The Revolution Champions League hosts its final round at the LeeValley velodrome today and Saturday as the likes of the Ed Clancy (JLT Condor), Ian Stannard (Team Sky), Elinor Barker (Matrix Fitness RT), and the returning Laura Kenny (Matrix Fitness RT) will do battle in what promises to be a fun two days on the boards in London.
The packed two days boasts three impressive sessions of racing and also the culmination of the HOY Future Stars competition which sees the best young talent from the UK race. But the star attraction is the four-time Olympic Gold medallist Kenny, who is stepping up her training after a period off the bike as she got married to Jason Kenny, and to focus on her new book: Laura Trott and Jason Kenny: The Inside Track.
But speaking about her return to the place of her London 2012 triumph’s Kenny said: “I’m into the flow of training and it feels like its pre-Rio again, so I can’t wait to race at the Revolution Series. I’m just going to go out there and enjoy it.”
Kenny is the star attraction but there are others that will wow the crowd
Besides Kenny, there are plenty of other brilliant riders in action; Rio Gold medallist Barker will be riding alongside Kenny, as will hot prospect Emily Kay.
In the men’s competition Sam Bewley and Christian Meier will be riding for Orica-BikeExchange, and Tour of Britain stage winner Stannard will be starring for Sky; so all in all there will plenty of action on Friday and Saturday.
JLT Condor lead the way in the men’s competition after a superb showing in Manchester
In Manchester last weekend, JLT Condor’s duo of Clancy and Jon Mould were in scintillating form as they won five races out of a possible nine to rocket to the top of the leaderboard. They currently have a 27 point advantage over their nearest challengers Pedalsure.
Clancy won the points race in spectacular fashion in the afternoon which set him and Mould up for a good evening session, and they will be hoping for the same again this weekend as they look to win the competition.
Elsewhere the Team Sky pairing of Elia Viviani and Pete Kennaugh kept Sky in contention for a podium place after some good riding, and with Andy Fenn and Stannard riding for Britain’s premier road team this weekend they might be able to help Sky overcome a slight point deficit to end up on the podium.
Kenny steps up training as she returns to the triumph of 2012
The returning Kenny will be a big draw for many of the spectators; the 24-year-old had another marvellous summer where she won two Gold medals at the Rio Olympics but this weekend is another step in her training as she looks forward to another four years preparing for a potential spot on the GB team for Tokyo 2020.
Speaking about her return to London, Kenny said: “It’s so important to me that my first race is back on home soil and London is where this all started for me in 2012, and so for me, it’s about giving back to all those people who shouted at their TV screens this summer.”
Last weekend saw some superb racing from the women as the likes of Dame Sarah Storey, Barker, and newly crowned road World Champion Amalie Dideriksen (Voxwomen) did battle. But it was Neah Evans of Podium Ambition pb Club la Santa that took the plaudits as she won the Omnium holding off competition from Barker and Emily Nelson.
In the overall standing it’s Evan’s team Ambition Podium that are leading the way, and then Voxwomen and GB make up the rest of the podium before the showdown ensues this weekend.
The two days of action-packed racing promises to be a great spectacle and at a setting like the LeeValley velodrome it can’t get much better, and with riders such as Kenny, Clancy, and more in attendance it will be a feast of racing.