Mark Downey goes into his debut UCI World Track Championships this weekend. He will be one of the favourites for the Points race after a blistering season so far, but that will count for nothing when he lines up against a stacked field. “I’m excited to get racing now, it's something I've been thinking about and working towards for some time and now it's the time to just get out there and race hard.”
By Brian Canty
Mark Downey has said he will need to bring his “A-game” to the table this weekend if he is to come away from the UCI World Track Championships in Hong Kong with more silverware.
The talented 20-year old from Banbridge goes in the Points Race on Friday and the Madison alongside Felix English on Sunday.
Advertisement
And after bagging two gold medals in the former and another in the latter this winter he’s “quietly confident” about his chances.
“It’s the one event everyone brings their A game to and let’s hope I can bring mine too.
“I will be watched but I just need to race smartly and with the championship distance being 160 (40k) laps instead of 120 (30k) it will suit me better,” he said.
“I competed with Jon Dibben (Team Sky) last July in the U23 European Championships and he was the current world champion in the discipline but I’m quietly confident of what I can do.”
The contest will be 40-kilometres where an intermediate sprint is held every 10 laps, with 5, 3, 2, and 1 point(s) awarded to the top four finishers in each sprint. There are also 20 points on offer for anyone who laps the field.
The rider with the most points at the end of the contest is declared the winner and Downey, having won gold in two of the three UCI World Cup events in the Netherlands and Colombia this season reckons he can be there or thereabouts again on Friday.
“I’m excited to get racing now, it’s something I've been thinking about and working towards for some time and now it’s the time to just get out there and race hard.
“Also, the fact it’s my first world championships in the senior ranks also adds a lot of excitement as for as long as I can remember I sat and watched it with my dad. So to be competing this year will be special.”
Downey and English are among the most feared Madison pairings in the business and that event is effectively the same as a Points Race, just with two riders.
They have earned a great reputation as two of the most hard-working and plucky riders out there, as evidenced by their shock gold medal in Los Angeles at UCI World Cup in February.
Related News
On another triumphant night for Irish cycling on February 27th, Madison partnership Felix English and Mark Downey claimed Ireland’s first ever gold medal at a UCI Track World Cup for the Madison.
In the Madison, one rider is always ‘active’ while the other continues to ride round the track, though he is effectively ‘resting' at the top of the track.
When the ‘active’ rider needs a breather they ‘hand-sling’ their partner into the action and with all teams racing at the same time, trying to gain a lap on their rivals or win intermediate sprints, it can be quite confusing to follow.
But the winners are the team with the most points at the end of the race, as with the Points Race.
“Obviously we have gone well in the past two (World Cups) so let's hope we can continue that,” he said.
“We’ve worked really hard this season with David (Muntaner – coach) because we wanted to compete this year instead of just making the numbers up.”
And with the championship distance 200 laps (50 kilometres) instead of 120 (40 kilometres) it makes a huge difference, and one Downey reckons they can profit from.
“There will be bodies out there with the new format change of sprints every 10 laps.
“Mentally we just need to prepare to dig deeper than we ever have in our lives to come out on top.”
As to whom he regards as dark horses, he scratches his head before reckoning; “There will be at least seven teams with a really good chance but if Felix and I have a good day we will compete with them all and it should be a really exciting race.
“There will be at least seven teams out there with a really good chance.
“Australia, Spain, Belgium and France are all strong but if me and Felix have a good day we will compete with them all and it should be a really exciting race.
“It's going to be a good weekend and we plan on leaving it all out there.”
Topics
