Autumn Collins (far right) being introduced to the crowd as part of Team Sky at the 'Revolution' international track meeting in Manchester at the weekend.
By Brian Canty
Last Saturday was a day that will live long in the memory of Newcastlewest teenager Autumn Collins. The Adamstown CC had the honour of riding for Team Sky at a sold out Future Stars Track Revolution meeting at the Manchester Velodrome in the UK.
The 16-year-old Limerick girl, daughter of well-known track rider and business man Liam Collins, was “chancing her arm” when she sent a request last month to the world’s top cycling team requesting a slot on their squad for the event.
However, to her astonishment she last week received notification that she was on a reserve list and later that day was told to pack her bags and be in Manchester by Friday - just four days later - as one of the riders had fallen ill and Collins would fill in.
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“I definitely won’t ever forget that experience,” laughed the U16 rider.
She said when she arrived at the Velodrome she immediately felt like a pro.
“I got taken down to the pits inside and met the team and everyone there, they were lovely. We had our own little corner and met the likes of Laura Trott. I was over the moon.”
Collins rode three events as part of a two-person team alongside Grace Garner, the younger sister of double Junior World Champion Lucy Garner.
She felt she acquitted herself well against the top 20 U16 UK riders on the night, from 10 different teams.
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“We arrived at around 4.30pm and the racing started at 7pm. I was a small bit nervous but not too much,” she explained of the whirlwind sequence of events.
“I felt very proud actually; it was sold out, the atmosphere was incredible. There were people banging off the boards and everything; the cow bells were there for the final lap, it was brilliant.”
“I’ve never raced in front of more than 10 people in my life so to race in front of a sold out velodrome like that was special.”
“I think I did really well, considering the standard I was up against. Every girl there had a British national medal and some have been racing that serious for four years and it was only my second time indoors and I’ve only been doing it since I was 13.”
Collins has been making good progress on the track and had been racing the Hern Hill meetings in London in the weeks leading up to the Manchester Revolution, a far cry from Sundrive Road track in Dublin.
“I raced in Hern Hill for five weeks prior to it, that was really good and brought me on a lot and the standard is much higher. In Dublin there might be 15 on a good league night whereas in Hern Hill there could be up to 100 people.”
She’s hoping to get selected again as there are five legs of the Revolution Series between now and next March and though she will not be going to the next meet in Glasgow she has her sights set on Manchester in January.
“Yeah that’s the goal – the next Revo in January in Manchester. So I want to come over a bit more often to get a bit more experience before then so fingers crossed.”
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