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UCI Track Cycling World Masters Championships.

The UCI Track Cycling Masters World Championships is an Track Cycling event for riders over the age of 35. Any rider can enter provided they are a member of a National Governing body which is affiliated to the UCI, the internationally recognised governing body for the sport of cycling.

After years of pressuring the UCI by Ian Emmerson to establish an international category and event to suit for riders outside National Elite Squads, efforts were finally recognised in 1994, when after the set up of the new UCI Executive Ian was asked to set up a Commission to look at all aspects of Masters racing. The next year saw the first two disciplines have a challenge event. Manchester the track, and St Johaan in Austria who had run Masters Road races for 25 years were to do the road. Initially there were 4 members of the Masters Commission, Ian Emmerson (chairman), Louis de Lat (Belgium) Tracey Lea (USA) and Ray Godkin (Australia). Cyclo Cross and Mountain Biking also came on board and Belgium and Canada have been excellent hosts to those Championships since. In 2004 the Masters Commission was wound up and at that time it consisted of Ian Emmerson, Louis de Lat and Otto Flum. In the short 12-year history of the Championships it has had rapid development for a UCI recognised Championships. The first track Masters was technically not. It was a Challenge event, running from 8th to 10th September and was supported by American Software Company EDS who had a strong Masters Team. It was an event that they supported until 1998.

Back in 1990, Manchester were bidding for the 1996 Olympic Games when discussions were first held regarding the possibility of an indoor velodrome being built in Manchester. This dream had for many years been a number one target facility for British Cycling and its then President, Ian Emmerson, from 1985 to 1995 who was to contribute to the constant discussions being held around the country mainly by Len Unwin and Paul Hardy. The idea came to fruition when Manchester again decided to bid for the 2000 Olympic Games and decided to back this up with some new facilities with the velodrome being top of the list. This was before the days of Lottery grants and the cash had to be found by the City Council with the support of the Sports Council. However this hurdle was overcome and construction went ahead with an official opening by The Princess Royal in 1994. Manchester did not get the 2000 Olympics but was successful in bidding for the 2002 Commonwealth Games, however before this the venue was host to the 1996 World Track Championships.

The idea of a series of UCI World Championships was born in 1993 with the UCI setting up a Masters Commission of which Emmerson was chosen as the chairman. Road Racing had an obvious venue at St Johann in Austria, a long time mecca for Masters' racing but track, mountain bike and cyclo cross had to be developed. This is where British Cycling put forward its candidature using Manchester's new Velodrome and the first World Masters Track. Championships were held in 1995. These promotions, initially under the banner of the BCF and then taken over by Brian Cossavella has shown an increase in popularity each year, so much so that after 12 years in Manchester they head off for distant shores to Sydney, Australia on a 3 year allocation by the UCI. "I hope that the championship continues to prosper 'down under' and wish its 2007 promoters every success' stated Emmerson as the 2006 event prepared to get underway. "They have a hard act to follow as Brian and his team have perfected an excellent championship. With new tracks being built in Glasgow and London along with the existing Cardiff and Manchester venues, Great Britain is well qualified to entice these events back to our shores post 2009. I would like to thank the UCI, Manchester City Council, Manchester Velodrome, sponsors, riders, supporters, helpers and the public for their support over the last 12 years, and not least to Brian Cossavella and his officials for their professionalism in the organisation of a prestige event on the international calendar" The event did indeed prosper during its years in the southern hemisphere, reaching a high of 450 for entries in 2009

Any mention of the history of World Masters Track Championships could not be completed without the mention of the passing, in 2008 of Brian Cossavella, the organiser of every edition of the event until 2007 when it was awarded to Australia. Brian's desire was that someday it would return to Manchester and it is for that reason that this years event will be tinged with a little sadness. His legacy is that the organising committee will be proud that they will have learned so much that all bodies concerned with the event are more than happy to give their unequivocal support to the event.

British Cycling also recognised the contribution in creating the Organiser of the Year Award in 2009. It was entirely fitting that the first recipient of this was Cossavella's Commissaire Secretary and close friend Martin Bridgwood for his work with the UEC European Masters Track Championships which Cossavella had been planning as a replacement for Manchester after the event moved to Australia.

1995 - The First Year The inagural event started on Friday afternoon and finished on Sunday - 2 and half days racing with men up to 60+ and 2 women's categories 30-39 and 40+. The 100 riders from 7 nations showed the standard of riding to come when 43 year old American Nick Chenowth came within 5 tenths of a second of the track record at Manchester for the 200m set by double world sprint champion Marty Nothstein! Other riders at this first event included ex Commonwealth Road Champion Paul Curran (winner 30-34 points), Steve Paulding, Geoff Cooke and Val Rushworth. Keith Wright the blacksmith from Kirkham near Preston also rode and went on the win the gold in 1997 later becoming a vital part of the team of Officials - he is now the guy who gets everyone to the start of their races on time! Dennis Tarr, winner of 500 races in his career was once offered a pro career by Fausto Coppi. He rode as an independent and semi pro for the Mackeson team and in 1962 won Britains longest single day race the London to Holyhead (265 miles) retiring when he was 27 years old. Tarr suffered a stroke, had heart and kidney trouble and suffered from gout after 30 years running his company. He returned to cycling having shed 8 stone and won a Masters medal. Middlesbrough's Stuart Morris was told 24 years earlier that he would be World Champion - 'I did not think it would take this long,' he said after winning the 40-44 pursuit beating American Woody Cox in Britain's only pursuit gold of the Championships. Morris had a successful career winning the British Junior Pursuit Championships in 1972 and included a British National Madison title in 1981 with another gold medallist at this years Masters, Paul Curran, who won the points. Morris took a little convincing to ride the Championships and only relented when Masters organiser and friend Brian Cossavella persuaded him into entering at the last minute.

Local rider Hugh Cameron, who originated from the same area as Curran and Morris, would take until 2002 and a spell recovering from illness to win his first medal. Oldest competitor at the first Masters was Ferdi de Gannes who raced not knowing if he was homeless or not after Hurricane Luis had taken the roof off his Antigua home whilst he was at the Championships, he left the island 2 days before the arrival of the storm. De Gannes was Trinidad and Tobago sprint Champion in the 1950's and gave up the sport because of his commitments as a pilot. Lynn Minchinton became the first British Woman to achieve Gold in the 30-34 Points race. Minchinton had ridden the Commonwealth Games the previous year. She went on to win several Sliver and Bronze medals in the following years.

1996 The second event over 3 days was ran just one week after the Elite World Championships, at the same venue, organised by the same team under the direction of Cossavella. By now the event now attracted 163 riders and Antigua was the only country missing from the original line up as the other 6 nations were joined by Germany, Finland, Italy, Netherlands and New Zealand. (making 11 nations On the first evening a hastily organised addition to the programme was an attempt on the Hour by Gan professional Chris Boardman after his success the previous week and this attracted a full house which witnessed Chris shattering the existing record. Geoff Cooke won the first gold in a long Masters history that still sees him compete at the highest level when he won the 50-54 Time trial and Sprint titles. Curran also returned and this year went one better than the previous year and won 2 Championships - the 35-39 points and pursuit.

1997 After 2 years, the UCI saw fit to officially sanction the Masters in granting it World Championship status. Riders also agreed as the entry broke the 200 mark. Switzerland had their first competitor in the 30-34 Women's events with Evelyn Muller. The women's events now had 5 categories in 5-year age groups up to 50+ The first Championship to be awarded was the Women?s 30-34 Time Trial won by American Shan Rayray with countryman Chris Carlson the first Men?s Champion in the 30-34 Time trial. Carlson was one of the outstanding riders of the Championships - an American Lawyer working for EDS he won the Pursuit, Time Trial and set amazing standards in those events that took many years to beat. Otto Altweck (GER) dominated the 60+ category after coming from the road champs where he lifted the gold there as well. David Le Grys scored a double and was quoted as saying "It was traumatic - a shock to the system!" and said he was not planning to extend his comeback. Nine years later he is still a regular competitor in the event. Geoff Cooke however said he would be back and he has gone on to be one of the most successful riders in the Masters history. Keith Wright finally won his Pursuit Gold in the 55-59 category before hanging up his wheels and joining the organisational team. Former Professional Russell Williams, better know in recent years for his commentary work with Eurosport won the 35-39 Points, despite some creditable performances from the home Nation as well as having nearly half the competitor numbers, Britain could still only manage 3rd in the medals table with the overwhelming performance from the American team. This year saw another extra event in the Manchester Velodrome history in the unveiling of the permanent exhibition of memorabilia and medals of Beryl Burton. Unveiled by UCI President Hein Verbruggen and Beryl's widower Charlie Burton, the exhibition is still on display and is on the spectator concourse under the scoreboard.

1998 This fourth year saw the men's categories added to and a 60- 64 category and 65 years plus added to the field of 243 riders from 16 nations. Italy and Antigua, with Ferdi de Gannes returned, and the normal line up of nations were joined by Trinidad with 3 riders, including Earl Henry who has gone on to be one of the most popular and consistent competitors, Belgium with 2 riders and Russia with Albert Kolybin. Italy's Sante Lombardi won the 65+ sprint and remembered that the last time he had ridden at the same event as Norman Sheil (2nd place) was on Milan's Vigorelli track in 1958. Sheil won the 65 plus points race exactly 40 years after winning his 2nd World Amateur Pursuit title and only 10 months after starting his comeback. Sheil who won his 2 titles (1955 and 8) as a Brit (born in Liverpool) and went on to coach the National Team now resides in Canada and rode as a Canadian. As a one off Gordon Singleton made the trip from Canada - he had been trained by Eddie Soens and stayed with his widow whilst at the Masters. (Gordon returned to the Championships this year) The medal table was bolstered for Great Britain with three Gold medals won by Lynn Minchinton in the women’s Sprint, 500m TT and Points, she also set two new records. Living on the small island of Jersey, which does not have a velodrome of any kind this was a significant achievement for the islander who competed at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Canada. Derek Hodgins denied Sheil a second gold in the final of pursuit. Hodgins had never had a chance to race seriously in his youth as he retired from the sport in 1953 after his parents would not allow him to compete because he only had one kidney. 8 years previously Hodgins had been a committed golfer but weighed in at 18 stone - something had to be done and gold was just reward. Former Olympic, World and Commonwealth medallist Ian Hallam returned to racing in the 50-54 age group. The Hampshire dentist had taken up windsurfing and in 1991 had won Silver in the World Masters Windsurfing Championships. Hallam had been bitten by the cycling bug again after visiting the Elite World Championships in Manchester 2 years earlier. This years Masters was starting to show that the Championships are not just a very competitive event but also a place for reunions - Sheil had raced with many riders and also had coached Hallam, Moore, Cooke and the Organiser had ridden in GB colours as a junior under Sheil. Peter Gray, a competitor from Australia wrote to Cycling Weekly, "I have just returned to Australia after competing in the World Masters Track Championships and would like to express my thanks for all those involved. The venue has the reputation of being the world's best and I am not going to argue with that. But for me the magic ingredient was the people who organised, ran and officiated at the event. It is this group I would like to thank for staging an event that ran flawlessly. Special thanks to the officials whose friendly and helpful attitude toward the competitors made them a credit to the sport. This event was an international event and that made Manchester a shop window from which many people will return to their part of the globe with good memories. Will I be back? Absolutely!

1999 Goes to 6 days. Dutchman Wim Jeremaisse took the position of Commissaire President this year. (Sadly Wim passed away a few years later in an accident whilst officiating at an outdoor speed skating event). The event also signalled the demise from the sport of EDS as they pulled out of sponsorship due to internal re- organisation at the last minute. With no major financial backer the organisers put a rescue package together and were helped by Manchester Council and two of the riders, Stan Gregg and Bob Pelegrin who have since that day pledged support for the championships. Stan actually one of the very few to have ridden all 12 editions. In addition, laugh-a-minute South African Wendell Bole pledged support by contributing to be a patron and Alan Geldard a vice patron of the Championships. Another US rider, Mark Rodamaker also made a contribution confirming the camaraderie in the Masters events. This was the UCI centenary year and there were 256 riders from 17 nations. Japan, Mexico and France joining in the fun with one rider each. In the middle of the week, America?s ex Olympian Kent Bostick sliced an amazing 15 seconds off the previous best time in the 3000m pursuit 45-49 year.

2000 The sixth Masters saw Willi Tarran appointed by the UCI as Commissaire President and he did this as well as his job of Championship Commissaire Secretary. 246 riders competed at these Championships and the Organisers assumed by now the entry numbers had levelled out - they had a shock the year after! 17 nations competed with Greece, represented by one rider and Ireland with 6, making their first appearance. Switzerland?s Bruno Schumaker became the third rider to attempt an Hour time at the Championships and now nearly all age groups have a record set and some riders are this year trying to better these during the Championship week. The former Tour de France Yellow Jersey Sean Yates rode the event this year and won the 40-44 pursuit gold after a 13 year break from track racing! He was quoted as saying, "I thought this would be fun and it was. It's nice to be a World Champion! You're always nervous when you know its going to hurt but this is a fantastic facility" - he took more than a second off the record! Roland Crayford won gold finally after 6 years of trying and after 9 silvers in the 60-64 age group. The Masters commentator Hugh Porter was recognised by Japans Minori Mitsumoto with everyone amused when Hugh announced that the Japanese rider had said "you Hugh Porter - very famous pursuiter - you very fat now!" GB topped the honours for the first time. Russell Williams made the Mens 35-39 Points a tight race after being led all through the race by Stephen Prokopiw - he needed the last sprint with double points to overhaul the American. Vin Denson, the former Tour rider was another Masters debutante and the last time he had ridden the track was with Tom Simpson in the winter of 1966/7. Whilst he won a bronze in the pursuit 65 + he also recalled "Its great to be back here and see all the old faces"

2001 This year saw another innovation with the Championships concluding on the last day with the resurrected Muratti Cup (Race of Champions) that had a long history since 1899 up to 1975 and Manchester Wheelers agreed to take the Gold trophy out of the bank vault and to be raced for once again. After the previous years levelling of entries, German Commissaire President Alexander Donike had a shock when the number of riders soared to 323 with Colombia joining the list of nations with a now familiar face at the event in Bernardo Figueroa. After the atrocities of 9-11 it was thought that many would be missing however the large entry from 16 countries gave the promise of an excellent Championships. Shegikazu Murayama was upset to miss the defence of his title in the sprint as he was involved in a crash in Japan a week before the Championships and was hospitalised.

Famous face of the week at the Championships was France's former World Keiren and Tandem Champion Frederic Magne who was looking after Christian Fenioux who had been Magne's main sponsor when he was riding. Another visitor was ex Elite World Champion was Australia's Lucy Qiker (nee Tyler Sharman) who was quoted as saying "I can't believe this - its fantastic, its one of the most thoroughly run, professional track events - I've ever been to. I've done the World, the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games and expected the Masters to be like a country carnival by comparison - but I was totally wrong." To graphically demonstrate the standard of Masters racing, Australia Six Day King Danny Clark beat his 10 year old personal best for the 200 metres in the sprint but when asked if it was getting harder he had no hesitation in replying " Jeez, yes! I think our age group is one of the hardest. I did 11.6 and my old time was 11.8 in the Sixes when I really did have good form - 50 years of age and riding like that! Clark also won a furiously fast Muratti Cup that capped the week off. Part of a three man break that escaped the bunch with 27 of the 64 laps remaining, with Hallam the notable omission. The trio - Clark, Kenny Williams (USA) and Britain?s Simon Cope lapped the field and after numerous attacks all failing to bridge the gap, the sprint came down to a straight shoot-out between the three. Clark totally in his element and looking like a rider 30 years younger could not be beaten to the line with Williams and Cope edged into second and third respectively.

Melanie Szubrycht was the most successful woman rider this year with 3 golds, while Le Grys won 2 golds and also added a gold in a multi nation team to win the Team Sprint. Naming themselves Kool Runnings the team consisted of Le Grys (GB) Stephen Alfred (USA) and Australia?s Geoff Stoker. How ever the probable high light of the Championships was the head to head battle between Danny Clark and Ian Hallam. Hallam entered the event after crashing in four weeks before in the BC Time Trial Championships which hampered his breathing.

2002 Jack Watson returned to the event, as Commissaire President after the popular Irish Commissaire had been involved as Anti Doping Commissaire 2 years earlier as the event went to 7 days. One of the most important changes this year was Martin Bridgwood taking over the post of Commissaire Secretary, a post he has held to this year and has proven to a great success with the Championship running so smoothly during the week. Martin had worked on the event before - the first year in the timing box on the camera and 2001 as an appointed Commissaire. Guyana joined the list of countries making 17 represented this year and it was probably the best year for female representation. A total of 292 riders with 37 women riders. This year marked the end of the 5 year campaign by Hallam, one of the Masters most successful riders, having made a clean sweep of the 4 events in his age category, he ended his racing having won a total of 14 UCI titles on road and track since his return. Willi Moore, another ex Olympian came away with a pursuit bronze and a silver in the points being worked over by an Australian coalition. This year was truly a year of past champions at the Masters.Shaun Wallace and former Commonwealth Games champions Hallam, Heffernan Moore and Cooke competed whilst past Champions also officiated - they included Hugh Porter, Anita Lonsbrough (from the swimming world), commissaire Lousie Jones and Canadian Coach Tanya Dubnicooff Local rider Hugh Cameron celebrated a comeback to the Masters with a silver in the 45-49 points race. The Manchester Wheeler who had won a points silver in the 1979 World Student Games and was an original competitor at the Masters since its first year. An illness had threatened his racing after an attack of food poisoning led to arthritis he could only walk with a stick. Bryan Taylor had a fantastic comeback in the 30-34 Pursuit when America?s favourite for the event Peter Coulson was nearly 4 seconds up at one point only for the Englishman to fight back to win by 0.464 seconds! Coulson however had the last laugh when he denied Hallam his last race career win in the Muratti Cup (a race that Hallam had won no fewer than 3 times when it was held on the outdoor Fallowfield Track). Hallam?s old international team mate, Moore tried to lead him out but had to settle for third with Shaun Wallace in the silver place. (Shaun had earlier won the 40-44 points) Another letter appeared in Cycling Weekly this time from a spectator who had taken his wife, a novice cyclist, to see the last day of racing. Edward MacInnes wrote "She had never seen track racing before and found the whole experience extremely thrilling - the racing from all age groups was, as expected to the highest order. The finale was the historic Muratti Cup which was an outstanding race contested by riders of all age groups and with a veritable who's who of track cyclists. As a spectacle it was a fabulous day out and great entertainment.

2003 21 nations competed this year with 3 new nations in the 281 competitors. Greek Dimitris Katsanis who resided in England took charge of the event as Commissaire President (Dimitris is well known to the British National Squad as he had done much development work on their track bikes New Nations, Ecudor, Argentina and Austria joined the by now established line up. There were twenty two 65 plus age group men competitors this year and pressure was on after 2 years of such figures to extend the age categories that the organisers suggested to the UCI for 2004. Another extra was the appearance at the Championships of ex World Champion and Hour Record holder, Graeme Obree who visited the Championships on the last day to launch his book and many riders took time out to get an autographed book and talk to the Scot. Keith Harrison rode for America - originally from Birmingham he represented GB 47 years earlier at the Olympics in Melbourne. Now the fit 70 year old was residing in Seattle and gained the distinction of the best over 70 performance in the pursuit and has gone on to win 4 golds in the new 70 plus category from 2004 First Austrian Gold was achieved when Ludwig Kronfuss won the 50-54 pursuit to add to his recently road win in St Johaan. This was a shock for Britain?s Steve Davies who with the retirement of Hallam and non appearance of Clark was favourite for this age category. The Austrian however was an unknown quantity and pure speed shocked Davies in the final. (Davies has never won a gold but had featured in other medal positions - he explained probably his proudest moment was a third in the pursuit race to Hallam and Clark in 2001 - both heroes of his in his youth). This Championships lived up to its reputation of producing excellent points races and in one of the most exciting saw the 30-34 points race have 3 riders on the same points after they had all lapped the field twice and all gained 58 points. It had to go to a count back and Scott Laliberte got the verdict from Curtis Gunn and Peter Coulson. Brit Bryan Taylor had been lying 4th but had retired before the end of the race however he made up for his disappointment when he won the Muratti Cup race on the last day with Wallace as runner up.

2004 The men's age groups were added to with a 70+ category and 13 riders entered this new category. Belgian Philippe Marien was Commissaire President. Philippe was well known to Cyclo-Cross supporters as he organises the World Masters Cyclo Cross Championships in Mol, near Antwerp every year. Philippe was a very popular appointment both with the riders and the officials and his way of working led to an atmosphere that was even better than the normal Masters feeling! This year the women had an extra age category (short lived as it was in a 60 plus age group.) Malaysia joined the list of nations and 25 nations took the start. France and Italy both had bigger squads than in the past and finally the event was breaking into the major European countries. Italy had 10 France 12 and also with a strong contingent of 19 was Ireland. The entry was back up to 327 Graham Webb - former World Amateur Road Champion 1967 entered for the first time in the 60-64 category.

2005 292 riders from 20 nations took to the track this year and Spaniard Bernardo Sanchez Penarrubia was the Commissaire President. First time visitor to the Championships, Christophe Nicolle of France had to leave the Masters late on Friday night after winning the Men?s 30-34 Points race in order to catch the 5.30am ferry on Saturday morning, then travel to Le Petit Quevilly for his Wedding at 2.30 in the afternoon. New Zealand?s Marcel Hollenstein took part in the Masters for the first time and managed a sixth place in the 45-49 points race. This was despite a very bad cycling accident in January 2003 where he broke his pelvis in 2 places and shattered a hip plus some broken ribs. At the time it wasn?t certain he could walk again let alone ride a bike. Now with 12 screws and 2 plates inserted Marcel just wanted to compete in the World Masters and is back again in 2006 to try and better his performance.

2006 The last year in Manchester, a staggering 420 riders entered the event. New Nations joined with Ukraine and Mongolia making the total this year 23. Dane Hans Christian Lykkegaard was appointed as Commissaire President for his first World Championship. To again demonstrate the standard of Masters racing, riders from the previous year went during the winter season to represent their countries at Elite UCI events such as the Commonwealth Games. This of course means they were ineligible to ride this years Masters. Markus Holmsten who was third in the 35-39 kilo went on to represent Finland in World Cup in Moscow, and Marco Librizzi from GB (a past Masters Champion) represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Games to name two. America have been by far the most successful nation since the Championships started. They have won all but one year in the medals table and have over the years won 239 golds with Great Britain 144. Whilst this was the last World Masters in Manchester, Australia took on the role as organisers for the following 3 years and the Championships are now well established on the annual cycling calender. It is fitting that the statue of past Champion Reg Harris looks over the last corner of the Manchester boards and has witnessed all the Masters finals so far and surely he must approve! One can only wonder what Harris would do in the event were he still with us.

2007 - 2009 For the first time since its inception, the UCI World Masters Track Championships moved from Manchesters UK to Sydney, Australia. The move saw an increase in numbers as many competitors combined the trip with what was for some, a once in a life time holiday experience. The event, unlike that of Great Britain, was actively supported by the country's NGB Cycling Australia, which for some was long overdue. In the UK the organising team had to suffer with the loss of organiser and, for many friend, as the sudden death of Brian Cossavella shocked the world of Cycling, and not only in this country. Back in the land of the sun and golden beaches, the event reached a new high in 2009 when 450 riders entered the event, many combining the trip with the opportunity to ride the World Masters Games which ran for 8 days, and ended the day before the Masters commenced.

2010 The newly opened facility at Sangalhos, Portugal provided a unknown challenge to riders for the 16th edition of the event, which followed the programme of splitting days into single events. Unfortunately the event suffered a downturn in entries and it was made clear that it would not return for the following year.

2011 After 3 successful years running the inaugural European Masters Track Championships, Cossavella's team took on the job that would have delighted their old colleague, who never gave up hope of seeing the event he developed over 14 years return to its birthplace. Riders agreed and the 405 competitors gave Manchester its second highest attendance figure for the event ever. The newly refurbished National Cycling Centre gave spectators an impressive welcome for the week long event. However the obstacles to be overcome in putting the event on and the long nights made for previously uncalled for changes for the following year. Jean Pierre Coppenolle was Commissaire President and was one of the many that coped admirably with the long hours the event entailed.

2012 The UCI allocated years 2011 to 2013 to the organisation team at Manchester and we all re-assembled back at the National Cycling Centre for the 2012 championships. These were again well supported with over 400 entrants from 40 countries attending during the week. An experiment was carried out to have 8 days of competition plus a training day but this proved a bit too arduous and the 2013 events will revert to a 7 day programme. Trial events for Team Pursuit championships were included and these were so successful that they have been included as official championships for 2013. The organising committee continues to make changes to improve the events and this has been recognised in the allocation of the championships to the team and Manchester for a further 3 year period from 2014 to 2016.

2013 Reverting back to a 7 day programme and a rearranged format the championships attracted nearly 400 entries from 28 countries back to the Manchester Velodrome. The new Team Pursuit official championships were well supported by the men but sadly not so by the women, probably due to its place in the time table but we will try it again in 2014. The women's Team Sprint however was well supported and a case has been made to the UCI to include it as a full championship in 2014. Once again the standards improved and a number of best times were recorded and submitted for approval. These now appear on this web site. Suggestions were received that the Team Sprint and Team Pursuit age groups be looked at and again a case has been made to the UCI to amend these. News on these plans will appear on the web site if and when approved. The 2014 dates have been fixed as October 4th to 11th and again these are subject to UCI approval.