New track bike: Planet X Stealth Pro Carbon

Herne Hill Spring Omnium 3 - 3 May 2009

Photo by Dulwich Paragaon dude

I did my first Omnium track event at Herne Hill on Sunday. This consisted of -

1. 12 lap scratch race (i.e. normal race)
2. 3 lap sprint (heats)
3. 12 lap 'Devil Take the Hindmost'
4. 3 lap sprint (final)
5. 12 lap points race

I've done quite a few training sessions and informal scratch races at Herne Hill but not a formal event like this. I was racing in the B Cats - there's also an A Cat group.

The Scratch race went OK, top 10 I think (just about), all quite fast and furious. The first two in the sprint heats went through to the final and I think I won my heat (very close on the line though), so went through. The Devil was tough - all about positioning and was annoyed to go out on the last elimination lap (2 riders out per lap). Still top 10 though. Sprint final was really close, 6 of us started and 4 of us were very close on the line for the top places. Not sure where I came on that one.

I was a little worried about the Points race, with 4 sprints (3,2,1 points in each for first 3 riders), pain was going to be a fairly prominent feature. I covered an early attack and scooped 1 point in the first sprint for 3rd, and then hung on for 2 points in each of the next 2 sprints (5 total). By the last lap I was still in the front group, but fading so I sat up. Still not sure where I came, but I think I got a podium, possibly 2nd.

So overall, I ended up with 4th position overall. Pretty happy with that for my first Omnium, and you BC points fiends will be interested to know you get points for track events too! Not sure how many yet, but they are rumoured to be quite generously distributed.