Jason Kenny ready to step up to the next level
The track season steps up a gear from this weekend's Revolution meet - and sprint star Jason Kenny is ready to do likewise.
With the Olympics two years away, the Beijing gold medallist signalled his intentions for the coming years at the national track championships last month, winning the national sprint title.
"I'm over the moon with that, I really wasn't expecting it," Kenny said. "It was really close racing; with David Daniell and Chris Pritchard, there was no easy rides."
Kenny has taken over Jamie Staff's mantle as the fast-starting man one in the team sprint, and wants to get closer to his predecessor's quickest mark of 17.1 seconds.
"It was a good start at the nationals, putting down a decent marker. I want to go as fast as possible as first man, and get closer to 17 seconds. I'm definitely building up towards that," the 22 year old said.
Though he is captaining the Maxgear team during this year's Revolution series, the next significant ride for Kenny and his GB teammates will be at the European track championships - for which the majority of GB's track stars opted for over New Delhi - in Poland between November 5-7, which carry important Olympic qualification points.
When asked whether he had thought about going for the single sprint spot in London 2012, thus usurping current track king, Chris Hoy, who will be 36 then, he replied: "It's in the back of my mind, but making selection is just as important."
Jason Kenny was launching the new adiZone in Preston - an outdoor multi-sport giant gym that is free to use, designed and developed by adidas.
Jason Kenny
Revolution series kicks off on Saturday
The Revolution series gets underway at Manchester Velodrome on Saturday night (October 23).
In a new league structure, a mix of trade and composite teams will battle it out. Combining with a mix of hardened pro riders and junior talent, Team Sky, Motorpoint, Rapha-Condor-Sharp and Maxgear will be among the squads scrapping to take the overall victory in the Revolution Championship.
There is also the DHL Future Stars competition and a special England versus Scotland team sprint competition.
Chris Hoy, Ross Edgar and Chris Pritchard will face Jason Kenny, David Daniell and Matt Crampton, giving the crowd a clash that wasn't possible at the Commonwealth Games.
For more information and tickets, visit www.cyclingrevolution.com
Day switches focus to MTBing
Gabby Day has decided to switch her focus back to mountain-biking in 2011.
The 25 year old, a runner-up in the British national XC championship for the last two years, has signed with the Scott Factory team for next season. "I've mainly been doing road in the summer, but I thought I'd give it a go," she said.
"I don't put so much pressure on myself mountain-biking, whereas there are big cross races all over in which I really want to do well. Considering it's the first year I've properly raced the MTB, it went pretty well," she said.
Over the course of the year, Day won the Welsh MTB national championships and placed well in a couple of NPS rounds.
She has her eye on competing at both the 2012 Olympics and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where mountain-biking is being introduced.
Sponsored by The Chainstay, Oudenaarde-based Day is back on the comeback trail after a crash at the opening GVA race around Namur three weeks ago left her with concussion and a broken finger.
"I've had a few setbacks so far but I hope to get some good results. My result at the weekend [25th at the World Cup opener in Aigle] was a decent starting point," she said.
Late February date chance for Hell of the Ashdown
When Hell freezes over, it prompts a calendar change. Bitter and treacherous weather conditions encountered over the last two years of the popular Hell of the Ashdown have prompted Catford CC to switch it from the traditional January date to the last weekend in February.
It is hoped that the new date - February 27 - will mean less riders are deterred from riding: recent years have seen a spate of non-starters due to the inclement winter conditions.
Quiet and scenic, the 100km route is nevertheless no less diabolical, encompassing the likes of Toys Hill and the dreaded Wall - at the ride's southernmost tip in the Ashdown Forest - before finishing just after Star Hill.
There's also a 50km route available, crisscrossing the network of Kent lanes.
Entries open at midnight on December 1 at www.hell.gb.com. But be quick: last year, the 1,000 spots were filled within two days.
Evans Cycles security event
The Evans Cycle store on Fulham Broadway is holding an event with the Metropolitan Police and Transport for London on Saturday (October 23).
The Met will apply and supply personal postcode information to individual bikes, free of charge, as an additional security measure for the customer and a way of heightening awareness of bike security issues.
Evans staff will be also be on hand to offer free advice to cyclists on their bikes during shop hours.
For further information, call the shop on 020 7384 5550.
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