Lybster teenager makes it third time lucky
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
He travelled for a training and racing camp based around two major competitions – the SprintCup meeting in Cottbus and the Drei Bahn Tournee, a three-day race series around the Frankfurt region.
The first week saw the riders start at the 333m concrete Cottbus track in eastern Germany. Their training week finished with the SprintCup competition featuring many of the top German riders and strong squads from Russia, Poland and the UK.
John (19), originally from Lybster, qualified 17th and battled his way through the knockout stages to reach the minor final racing for fifth to eighth where he finished second, giving him sixth overall for the competition. Considering his low qualification, he was pleased with how he raced to reach the quarter-finals.
The second week saw the under-23 GB squad move to west Germany for the Drei Bahn Tournee which is raced over three different-sized tracks. Part of the challenge is to test the riders’ ability to adapt their racing styles and tactics every day.
The ability to do this provides them with the experience to compete at higher-level competition so they can race effectively on different tracks and against different opposition.
First up was Oberhausen, a shallow 333m concrete outdoor track. Qualification went well, where John finished second quickest in the 200m time trial. The racing was tough in very hot conditions with a strong headwind down the back straight to add to the challenge for the riders’ tactical plans.
John rode strongly all day to reach the final against GB team-mate Pete Mitchell who came out the winner to give John second place and runner-up spot on the podium.
On the second day the riders moved to Ochelbronn, a small 200m semi-covered wooden track. John rode well all day to reach the final against his GB team-mate Kian Emadi, who was the quickest qualifier. John lost in a photo finish, giving him second spot on the podium again.
The final day ended the series at Dudenhofen, an outdoor concrete 250m track which had been the riders’ training base for the previous week.
Emadi again qualified quickest in 10.72, while John was the third fastest qualifier in 10.88.
Having shown strong form all week, John finally took top spot on the podium, making it all the way to the final and beating another GB team-mate, Lewis Oliva, into silver medal position with a precise and well-executed ride – it was third time lucky for John.
This victory left John as the overall Drei Bahn Tournee series winner with one first and two second places. As John is only in his first year in the under-23 section it was a very good performance.
The next race for John is the Edinburgh Grand Prix at Meadowbank on Saturday. As current holder, he will be trying to retain his title.
