Rochdale Grand Prix champ carries success to Beijing

Photo: Jan Harwood

Chris Newton celebrates his Rochdale Grand Prix win this year with Deputy Mayor Councillor Keith Swift.

The cyclist who won each of Rochdale's three town centre Grand Prix events has taken that form into the Olympics and earned a bronze medal.

Chris Newton, who lives in neighboring Oldham, was last in Rochdale in July to win on the town centre course for a third time and over the weekend he came third in the individual points race at the velodrome in Beijing.

It was the 34-year old's third Olympic medal following successes in the team pursuit in Sydney and Athens but he had no doubt this was his proudest Olympic moment. He said: "As an individual, it is a far different feeling.

“The race preparation is far different as you have a lot more time to think inwardly so it is a big relief as much as anything.”

Newton’s successs was especially pleasing given the fact that he broke his collarbone earlier this year after being involved in a road accident in Oldham.

And with a modicum of luck, Newton might have won silver as he was edged out by Germany’s Roger Kluge for runners-up spot.

No sooner had Newton got off his bike he was on the phone to Lindsey, his wife, who decided it would be unwise to travel to Beijing as their daughter Grace is so young.

He added: “Lindsey was over the moon and very emotional and I owe a lot to her and Grace because I couldn’t do what I do without the support of my family.

“They have made sacrifices for me to be here in the limelight, but the hard work has been done by my family back home.”

Newton had intimated that Beijing would be his last Olympics at the age of 34, but admitted: “I say never say never and maybe it will be different with the next Olympics at home.

“I have no intention to quit at the moment, but my body will know when the time has come.”

The race involved 160 laps of the track at the Laoshan Velodrome with five, three, two and one point awarded to the top four places in 16 separate sprints every 10 laps. If riders gain a one-lap lead on the rest of the field they earn a bonus 20 points.

Newton picked up two 20-point bonuses after the 11th and 14th sprints as well as additional points in the sprint to claw back ground on runaway leader Joan Llaneras.

That left Llaneras, Kluge and Newton well clear of the remainder of the field as the three were assured of a medal apiece. Llaneras was assured of victory going into the final sprint which left Newton and Kluge, on 53 points apiece, to battle for silver and bronze.

Newton has been thwarted in his bid for a second medal by a change of rules for the 4,000 metre team pursuit, an event he had won a bronze medal in Sydney and silver in Athens.

Great Britain were only able to nominate five riders for their squad instead of the usual six and missed out as Steven Burke took the fifth squad spot.