The Marion Clignet Diary 2000
French National TitlesFriday July 21: After managing to sqeeze 2 suitcases, 3 boxes, 2 bags, 4 wheels, and 3 frames into my Peugeot 306 off I went back to France...in search of some national titles. Track championships were to start on July 24 with my events starting the 25th. Seeing as last year's nationals were new to me after 2 years off and I only got 2nd and 3rd...this year they were supposed to confirm my victories at the World Championships in Berlin last October. They were also my last Olympic selection races. I expected the competition to be hot as both young junior world pursuit champion Vanderkerkove and Longo had anounced to the press that they intended on going to the Olympics in the pursuit and points race. So after 8 hours of driving I met up with my coach for the week, Phillipe, and we went off for a quiet spin. Saturday morning got onto the wood for my traditional warm up routines and was a bit off but ok. Sunday I must admit I've never seen myself put in such fast times for flying 1k's and left the track happy and prepared for war. Tuesday morning I got to the track around 8.30. There was still dew on the track but folks were riding so off I went hitting a blue line on the sunny side of the track that was mysteriously wet. I managed an artistic fall leaving a small piece of my hip on the wood, an unfortunate hole in my new world champion skinsuit, but at least I elevated my heart rate a bit eh? I went off in the second to last series and up till my ride the girls were all in the 4 minute range. The junior men who had ridden just before were mostly in the 3.38's with one at 3.33 so...off I went lapping my oppnent almost twice to clock a 3.38. Longo was second time with 3.53. and young Vanderkerkove opted to ride with the juniors. Second ride I got to ride alone so we opted for a slower ride keeping it at 3.40. With Longo still having a 2nd time at 3.51. Finals on Wednesday afternoon. The hardest part was waiting until 6pm to race. The track was in use so I warmed up behind the car. I opted with Phillipe to ride against the clock for the first km and worry about Longo from there. My thought was that by the 6th lap I should have her in sight...and from there I did see her out of the corner of my eye hitting the same back straight as her on lap 8 and finishing the race a lap ahead - 3.39 to her 3.49! Ooooffff. What a relief! Now the points race. We weren't going to be a huge peloton - 12 - and one rider played superglue 3 with me last year and this year was promising to be a repeat. All in all I lapped the field twice with her firm in tow and refusing to take a pull. As we neared the peloton to lap them I kept us at ten meters so we could take the points. When madame, however, heard the bell she sprinted on, forfeiting our points and giving them to the peloton. Same scenario take two but when she moved up the track to recover from her sprint, I took off to lap the field a third time alone . In the men's sprints Rousseau showed that his appetite for gold is back as he outpowered world champion Laurent Gane for the sprints and the keirin. Ballanger dominated as always, the women's sprints and 500m. Cheers to ya all! I'm now in Brittany where I'll be racing with the men until we leave for Sydney! Results
|
