Former keirin world champ begins new charge for 2012
Jennie Reed claimed her first endurance title in the scratch race. (Image credit: Laura Weislo)
In 2008, American Jennie Reed thought she had accomplished everything she wanted to do in the track sprint events. She won the world championships in the keirin, raced in the Olympic Games in Beijing, and was ready to retire and get on with her life.
After two years away, Reed is now back in a new capacity and targeting the women's team pursuit at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
She began her new career in the women's scratch race at the US national track championships, and came away with her first national title in an endurance event.
"It's totally different from the sprint, but it was awesome," Reed told Cyclingnews. "I raced with a whole new group of girls, and it was a good first step."
Just at the beginning of her build-up to 2012, Reed is hopeful that her body will adapt to the very different training regime necessary to get to the top level in the team pursuit.
The reason behind her switch? "I was reinspired by Sarah Hammer and Dotsie Bausch who wanted me to come back for the team pursuit," she said. The two were part of the team which set a new world record in the women's team pursuit at the Cali World Cup last January.
"I am fired up to do something different. It's a whole new experience lining up with a bunch of women. So the scratch race was fun, but the real motivation is the team event."
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She enjoyed her time in the race, revealing that it was her first mass-start race at a national championship, "and I've been to nationals since I was 16! It was awesome to get out there and do it and come away with the title."
