Leicester’s former World Championship Venue

Results Amateur Men Sprint: 1. Daniel Morelon (Fra), 2. Peder Pedersen (Den), 3. Gerard Quintyn (Fra) Pursuit: 1. Xaver Kurmann (Den), 2. Ian Hallam (GB), 3. Viktor Bykov (USSR) 1km: 1. Neils Fredborg (Den), 2. Harry Kent (NZ), 3 Tkac (Cz) / Kravcov (USSR) 1hr Motor: 1. Cornelis Stam (NL), 2. Horst Gnas (WG), 3. Antonio Cerda (Esp) Tandem: 1. Barth-Muller (WG), 2. Gescke-Otto (EG), 3. Morelon-Quintyn (Fra) Team Pursuit: 1. West Germany, 2. East Germany, 3. USSR Professional Men Sprint: 1. Gordon Johnson (Aus), 2. Sante Gaiardoni (It), 3. Leijn Loivesijn (NL) Pursuit: 1. Hugh Porter (GB), 2. Lorenzo Bosisio (It), 3. Charly Grosskost (Fra) 100km Motor: 1. Ehrenfeid Rudolph (WG), 2. Theofiel Verschuren (Bel), 3. Pieter De Wit (NL) Women Sprint: 1. Galina Careva (USSR), 2. Galinia Ermolaeva (USSR), 3. Valentina Savina (USSR) Pursuit: 1. Tamara Gerkuchina (USSR), 2. Raisa Obodovsakaya (USSR), 3. Beryl Burton (GB)

On Monday 10 August 1970 the championships started - but the 1 km time trial was delayed. At first by the rain and then the fact that the new white paint (for TV) was less absorbent so took longer to dry.
Racing did start in the late afternoon - but then the rain came back so the 1km had to go back to the next morning. The final result was Neils Fredborg of Denmark (1:08.82) beat Harry Kent of New Zealand (1:09.21) and Tkac of Czechoslovakia / Kravcov of USSR (1:09.23).
After this faltering start the rest of events went to plan as the weather, though dull and quite cold, was at least dry.
The highlight for GB was the rainbow jersey for Hugh Porter - who almost caught Bosisio with a time of 6:14.99. For Australia it was the win of Gordon Johnson in the pro sprint just two weeks after leaving the amateurs. The only other non-European medals being the silvers for Harry Kent (NZ) and Ian Hallam (GB) plus the bronze for Beryl Burton (GB) stopping a clean sweep by the USSR.
Despite criticisms of poor publicity and high entrance fees the championships went well - even if the additional temporary stands were never filled.



ICS carried extensive coverage of the Championships at the time. And the Worlds made a return visit in 1982 - but that’s another story.
In 2008 the Worlds are back in England - at Manchester again (previously here in 1996 and 2000). Opened in 1994, Manchester is still the only suitable indoor track in Britain - but hopefully not for too much longer.