monday 18 December 2006 “ULTIMATE” RECORD AND GOLD FOR KOGA AT THE TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN MOSCOW
18th December 2006 – Sprint world champion Theo Bos has captured a coveted record while competing for the winner’s Cup at the Moscow track meeting. He beat the world record over 200m on the low-altitude Moscow track following a spectacular start. The old record had stood for eleven years. The Netherlands rider also took Gold for the Sprint discipline.

The first attempt didn’t lead to a record-breaking time, so Theo Bos immediately offered the jury a second attempt, which he completed with a time of 9.772 seconds. The old world record had been held for eleven years by Canadian Curt Harnett (9.865) and was set at the high-altitude velodrome in Bogota. The Moscow track is at sea level. This is highly significant, particularly as in Moscow Bos was not yet riding his new bike, developed for him by Koga and built for him by the Royal Netherlands Cycle Union (KNWU).

According to Bos, this is the ‘ultimate record’ for sprinters. “For us it’s what the 100m is in athletics. The times are also about the same. Conditions were good, and my ‘form’ was indisputable. So I decided to give it a try.” Although Theo was in his own worlds “a bit more tired” as he rode the normal sprint final, it didn’t do him any harm: he was no less committed. And it had no effect on the end result, as the Netherlands rider took Gold.

The female riders in the national track squad also made their mark, with a welcome Gold Medal in the team sprint for Yvonne Hijgenaar and Willy Kanis, leaving sporting rivals France and Germany in their wake.