On Tuesday 23rd July just two days after the National Championships the English MTB team assembled at the team hotel at Horwich. We would not be staying at the Games Village until after our race - this was due to the Village being in Manchester and the mtb course being at Rivington. I'm glad we stayed here, we were out of it a bit with regards to Commonwealth Games atmosphere but it was far more practical. Wednesday was official training day on the circuit. The weather was not great and the course was very wet and muddy. Welcome to Manchester in the summer. The course was very similar to the course used for the section race one month before except for two short additional loops.

Thursday was spent doing some road miles and a little bit of turbo-trainer before dressing up in our Opening Ceremony white tracksuit and heading for the Games Village. This involved driving to one of the park and ride sites and catching a bus to the Village. We arrived at around 5pm and were the only people dressed in our white tracksuits - this made quite a big impression on the other athletes and volunteers!  We received comments like "What are you wearing?;  "Is it 70s night?!;  Where is your Opening Ceremony uniform?"   As time went by more and more of the English team appeared in the same outfit. All the English athletes and officials were bused to the Manchester Stadium. There were hundred of us all dressed the same. As the buses went through the back streets of Manchester the local residents were out on the streets waving and cheering. On arrival we were ushered into the depths of the stadium to wait for our cue. This meant we missed most of the celebrations - including Steps!

Once it was dark the 72 nations paraded into the stadium, as host and largest nation we were last out. When we all entered the stadium in our outrageous white tracksuit it certainly made an impression. We paraded a full circuit of the packed 38,000 seater stadium. We were definitely part of a very big event.  The Commonwealth baton that had travelled around the 72 nations arrived by a balloon with a trapeze artist swinging around underneath. The balloon dropped down in the centre of the arena and the baton was passed between a few more athletes before finally being passed on to David Beckham & a handicapped girl who jointly presented it to the Queen. No sooner had we arrived as we were ushered out and back onto our buses back to the Village as the fireworks took over. It was great and well worth attending. We were tucked up in bed back at Horwich by 1am.

Friday did not start to early. I had a leisurely morning before doing some hard intervals on my turbo-trainer. I had lunch then headed home for 24 hours. The way I saw it was if a race is at home why not use this to your advantage?  Saturday I went on one of my regular two hour rides in the morning before heading back late in the afternoon. The weather was picking up and it looked as if Monday was going to have a mini heat wave.

Sunday after a short road ride I completed 2 laps of the course. It had dried out considerably  and it looked like being a dry fast race. Sunday evening it was hard to believe that the big race was only the next day. I did not feel nervous but was really looking forward to racing in front of a home crowd. But how many would turn out to watch? I had planned what I was going to do on Monday morning so I knew exactly what I was going to do on the big day.

After my breakfast I went on a 50 minute ride, this took me in the direction of the course but I did not go too close. On returning to the hotel, Oli Beckingsale was watching the women's race on BBC. He told me that Caroline was walking it, with 80 second lead at the top of the first climb. As I started to watch I could soon see that something was wrong. She had punctured her tubeless rear tyre. I knew that she had already part filled them with puncture preventing foam (before the start). She carried some extra foam but the tyre had a slash in the sidewall. This meant the end of what was certainly to be her race. Oli left the room to go and find his inner tube that he had been advised he did not need to take with him.

At 11:30am we rolled out for the course, on the way we were told by a Policeman to ride in single file! Hiding behind our glasses with out personal stereos on we tried to stay focused. I left the holding pens to go and do my final warm-up on the road. On returning I made sure my tyres were extra hard before going to the start area. The crowd was massive! (the Police estimate was over 50,000 spectators). We were called to the line feeling like Gladiators. My legs felt good and with such a good home crowd I was looking for a good race.

I had a good start and was still in contact with the front of the race at the top of the first big climb. Rowland Green (current World Champion), his Canadian team mate Seamus McGrath, two of the the Australians, New Zealand's Kashi Leuchs and England's Liam Killeen, Oli and I were all still in contact. Kashi decided to attack just before the start of the descent, this stretch the group out. On the descent Kashi crashed, this set the mould for the rest of the race. Liam managed to hold on to Rowland & Seamus for another lap, Kashi was in 4th and I was left to battle of the six laps with the Australians, Craig Gordon and national champion Josh Flemming. This was a battle right to the end, but I was pleased to beat the Australian national champion for 6th place.

Commonwealth Games Men's mtb result

 1. Roland Green       Canada       1.52.48
 2. Seamus McGrath     Canada       @ 0.46
 3. Liam Killeen       England      @ 2.46
 4. Kashi Leuchs       New Zealand  @ 5.54
 5. Craig Gordon       Australia    @ 5.57
 6. Barrie Clarke      England      @ 8.43
 7. Josh Flemming      Australia    @ 8.48
 8. Oli Beckingsale    England      @ 10.54
 9. Paul Rowney        Australia    @ 12.20
10. David Kabush       Canada       @ 14.04
11. Jamie Norfolk      Wales        @ 15.02
12. Mannie Heymans     Nambia       @ 17.38
13. Tim Davies         Wales
14. Ian Jeremiah       Wales
15. Marc Bassingthwaite Nambia
16. Omaro James        Antiguia


Being a CG spectator snaps>>
Opening Ceremony snaps>>

(written 02/07/02)

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