Rider Report – World Champion Ian Humphreys

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British rider Ian Humphreys coached by Trainsharp defends World Masters title on the track in Manchester last week

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Rider Report – World Champion Ian Humphreys

Britain’s Ian Humphreys, who is coached by Trainsharp, successfully defended his 2k World Masters Pursuit title last week as well as finishing second in the World Masters 3k Team Pursuit, 4th in the World Masters Points Race and 5th in the World Masters Scratch Race for his age category.

Picture credits to SteveWaltonMoovingStill.com

Ian Humphreys world pursuit
Ian writes … As defending champion, I was in the last heat against BC silver medallist Chris Davis for the World Masters 2000 metre Individual Pursuit. After the first kilometre, I could see my opponent but was just focussing on my trackside helper shouting the splits, finishing with a ’28’, the only rider under ’30’.

The final saw me race against Ivan Colig, winner of the Scratch race and the Australian Pursuit champion. Ivan was riding 50 X 13, whereas I was on 50 X 14. Knowing this, I went out as I usually do, fast.

I opened with a sub 22 second opening lap and about two seconds up and I continued to hold my advantage however my opponent did come back a little but that cost him in the latter stages with the gap going back to just over 1.5″.

Going into the last lap, I was not sure that it was the last lap as the bell was somewhat muted but I did hear Ivan’s bell before the gun then sounded. In both rides, my legs felt fine compared to in the past, prior to working with TrainSharp, my repeatability was always a weakness with usually two second difference.

Ian Humphreys world team pursuit

World Masters 3000 metre Team Pursuit
Riding off last, we knew that we only had to beat 3.40 of a composite team made up of two New Zealanders, a South African and Chilean rider. We did not have to better the USA who set the fastest time. We rode OK with one rider struggling and bailing out early giving me an extra turn at the finish but that was ok.

In the final we introduced a good friend and teammate from the 1978 Commie Games team to replace the rider who was struggling. So in the final we were trying to overturn a four second deficit. We went out too fast though and were up on the USA but the hairline cracks were appearing with messy changes which resulted in extra efforts to close the gaps.

This saw us break up a bit. I could not tell you where I was, how many turns I had done or when I missed a change. It was game over. We did go four seconds faster but lost to a team that had been practicing and knew what they could do.

Ian Humphreys world track medal pic

World Masters Points Race
This was agony! I slipped off the front and dangled there for nine laps, taking 3 points in the first sprint but maximum (5) in the next one putting me on eight with only two sprints left.
I paid for my efforts though and three riders attacked and got a gap. Nobody covered the move so only Steve Davis tried to help but then the others put the onus on me.

How I tried to stop the three working together getting a lap but unfortunately I was caught with one lap remaining. Very very disappointing given two Brits could not beat the mighty Ivan Colig.

World Masters Scratch Race
I felt fine in this event and again went off the front for four laps just to tempt someone into a move. Sadly, no one took the bait and further into the race, I went away for two laps with a bit more commitment but was chased down.

With two and a half laps to go, I attacked again and got the gap but was overhauled going into turn three. With only twenty laps, the races are turning into sit in and sprint events and personally I would try and make something happen rather than follow.

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