The 2011 World Track Championships start on the 23rd of March in Apeldoorn in the Netherlands. In the second part of our two part preview we look at the women’s events that will be spread over the 5 days of competition – starting with the 500m Time Trial and ending with the Keirin.
trackcycling’s coverage of the World Track Championships is supported by SL Carbons – The Fabric of Your Success
trackcycling’s coverage of the World Track Championships is supported by SL Carbons – The Fabric of Your Success
Wednesday 23rd March
Women’s 500m Time Trial
The Women’s competition opens with the 500m Time Trial and is wide open with reigning World Champion and World Cup Winner Anna Meares of Australia not entered. World Cup runner-up Sandie Clair of France will be eager to take advantage of Meares’ absence, but Miriam Welte of Germany, Wai Sze Lee of Hong Kong and home favourite Willy Kanis will give her a run for her money. Watch out, too, for Rebecca James of Great Britain who was a runner-up in 500m at the Junior World Championships and the 2009 European 500m Champion.
World Record : 33.296 Simona Krupeckaite Lithuania 25 March 2009 Pruszkow, Poland
World Champion : Anna Meares Australia
World Cup Winner 2010-11 : Anna Meares Australia
Women’s 25km Points Race Final
The Points Race is another event which won’t be defended by the reigning champion – Tara Whitten of Canada. World Cup winner Giorgia Bronzini of Italy will start this notoriously difficult event to predict and Pascale Jeuland of France, Pascale Schnider of Switzerland, Joanne Kiesanowski of New Zealand and Marianne Vos of the Netherlands will be among those in with a shout of the title.
World Champion : Tara Whitten Canada
World Cup Winner 2010-11 : Giorgia Bronzini Italy
Thursday 24th March
Women’s Team Pursuit
The Kiwis – whose Team Pursuit World Record set in Copenhagen in March 2010 was finally overturned last month after a series tests at the velodrome in Aguascalientes delayed ratification of the Sarah Hammer’s US squad’s World Record set two months later – sent a world class squad to try to Manchester to clinch the World Cup Series from Australia. They did that, but the Gold went to the Great Britain squad of Wendy Houvenaghel, Joanna Rowsell and Sarah Storey.
Storey, who won two world titles at the recent paracycling World Championships is absent but Laura Trott and Dani King who looked good riding for the 100% Me squad in Manchester are both available.
World Record : 3m 19.569s USA (Sarah Hammer, Lauren Tamayo, Dotsie Bausch)
12 May 2010 Aguascalientes, Mexico
World Champions : Australia (Ashlee Ankudinoff, Sarah Kent, Josephine Tomic)
World Cup Winner 2010-11 : New Zealand
Women’s Team Sprint
Who would bet against McCullough and Meares in the Women’s Team Sprint? The Australians have been dominant of late, but the French and Germans are knocking on the door – and the British aren’t far off. Former World Champion and BMX superstar Shanaze Reade disappointed at the recent World Cup in Manchester and Jess Varnish – who went 7 tenths quicker than Reade for the opening lap at that event, partnering Rebecca James – is likely to line up alongside Victoria Pendleton.
World Record : 32.923 Australia (Kaarle McCulloch, Anna Meares)
23 March 2010 World Championships, Denmark
World Champions : Australia (Kaarle McCulloch, Anna Meares)
2010-11 World Cup Winners : China
Friday 25th March
Women’s Individual Pursuit
Great Britain’s Wendy Houvenaghel will be looking to break her not-quite-winning streak in Apeldoorn after Silver medals at the Olympics in Beijing and at the World Championships in Pruszkow in 2009 and Copenhagen in 2010 – and in this year’s World Cup series.
Reigning World Champion Sarah Hammer is on fine form, but another assault on the Individual and Team Pursuits and the Omnium titles is a big ask. 2009 World Champion Alison Shanks is another almost certain medallist, but a Gold may be a step or two too far this time around.
World Champion : Sarah Hammer USA
Olympic Champion : Rebecca Romero Great Britain
2010-11 World Cup Winner : Alison Shanks New Zealand
Saturday 26th March
Women’s Omnium – Flying Lap, 20km Points Race, Elimination
Tara Whitten of Canada has been the star of the Women’s Omnium of late – and won the World Cup series without even attending the final round in Manchester. But Sarah Hammer of the USA is hard on her heels and not only won the Manchest
er round but beat Whitten in to second place in Cali. Don’t rule out Pascale Jeuland of France, though – and Great Britain’s rising star Laura Trott is an outside bet for a medal.
Like the men, the competition kicks off with a Flying Lap this morning, with an Points race and a Devil this evening and concludes tomorrow with the Pursuit, Scratch and Time Trial.
World Champion : Tara Whitten Canada
2010-11 World Cup Winner : Tara Whitten Canada
Women’s Sprint
The three way duel between Kristina Vogel of Germany, Anna Meares of Australia and Britain’s Victoria Pendleton resumes – with Lithuania’s Simon Krupeckaite and Olga Panarina of Belarus never too far away.
Judged on titles, the stats appear to favour Pendleton – current World and Olympic Champion and the reigning World Cup series winner. Look closer, though, and you’ll see that Meares took the World Cup rounds in Melbourne and Manchester and Vogel won in Cali – and China’s Shuang Guo beat Pendleton in Manchester, too, threatening to turn the trio of medal hopes into a quartet. It should be a great competition.
World Record : 10.793 Simona Krupeckaite Lithuania 29 May 2010 Moscow, Russia
World Champion : Victoria Pendleton Great Britain
Olympic Champion : Victoria Pendleton Great Britain
2010-11 World Cup Winner : Victoria Pendleton Great Britain
Women’s 10km Scratch
Writing a preview for a scratch race is a thankless task. There are probably a dozen riders who could win it based on form and another dozen who have a chance if they get in the right break. So pick one from 24.
No, you’re right, we can’t get away with that. Reigning world champion Pascale Jeuland of France has to be one of the favourites, but we rather hope Jennie Reed of the USA can pin up an endurance rainbow jersey next to the one she won for the Keirin. Wouldn’t that be a story?
World Champion : Pascale Jeuland France
World Cup Winner 2010-11 : Anastasiya Chulkova Russia
Sunday 27th March
Women’s Keirin
It’s those four girls again – the Women’s Keirin looks like it will be between Sanchez, Pendleton, Sanchez and Guo – although you can’t rule out Simona Krupeckaite of Lithuania.
Women’s keirin isn’t quite as physical as the men’s – although they don’t pull any punches – but tactically it’s every bit as good and is a fantastic way to end the week’s racing.
World Champion : Simona Krupeckaite Lithuania
2010-11 World Cup Winner : Clara Sanchez France
trackcycling’s coverage of the World Track Championships is supported by SL Carbons – The Fabric of Your Success
