Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games

Manchester, England, July 27 - August 3, 2002

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August 1 - Men's 20km Scratch Race, National Cycling Centre

Brown doubles up

By Gerry McManus, Cyclingnews correspondent in Manchester

Graeme Brown
Photo: © Dave Clark

In an astonishing display of strength and confidence, Graeme Brown (Australia) completed a double gold medal performance by winning the 20km scratch race at the Commonwealth games in Manchester on Thursday 1st August.

Almost straight after winning the team pursuit, he was soon in the bunched action as 25 contenders fought out the first of the endurance events.

A number of break-away attempts had failed but at quarter distance, Huw Pritchard and Lee Vertongen (NZL) succeeded in escaping the bunch.

Brown had seen the danger and jumped across and all three were working closely together. Seeing the bunch closing down for the evening, Tony Gibb (England) put the hammer down to bridge the gap with the full support of the encouraging audience.

By half distance with the major teams showing no interest in the chase, the hard working quartet lapped the field. Gibb was the most anxious of the four and stayed near the front supported by team mate Tim Buckle and Vertongen was not far behind.

With six laps to go, the four were requested to pull back so that the bunch could contest the minor placings in a bunch sprint and Jean Pierre Van Zyl (RSA) emerged the first across the line.

With the whole track to themselves, the eased their way around four laps with Brown in the lead. With one and a half laps to go, Gibb was the first to break, attacking down the banking in an attempt to shake up the rest and gain a place near the front for final lap. When the sprint did begin in earnest, first Brown came past to take the gold, followed by Pritchard, winning the first cycling medal for Wales in over 30 years and Gibb held on for the bronze.

Panaria professional Brown announced that it was one of the best nights of his life:

"I actually felt pretty good after the pursuit," he said: "The plan was for me and Mark (Renshaw) to cruise around but it didn't work out like that. It finished much better."

Silver medallist Pritchard was complimentary about the Australian: "It's never good to finish second but when you finish second in the Commonwealth games to someone who has finished second in a stage of the Giro D'Italia then you can't complain."

This is the first major medal for 26-year-old Gibb who has only been full time cyclist for two years. The Londoner is part of British Cycling's world class performance plan and has been competing in the world cup events in the scratch and Madison events and is looking to the world championships as his next goal.

Photos

Photos by Gerry McManus

• Graeme Brown, Lee Vertongen, Tony Gibb and Huw Pritchard lap the field and are asked to wait before fighting it out for the overall honours
• English rider Tony Gibb attempts to take a flyer with one lap to go, but is quickly marked by Graeme Brown of Australia
• The podium - Graeme Brown victorious over Welshman Huw Pritchard and Tony Gibb from England

Photos supplied by D.J. Clark

• Before you race, you must warm up.
• The men's 20km Scratch Race field.
• Mark Renshaw (Australia) controlling the pace at the front of the pack
• Two Aussies lead the field in the men's scratch race
• Graeme Brown (Australia) goes up the banking after taking his turn at the front
• Tony Gibb (England) leads out with one lap to go
• Graeme Brown (Australia) leads Huw Pritchard (Wales) home for the win
• Graeme Brown (Australia) wins it clearly
• Graeme Brown celebrates his win
• Graeme Brown with the Australian flag after winning the scratch race
• Tony Gibb with the English flag after coming third
• The men's 20km Scratch Race winners.
• Graeme Brown grabs his second medal for the day.

Results

1 Graeme Brown (Australia)               24.14.660 (49.492 km/h)
2 Huw Pritchard (Wales)   
3 Tony Gibb (England)   
4 Lee Vertongen (New Zealand)   
5 Jean-Pierre Van Zyl (South Africa)   
6 Greg Henderson (New Zealand)   
7 Ashley Hutchinson (Australia)   
8 Mark Renshaw (Australia)   
9 Hayden Godfrey (New Zealand)   
10 Alwyn Mcmath (Northern Ireland)   
11 Mark Kelly (Isle of Man)   
12 Ross Muir (Scotland)   
13 Carlitos Jones (Barbados)   
14 Richard Chapman (Scotland)   
15 Emile Abraham (Trinidad & Tobago)   
16 James Mccallum (Scotland)   
17 Will Wright (Wales)   
18 Paul Sheppard (Wales)   
19 Tim Buckle (England)   
20 Steve Cummings (England)   
DNF Dean Edwards (South Africa)   
DNF Horace Mcfarlane (Jamaica)   
DNF Christian Tavares-Finson (Jamaica)   
DNF Ako Kellar (Trinidad & Tobago)   
DNF Elisah Greene (Trinidad & Tobago)