May 9/02 11:41 am - Commonwealth Games Track Trials Information

Posted by Editoress on 05/9/02
 

Commonwealth Games Track Trials June 7, 2002
National Cycling Centre Bromont - Bromont, QC
Courtesy CCA

The Commonwealth Games Track Trial's will be used to select the team that will compete on the track at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England, later this summer. National Team Coaches Kurt Innes and Eric Van den Eynde have come up with the following program that will be used to select the team, keeping in mind the goal of the entire Canadian cycling team at these Games is to win medals.

Regulations:

Track trials are open to riders 18-35 years of age, unless the Vice-President, High-Performance of the Canadian Cycling Association gives prior authorization.
Minimum time standards needed to be achieved to enter the Sprint Trials:
  -  Men Flying 200m    00:11.40
  -  Women Flying 200m    00:12.40
  -  Men 1000m TT   01:10.00
  -  Women 500m TT   00:40.00

Trials are based on individual times.
Trials will be used to select the Olympic Sprint team.
No minimum standards to enter the Individual Pursuit Trials.

Program:

Sprint trials - Friday
2 x 250m standing starts in the AM
2 x 500m flying starts in the PM
NOTE: All athletes will have to participate in all four time-trials.

Sprint Trials – Saturday
The three riders chosen for the Olympic Sprint team Friday, will have to meet the standard of 0:47.00 during a qualifying ride on Saturday. If they are capable of meeting this standard, their positions for Manchester will be confirmed.
NOTE: Please remember the guiding principle of our team – MEDALS. If the Olympic Sprint cannot be competitive at this event, the HPC reserves the right to explore other options in selecting the team for the Commonwealth Games.

Individual Pursuit trials
Registered athletes will have one opportunity to post their time. Athletes will go one at a time. This will provide valuable information to the HPC members on athletes who can demonstrate medal-winning times.  NOTE:  According to published criteria, these trials do not select individual pursuit athletes directly.

"This is exactly what they will find at the Commonwealth Games. If we qualify for the top four at the Games, there will be three Olympic Sprint rides in one day. So our Trials format is right in line with the competition requirements", says National Team Coach Kurt Innes when discussing the rational behind the program for the Sprint Trials. "The morning sessions will give us a good idea of the athlete's starting power and their recovery time. The afternoon sessions will be a test of the maximum speed and their lactate power. But more importantly, we'll see how they react under a fatigued state after riding four time trials in one day."

Coach Innes supports the decision of ensuring the athletes selected to the Olympic Sprint team meet the time standard the day after to confirm their position on the Commonwealth Games team. "I totally support the notion of setting a time standard for the day after the trials for the Olympic Sprint team. I am comfortable with this and feel strongly that if an achievable standard is set, then the athletes will work towards this goal."

For more information on the Sprint Trials, contact National Team Coach, Kurt Innes - innes@ucalgary.ca. For more info on the Endurance Trials, contact National Team Coach, Eric Van den Eynde - ccdcb@qc.aira.com.