2002 Australian National Track Cycling ChampionshipsDunc Gray Velodrome, Australia, April 17 - 21, 2002 |
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U19 Women's 10 km Scratch U19 Men's Keirin Women's Keirin Men's Keirin Men's 40km Points U19 Men's Madison
Day 5: Renshaw takes 40km points championship
By Karen Forman
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Mark Renshaw followed his gold medal in the men's 20km Scratch race last night with a gold in the penultimate event on the 2002 Australian national track cycling championships program, the 40km points race.
Renshaw collected 51 points compared to second place-getter Darren Young's 38 and third place-getter Peter Dawson's 29.
A field of 22 riders started the 160 lap event, watched by an enthusiastic but far too small (considering the calibre of the event) crowd.
Renshaw was one of the favourites leading into the event, although supporters feared he could be tired after his scratch race effort the night before. No need to worry there, as Renshaw, Denis Mungoven (ACT) and Japanese rider Yohsii Kouji formed a breakway group and eventually took a lap on the field. Under the new rules, although they did not take a lap on the field, but they all gained a 10-point advantage over the whole field.
(Under the new UCI rules for points races, when the field is lapped by one or more riders, the lap count follows that of the leaders, thereby effectively reducing the race distance for the other riders.)
One of the race favourites to miss this important break was Tasmanian rider Darren Young, dubbed "the mighty atom Darren Young" by commentator Stewart Doyle.
Young pushed so hard that he copped a warning from commissaires for riding unsuitably in one of the sprints. But by this time Renshaw had well and truly established his lead. With 19 laps to go he ahead on 43 points, while Young was doing his best to improve on his 25 points, Rodney McGee from NSW from sitting on 22, Peter Dawson of Western Australia on 22, Jonathon Davis of NSW on 17, Japanese visitor Yoshi Kouji 17 and the ACT'S Denis Mungoven on 13.
Going in to the final sprint, Renshaw had 51, Young 33 and Dawson 26. Young won the sprint, but had to be content with second spot.
