London Track World Cup 5-7 December

Beasty

Martyn Irvine has been named in the Ireland team. It will be pretty remarkable if he has recovered sufficiently to take part in the Omnium. The CI website is showing him as "TBC"

Full Start List:

Men
Cormac Clarke (Team Pursuit)
Sean Downey (Team Pursuit)
Thomas Fallon (Team Pursuit)
Martyn Irvine (Omnium)
Eoin Mullen (Sprint, Kierin)
Javan Nulty (Team Pursuit)

Women
Lydia Boylan (Team Pursuit)
Lauren Creamer (Team Pursuit)
Josie Knight (Team Pursuit)
Shannon McCurley (Kierin)
Caroline Ryan (Team Pursuit, Omnium)
Mel Spath

The Team pursuit qualification has already started with the women's team currently lying 8th with 4 teams to go

Highlights of today's events will be on the BBC red button at around 11pm. For anyone that can get BBC website coverage it starts at just before 7pm

Beasty

Full details of BBC coverage:

Red Button
Friday, December 05, 2014 23:00-02:30 Re-run - Women/Men Elite - Day 1 - London

Saturday, December 06, 2014 08:00-11:30 Re-run - Women/Men Elite - Day 1 - London

Saturday, December 06, 2014 18:55-22:10 Live - Women/Men Elite - Day 2 - London

Sunday, December 07, 2014 15:35-18:45 Live - Women/Men Elite - Day 3 - London

BBC One
Saturday, December 13, 2014 14:30-16:30 (TBC) 90-120 minutes highlight - Women/Men Elite - London

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Martyn Irvine asked to start the Omnium:
http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/martyn-irvine-urged-to-start-world-cup-1.2025977

He's only a week or two after his operation is he not? I understand why he has to do it but Ouch.

Beasty

Someone like Javan Nulty would have relished the opportunity to give it a go. Clearly if required (which looks unlikely) Martyn will come up to the line, take a start and hope like hell he doesn't fall off before Brian Nugent catches him....

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It's for Olympic qualifying, which I understand but he's not out of the sling yet! It's gonna be a really sore lap of the track! Presumably he is on a lot of painkillers too which would contravene doping regs (even though it's totally justified!) Would he not have to get a TUE?

nak

gadetra wrote: »

It's for Olympic qualifying, which I understand but he's not out of the sling yet! It's gonna be a really sore lap of the track! Presumably he is on a lot of painkillers too which would contravene doping regs (even though it's totally justified!) Would he not have to get a TUE?

Don't think so for painkillers and if 2 weeks post op maybe off them. A lot of pros are back on the bike 2 weeks after surgery. Marianne Vos won gold at London Olympics 3 weeks after breaking her collarbone - opted not to have surgery.

Beasty

gadetra wrote: »

It's for Olympic qualifying, which I understand but he's not out of the sling yet! It's gonna be a really sore lap of the track! Presumably he is on a lot of painkillers too which would contravene doping regs (even though it's totally justified!) Would he not have to get a TUE?

The article says he will be examined by the doctor. If the doctor says he can't start (which must be the case), it still counts as "attending"

As I understand it through this is initially to do with qualifying for the Worlds. You need to attend Europeans and all World Cup events to maximise chances of getting there. The Worlds (as well as World Cups) do carry Olympic qualification points

Alas the guys are currently last in the Team Pursuit qualification with only the top 2 seeds still to go

Harrybelafonte

Beasty wrote: »

Alas the guys are currently last in the Team Pursuit qualification with only the top 2 seeds still to go

I wonder what's going on there? They're good strong lads.

mark kiernan

yea we could do with an understudy for martyn for this type of thing
javan would do himself justice
but the rules dont allow it as far as i know
as for the kids in the team pursuit ,they we always going to be up against it without the 2 motorbikes ryan and martyn but the more they ride the better they will get
same for the girls

Beasty

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

I wonder what's going on there? They're good strong lads.

Yes but they are completely lacking in competitive experience with Martyn Irvine missing (they were only 3s faster than he managed on his own when setting the current Irish record and about 6s outside the time they set with him in the team last time)

Beasty

mark kiernan wrote: »

but the rules dont allow it as far as i know

I thought the rules meant that qualification for the Worlds was based on the individual rather than the team. That's what one of the Team GB coaches told me. The article linked above refers to country rather than rider which is what I was going on above. Looking at the Olyumpic qualification rules it does seem to focus on NOC quotas rather than individuals. The only criteria applicable to individuals is that they must have at least 10 Olympic ranking points

So putting Javan in could have initially helped on Olympic qualification, but not in qualifying for the Worlds. I guess the fact the Worlds carry more Olympic qualiofication points than WC events must have swayed them into pushing Martyn forward

mark kiernan

ahh rules beasty ,dont go there
we will both end up in therapy !!!!!!!

Beasty

Javan's in the points race later on EDIT: together wih Cormac Clarke

Martyn's at the blue line in the Omnium scratch!!

Lydia finished a very credible 13th (out of 24) in the women's scratch

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nak wrote: »

Don't think so for painkillers and if 2 weeks post op maybe off them. A lot of pros are back on the bike 2 weeks after surgery. Marianne Vos won gold at London Olympics 3 weeks after breaking her collarbone - opted not to have surgery.

Depends entirely on how you break it and what kind of break it is. His looked pretty awful, although I read on his blog he was back in the gym lifting weights the day before his op! (not with that arm obviously!) It will be secure now it's pinned I suppose.

Do you not need a TUE for painkillers? I suppose the MPCC code doesn't apply to track or does it?

nak

gadetra wrote: »

Depends entirely on how you break it and what kind of break it is. His looked pretty awful, although I read on his blog he was back in the gym lifting weights the day before his op! (not with that arm obviously!) It will be secure now it's pinned I suppose.

Do you not need a TUE for painkillers? I suppose the MPCC code doesn't apply to track or does it?

It doesn't apply. Painkillers such as codeine, NSAIDs etc are allowed, no strong opiates (trying to cycle on them would be interesting).

The pros have access to the best medical care and some people can put themselves through severe pain to compete (don't think it's right, but up to the individual). Danny Pedrosa competed in a Moto GP race with 2 broken ankles and had to be lifted on and off the bike. Madness.

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nak wrote: »

It doesn't apply. Painkillers such as codeine, NSAIDs etc are allowed, no strong opiates (trying to cycle on them would be interesting).

The pros have access to the best medical care and some people can put themselves through severe pain to compete (don't think it's right, but up to the individual). Danny Pedrosa competed in a Moto GP race with 2 broken ankles and had to be lifted on and off the bike. Madness.

It's insane. Didn't Geraint Thomas race the Tour with a broken pelvis? They really are a breed apart.

nak

gadetra wrote: »

It's insane. Didn't Geraint Thomas race the Tour with a broken pelvis? They really are a breed apart.

He did indeed, must have been fun.

Beasty

While I appreciate this is something that is part of the culture within cycling, I think the authorities should be stopping anyone who is not fit to ride (particularly anyone with a head injury), or could possibly make their own injuries worse, or indeed risk others in the race, by their lack of ability to be on top of their cycling and completely in control of their bikes. Cyclists are generally fitter, racing on occasions is getting faster and it seems to me that too many racers are prepared to take too many risks

In other news Caroline Ryan finished 17th in the scratch race in the Omnium.

Beasty

.... and a DNF for Martyn in the men's equivalent

Beasty

Interesting to see an electric derny - a bit of a contrast with the full motorbike, including windshield, headlights and mirrors that was on display at the last event

CramCycle

Beasty wrote: »

.... and a DNF for Martyn in the men's equivalent

Does that mean he just rolled out and pulled up or what happened?

Beasty

CramCycle wrote: »

Does that mean he just rolled out and pulled up or what happened?

Not seen anything "official" but he could have been in no condition to race. Whether he had a medical and got out without getting on the bike I don't know - I guess with a rolling start and neutralised first lap if he had to "take part" he would have had to do just over a lap

Just been a hectic but very entertaining madison - 56+km/h average speed with Mark Christian and Owain Doull taking it. Caroline Ryan is quite a way off the pace in the Omnium and will need a lot of points in the points race to make any inroads tomorrow.