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Graeme
Obree & Jason MacIntyre - discuss the 25 Champs postponement |
Graeme setting the Scottish
25 Mile Time Trial record, in a thunderstorm at Dundee in 1994:
an astounding 48 minutes 43 seconds. A good time on the night
was a "55". This was his initial experimentation with
"funny bars", which he later used to win the World
Pursuit Championship and the World Hour Record. |
‘What do you think about the delay?
Graeme: “I’m pleased because I wasn’t
really up for it. I’ve had a bit of personal hassle so this
gives me more time to prepare. Jason has kind of messed things up
for me this season; I was enjoying just turning up at races, chatting
to the time keeper and having a cup of tea after the race; now it’s
some big deal contest between the two of us. It’s all become
very serious.”
Jason: “I thought it was a strange decision,
even although it’s an amateur sport people take it very seriously;
diet, rest, peaking, tapering, maybe even time off work to train.
There are riders who have planned their whole year so far around that
date.”
Would it have been better to change the venue
to a different course in another district?
Graeme: “No, personally I’m happy with
the postponement, the beginning of June is too early for the 25 anyway.”
Jason: “Definitely, the
word went round like wildfire that the race was cancelled so a change
of venue would have been communicated to everyone just as quickly.”
 |
Jason on his way to winning
the British 25 Mile TT Champs |
Graeme: “I’m not sure there’s much to taper back on, I’ve just been riding my bike, and I haven’t touched the turbo this year.”
Jason: “I’m disappointed by the delay because I like things to go smoothly, now my preparation is up in the air. I haven’t really thought my new schedule through yet; I’ll go back to training on the road bike for the criterium champs this weekend and I’ll be building from there to the road race championship. After the road race I’ll have three weeks to re-focus on the 25, I had thought my testing would be more or less over for the year after this weekend.”
What about the other guy?
Graeme: “Jason has been knocking on the door
of greatness for a long time so I’m not surprised he won the
British, he’ll be hard to beat in the Scottish, but like I said,
it’s all become so serious.”
Jason: “I’m not
knowledgeable enough about Graeme to say what he will do, but he rode
a good Scottish 10 championship. I read some where that he would be
trying to peak later in the year so maybe the date change will suit
him. I think though that if I get my three weeks of time trial training
right after the road race I’ll be hard to beat, I always just
seem to go better when that time of year comes around.”
By late July could we have a “third
thief” coming to the fore – maybe Mark Atkinson (Velo
Ecosse) or Carlos Riise (Shetland Wheelers)...
Graeme: “Definitely, it’s possible, especially
Mark, you can never write him off.’
Jason: ‘Mark will certainly be going quicker
by then, yes.”
What about the hardware?
Graeme: “I’m working on a new bike just
now but I don’t know if it will be ready in time, I’ll
probably ride my current machine - it’s 15 years old but it’s
good tubing - on fixed, 62 x 13.”
Jason: “I’ll be riding the same carbon
Giant I won the British on, it’s been serviced and it’s
ready to go again.”
What about the 50 champs, are you riding?
Graeme: “Yes, I’ll be there.”
Jason: “No. I have family commitments that
weekend and I’m not sure about that saddle and position for
50 miles anyway.”
VeloResults would like to thank
Graeme and Jason for their time,
and we look forward to reporting the
Scottish 25 Mile Time Trial Championships on July 30th.
Mobile: 07751
674 012
Email: editor@veloresults.co.uk