A star-studded line-up of Olympic, World and Paralympic champions will be joining the next generation of young riders in Manchester for the British National Track Championships this weekend.
It is the first Track Championships in Manchester since the track’s renovation throughout 2022, and the very best of Scottish track racing will be making the journey down the M74 and M6 for three days of exciting racing.
Endurance
World madison champion Neah Evans (Team Huub) will be the strong favourite in the women’s endurance events across the weekend. The Aberdeenshire native claimed a brace of British titles twelve months ago, with the individual pursuit and points race crowns.
Kate Richardson (Lifeplus-Wahoo) comes to these championships after a very busy winter – with the UCI Track Champions League and Tour Down Under providing great opportunities for the Glaswegian to develop, with medals very much in her sights.
Domestically Eilidh Shaw (Alba Development RT) has gone from strength to strength, with four Scottish titles on the road and track in 2023. In her first year as a UCI road rider, the Scot will look to make a bold impression in her first major event of the season.
Rising stars Erin Boothman (Tofauti Everyone Active), Arabella Blackburn (Shibden Apex RT) and Millie Thomson (Solas Cycling) are among the cohort of young riders that will be aiming to make their mark on these championships for the first time.
Keep an eye out too for the squad from Solas Cycling making their debut in the team pursuit; they come into these championships off the back of a training camp in Calpe.
In the men’s field Callum Twelves (Torres-Fernando Barcelo) and Ross Birrell (Mini Discar) will be looking to make an impact in the bunch races, as will Keir Gaffney (Vanelli-Project GO). Meanwhile aero specialist Michael Gill will be aiming for a strong time against the clock in the individual pursuit.
Sprint
Scotland’s strength in track sprinting continues to grow, with a strong showing of riders from Scottish Cycling’s Performance Programme and Glasgow Track Racing Club in action this weekend.
It will be Manchester based world silver medallist Lauren Bell (Team Inspired) who will be leading the Scots’ charge though, the GBCT rider looking to show her class. 2022 British Keirin and 500m TT champion Ellie Stone (Black Line Sprinting) will be looking for more silverware, the Scot impressing in recent months with top results in Barcelona and a debut at the UCI Track Champions League, to add to her brace of Scottish titles won back in December. Treble Scottish Champion Kirsty Johnson (Edinburgh RC) will also be looking to make her mark on the championships, with sister Sarah (Edinburgh RC) also taking to the sprint events.
European Under 23 Team Sprint champion Iona Moir (Team Inspired) makes her season debut in Manchester, where she trains week in, week out, whilst further Scots in action are Lucy Grant (Peebles CC), who is continuing her return to racing, Christina Smith (Glasgow Track RC) and Sylvia Misztal (Glasgow Track RC). Keep an eye out too for the Scotland Team Sprint squad on Sunday.
In the open events, Scottish national champion Lyall Craig (Glasgow Track RC) will be aiming for British honours in an unpredictable men’s sprint competition alongside teammate Luthais Arthur and rising stars Issac Small (Deeside Thistle) and Adam Murray (Glasgow Track RC).
Para-Cycling
The Para-Cycling events are always an exciting watch at the British Championships, with plenty of Scots in action here too.
In a Paralympic year, it’s a great opportunity for riders to test themselves in a competitive environment and a busy event, right before the Para-Track Worlds next month.
Neil Fachie OBE will be on the tandem with partner Matt Rotherham for the Sprint events – and they will be chasing their first medals of the spring, while World champions Sophie Unwin and pilot Jenny Holl are sure to set the track on fire in the women’s tandem events.
Fin Graham (Para-T) bounces back after a nasty crash at the Scottish national madison championships last month and will be in action in the endurance MC1-5 events. Keep an eye out too for Calum Deboys in the C1-5 events.
See the full start list here.
Schedule
- Friday session 1 – 11:00 start: Men’s sprint, men’s individual pursuit, women’s team pursuit, women’s scratch race, men’s C1-5 time-trial final, men’s B time-trial final, women’s C1-5 time-trial final.
- Friday session 2 – 19:00 start: Men’s sprint final, men’s individual pursuit final, women’s scratch race final, women’s 500m time-trial final, women’s team pursuit final.
- Saturday session 3 – 9:30 start: Women’s sprint, men’s points race, men’s team sprint, women’s individual pursuit, men’s C1-5 pursuit final.
- Saturday session 4 – 18:00 start: Men’s 1km time-trial final, women’s sprint final, men’s team sprint final, women’s individual pursuit final, women’s C1-5 pursuit final, men’s B pursuit final, women’s B pursuit final, men’s points race final.
- Sunday session 5 – 14:00 start: Men’s keirin final, men’s B sprint final, women’s B sprint final, women’s keirin final, men’s team pursuit final, women’s team sprint final, men’s scratch race final, women’s points race final.
The full schedule is available via the British Cycling website here
How to follow
If you fancy a trip down south, then a limited number tickets are on sale from £6.50-£14 per person, you can purchase them here.
If you’re not travelling down, then don’t fret we’ll be keeping you up to date on how all the Scots do on social media via @ScottishCycling, and you can watch every second of the action on the British Cycling YouTube Channel – follow the links below:
Friday 23 February: 10:45 – 21:50
Watch session one | Watch session two
Saturday 24 February: 09:15 – 22:25
Watch session one | Watch session two
Sunday 25 February: 08:15 – 18:40