Irish rider Mark Downey on the attack at the World Track Championships. He gained a lap in the points race but Cameron Meyer dictated the event and took the rainbow bands.
Mark Downey no nonsense view of Worlds ride
Mark Downey has taken 11th in the points race at the World Track Championships. And the Banbridge man has offered his usual no nonsense appraisal of his own performance.
With multiple UCI World Cup and European Championships medals to his name, at 21-years-old the Worlds is the only major result to elude him so far.
And he said after his ride in Apeldoorn, Holland, that he tried to take a medal by working a plan, which simply didn’t work out.
Downey said Cameron Meyer, the WorldTour road rider, had the legs to force the race. And combining his legs with his track nous, the Australian took the gold medal.
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But despite having won so many medals, yet not taking one this time; Downey was far from disconsolate.
“This is my best performance at a major championship at this level,” said the Team Wiggins man.
“I let the race unfold for the first half, and got my first lap easily. I spent a lot of the race at the back, and I was playing a smart game.
“With thirty laps to go I tried to go again. There were four guys away and I tried to go across to them. But I didn’t make it.
“Sometimes it’s a gamble and can go either way. As soon as I was caught Cameron (Meyer) pounced. So I just came in a couple of laps too early.”
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Around halfway through the 160-lap race, Downey gained the lap with Kong Lok Cheung (Greece). But in an action-packed event, and with Meyer clearly the strongest, that wasn’t enough for the Irishman.
Jan Willem van Schip from Holland, who won stage 2 of the Rás last year, took the silver. And Mark Stewart from Great Britain, who rode for An Post-Chainreaction last year, won the bronze medal.
Downey was blunt, saying he raced his own strategy; one that didn’t come up trumps on the night.
“Unless you are like Cameron and can force the race, you have to go with your moves,” he said.
“I was getting stuck in with the racing. It wasn’t lack of legs tonight. I raced my own race, and tried to not follow Cameron.
“I knew everyone was following him, so I did my own thing. I’m not at his level yet. I know how strong he is. I let everyone else race Cameron, and I did my own thing.”
And while he has enjoyed very significant success on the boards to date, he said the Worlds posed a unique challenge.
“The World Championships are a different level to the World Cups,” said Downey,
“In the World Cups the races are over 120-laps, and if you take a lap you are likely to get a medal.
“At the World Championships with 160-laps you can take a lap and finish 11th, like I did tonight. You come aiming for medals, but the worlds are a higher level.”
Next up for Mark Downey is the madison on Sunday. He has won gold at World Cup level in this race with partner Felix English and is optimistic.
“I feel good going into the Madison, my legs were good tonight. Add Felix in and that’s a nice mix.”
Downey wasn’t the only rider in action at the World yesterday; Lydian Boylan contesting the omnium for Ireland.
She placed 17th; and having taken silver in the madison at the Europeans she went to these Worlds as a medal hope.
Boylan still has the Madison to come, but she wasn’t happy with her ride yesterday.
"I'm disappointed with today's race. But I'm going to have to put it behind me, refocus and get ready for (the) madison with Lydia (Gurley)."
Gurley and Boylan contest the madison today, Saturday, Felix English is also in action; in the omnium.
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