We trained through the Europeans and we’ll train through Manchester to a certain extent. We’ll have some sort of taper I’m guessing.â€
Note: as this was written, GB announced who is riding what in the world cup, see below.
The road season 2013
The track is just part of what Ed does though. Whilst it was quite spectacular to watch him win the Scratch race at the Revolution meeting last Saturday night, it’s also the same to see him winning big bunch kicks in the Tour Series and so on.
Looking ahead to how he approaches the road season in 2014/15, he explains “The one next year with the Commonwealth Games is a funny one. I am guessing though next year will be similar to this year but with a track event halfway through it.â€
“It’s similar to the Olympic year where we did most of the Tour Series and then you get on the track. Being the Commonwealth Games, we probably won’t dedicate as much to it as we would the Olympic Games.â€
Looking back at 2013, he agrees he had a good year and dethroned Dean Downing as the most ‘winningest’ rider in the Tour Series. “Those Tour Series things are hard to win. Even if you are a quick finisher, it’s hard to get to the finish these days.â€
“But I really enjoyed it. I enjoy the road perhaps as much as the track, at least as much, and I have had a real good year with the team and am happy I am sticking there next year.â€
Asked how the new signings including known fast finishers Graham Briggs and Chris Opie, will change the dynamic of the team managed by John Herety, he replies “Me, Opie, Briggsy, etc are known as fast finishers but Briggsy and Opie can climb alright too. Me not so much!â€
“When Briggsy is on form, like he was in the second half of this road season, there aren’t many who can get rid of him on a climb. I think the hardest Tour Series round we’ve had, the one at Durham in 2012, I think he was fourth or fifth and that is a hard circuit to get round for a so called sprinter.â€
“So I do think we have a strong team next year. John has done well as JLT still want that development side of the team but I think they’re also keen to get some big wins and results.â€
Anyone who knows Ed will admit he does seem to be pretty happy with his lot and why wouldn’t he. Asked if life is better outside of the pressures of Olympic year, he admits for certain there is less pressure and expectation outside of the Olympics.
“I do miss the fact you have everything at your disposal though in Olympic year. The resources you have for your cycling in Olympic year, it’s almost unlimited whereas in other years, like at the track worlds, we’ll have limited training camps and new bits of sport science and thatâ€
“It’s not quite as exciting when you’re not trying to change the game and set world records and instead just going round developing teams and picking up points. Its not the same buzzâ€.
Team Sprint
Finally, many will remember Ed having a go at Team Sprint before returning to Team Pursuit. Asked if his flirting with the sprint squad was now dead and buried, Ed replied “the team sprint experiment worked alright but as we know, it didn’t make much of an improvement (to the times).â€
“At the end of the day, I’m a quick track rider. I might not be a Phil Hindes or Jason Kenny, that quick off the line, but if I can get off the line with them, I can do a good last lap. So I think I’ll leave the Team Sprint on the side but you never know.â€
“I haven’t given up on it completely. Let’s say for example coming into Olympic year for some reason man three (Team Sprint has three riders) is struggling then I’ll stick my hand up and say I’d like to be considered for selection. But that’s not the ideal way to do it and there are some good sprinters coming through as well so we’ll see.â€
As fast as Ed is though, you can see how much he enjoys the camaraderie of the Team Pursuit. As proud he is of the Olympic bronze medal in the Omnium, it’s the Team Pursuit medals he enjoys. He’s a team player through and through and he will for sure, he a rider worth watching at the Manchester World Cup after what we saw at Revolution!
Good luck Ed!
GB TEAM AND THEIR EVENTS – MANCHESTER WORLD CUP
Friday 1 November
Men’s team pursuit
Steven Burke
Ed Clancy
Owain Doull
Sam Harrison
Andy Tennant
Women’s team pursuit
Elinor Barker
Dani King
Joanna Rowsell
Laura Trott
Men’s team sprint
Kian Emadi
Philip Hindes
Jason Kenny
Women’s team sprint
Becky James
Vicky Williamson
Men’s omnium
Jon Dibben
Women’s scratch race
Dani King
Saturday 2 November
Men’s omnium
Jon Dibben
Women’s individual pursuit
Joanna Rowsell
Women’s sprint
Becky James
Jess Varnish
Women’s omnium
Laura Trott
Men’s keirin
Jason Kenny
Men’s individual pursuit
Steven Burke or Andy Tennant
Men’s points race
Owain Doull
Sunday 3 November
Women’s omnium
Laura Trott
Women’s points race
Elinor Barker
Men’s scratch race
Owain Doull
Women’s keirin
Becky James
Men’s sprint
Matt Crampton
Jason Kenny
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- Features, Reports, Results
- TT Result: Southern Counties CU 10m TT
- TT Result: Gillingham & Dist Whs Hardriders
- TT Result: Southern Counties CU 25m TT
- Startlist: Azets Spring Classic
- SUNDAY: CiCLE Classic (Women/Junior Men)
- The Pedal Club: March Report
- Sportive raising money for charity: Dartmoor Classic
- TT Result: Maidenhead & District CC 15m TT
- TT Result: Manchester & District TTA Time Trial
- TT Result: Cardiff Ajax CC 10m TT
- TT Result: Yorkshire Cycling Federation 10m TT
- TT Result: Pendle Forest CC Hilly TT
- TT Result: Plomesgate CC 10m TT
- Crit Results: Exeter University Early Season Crits
- Crit Result: March Hare Classic
- Crit Result: Haus RT Darley Moor #3
- Crit Result: No Nonsense Circuit Races 1
- Crit Result: Spring MK Bowl Circuit Series
- RR Result: Halesowen Academy Road Race
- Track Result: First Division Manchester Track League
- Crit Result: LUCC Spring Crit Series 2
- Crit Result: Spokes RT Season Starter 2
- TT Result: Banbury Star CC Hardriders TT
- TT Result: Tavistock Whs Sporting TT
- TT Result: Maldon & District CC Hilly TT
- HC Result: Darlington CC Hill Climb
- TT Result: Barrow Central Wheelers 20.2m TT
- TT Result: GTR – Return To Life Two Up TT
- Crit Result: Brownlee Centre (Leeds)
- RR Result: The Peaks Two Day (Day 2)
- RR Result: The Peaks Two Day (Day 1)
- Classic News: 63rd Wally Gimber trophy
- Product News: Time Trial Tyre
- Crit Result: Westpoint Youth Stage Race
- Video Interviews 2023: Ollie Peckover
- British Road Championships at Redcar/Saltburn
- TT Result: Southern Counties CU 21m TT
- Track Result: First Division Manchester Track League
- Crit Result: Full Gas Spring Rumble Series #2
- TT Result: City RC Hull 2-Up TTT
Other News on VeloUK
- Startlist: Azets Spring Classic
- SUNDAY: CiCLE Classic (Women/Junior Men)
- The Pedal Club: March Report
- Sportive raising money for charity: Dartmoor Classic
- Classic News: 63rd Wally Gimber trophy
- Product News: Time Trial Tyre
- British Road Championships at Redcar/Saltburn
- STARTLIST: Junior Men/Women’s CiCLE Classic
- Entry List: The Peaks 2 Day (18/19 March)
- News: Conti’s Strongest GP 5000 Tyre
- Startlist: Harold H Nelson Memorial Day of Racing
- Team News: Halesowen A & CC Academy 2023
- News: Saint Piran Women to go UCI
- NEWS: 2023/24 Cyclocross National Trophy/Champs
- Startlists: Proper North Road Race Series (Capenwray)
- 61st Eddie Soens – Rider List
- World Masters Track Championships 2023
- News: Contiki support women’s cycling initiative
- EVENTS: Portsmouth’s Mountbatten Centre
- News: Ribble Launch Collective to Ride As One
- Startlist: 39th Jock Wadley Memorial RR
- News: 3 weeks to Women’s & Junior Men’s CiCLE Classics
- News: New Moda Bikes for Cycling Sheffield
- News: The Pedal Club Lunch (February)
- News: Alice Towers Debuts for Canyon/SRAM
- Startlist: VC St Raphael Classic TT
- News: Trinity Announces 2023 Team
- News: Cycling Brands LTD to Launch Crowdfunding Campaign
- Q&A with young organiser James Hawkins
- Q&A: Erin Murphy (Alba Dev Road Team)
- Team Feature: Hutchinson/Brother UK
- Events: Spring MK Bowl Circuit Series
- Events: RCR Fatcreations Road Race
- Team News: DAS Handsling Women’s UCI Team
- News: GB for European Track Championships
- Q&A: Sophie Lankford (Alba Team)
- News: Rayner Foundation’s Gateway Project
- News: Star Names Sign up for Saint Piran 05/03 Team
- News: 58th Perfs Pedal RR
- News: GB Team for CX Worlds