Four titles were up for grabs in the evening session on the second day of competition at the 2018 UCI Track Cycling World Championships.
Women
Team Pursuit
Round 1
The first heat saw Germany beat France, but neither were to make it any further.
In the second heat, Canada caught Poland around three quarters of the way into the ride and set a time of 4:21.780 in the hope of still progressing to the Bronze medal final.
Heat 3 saw Great Britain conquer Italy to secure their place in the Gold medal final, and they were to be joined by the USA who won their heat in emphatic fashion, catching the team from New Zealand. In the end, Canada’s time was good enough to bag them a place in the battle for Bronze against Italy.
Heat 1
1 Germany (STOCK Gudrun, BRENNAUER Lisa, BECKER Charlotte, BRAUSSE Franziska)
2 France (BORRAS Marion, BERTHON Laurie, DEMAY Coralie, le NET Marie)
Heat 2
1 Canada (ROORDA Stephanie, BEVERIDGE Allison, BONHOMME Ariane, FOREMAN-MACKEY Annie) – Qualify for Bronze Final
2 Poland (PIKULIK Wiktoria, KACZKOWSKA Justyna, PAWLOWSKA Katarzyna, PIETRZAK Lucja)
Heat 3
1 Great Britain (ARCHIBALD Katie, KENNY Laura, BARKER Elinor, DICKINSON Eleanor) – Qualify for Gold/Silver Final
2 Italy (VALSECCHI Silvia, BALSAMO Elisa, GUDERZO Tatiana, PATERNOSTER Letizia) – Qualify for Bronze Final
Heat 4
1 United States of America (VALENTE Jennifer, DYGERT Chloe, CATLIN Kelly, GEIST Kimberly) – Qualify for Gold/Silver Final
2 New Zealand (BUCHANAN Rushlee, SHEATH Racquel, DRUMMOND Michaela, BOTHA Bryony)
Finals
The team from the USA went out hard in the Gold medal final. They were up until 1500m when the British team briefly took control. Approaching the 3000m stage, Chloe Dygert turned on the after burners and dragged the American team back into the green. Despite dropping to three riders, while GB kept four, the United States of America team stopped the clock in 4:15.669 to clinch the Gold medal.
In the Bronze medal ride, the lead changed hands multiple times, with neither team showing any particular dominance. In the end, though, it was the Italian team that came out on top to secure Bronze.
GOLD United States of America (VALENTE Jennifer, DYGERT Chloe, GEIST Kimberly, CATLIN Kelly) 4:15.669
SILVER Great Britain (ARCHIBALD Katie, KENNY Laura, BARKER Elinor, NELSON Emily) 4:16.980
BRONZE Italy (PATERNOSTER Letizia, BALSAMO Elisa, GUDERZO Tatiana, VALSECCHI Silvia) 4:20.202
4 Canada (ROORDA Stephanie, BEVERIDGE Allison, BONHOMME Ariane, FOREMAN-MACKEY Annie) 4:23.216
Sprint
Quarterfinals
All four of the quarterfinals heats were won in two straight rides. Tomorrow’s final will see Stephanie Morton (AUS) vs Wai Sze Lee (HKG) and Pauline Grabosch (GER) vs Kristina Vogel (GER).
Heat 1
1 MORTON Stephanie AUS (Winner) (Winner)
2 KRUPECKAITE Simona LTU (+0.644) (+0.064)
Heat 2
1 GRABOSCH Pauline Sophie GER (Winner) (Winner)
2 BRASPENNINCX Shanne NED (+0.002) (+0.084)
Heat 3
1 VOGEL Kristina GER (Winner) (Winner)
2 van RIESSEN Laurine NED (+0.128) (+0.096)
Heat 4
1 LEE Wai Sze HKG (Winner) (Winner)
2 SHMELEVA Daria RUS (+0.084) (+0.251)
Men
Keirin
Round 2
The second round of the Keirin threw up a major upset. Matthew Glaetzer, someone many people were tipping to win the title, was knocked out. 2016 Keirin world champion Joachim Eilers also failed to progress as the home crowd cheered two Dutch riders, Lavreysen and Buchli, to victories in the heats.
Heat 1
1 LAVREYSEN Harrie NED (Q)
2 LEVY Maximilian GER (Q)
3 PUERTAS Fabian COL (Q)
4 GLAETZER Matthew AUS
5 WAKIMOTO Yuta JPN
6 PERALTA Juan ESP
Heat 2
1 BUCHLI Matthijs NED (Q)
2 CARLIN Jack GBR (Q)
3 KAWABATA Tomoyuki JPN (Q)
4 BARRETTE Hugo CAN
5 VYNOKUROV Andrii UKR
6 EILERS Joachim GER
Finals
After missing out on winning the title at his home worlds in 2014, Fabian Puerta of Colombia bagged a popular victory in the Keirin final. Tomoyuki Kawabata of Japan was second and Germany’s Max Levy rounded out the podium.
In the 7-12 final, it was Glaetzer who crossed the line first but that will be little consolation for the Australian who will be rueing what might have been.
GOLD PUERTA Fabian COL
SILVER KAWABATA Tomoyuki JPN
BRONZE LEVY Maximilian GER
4 BUCHLI Matthijs NED
5 CARLIN Jack GBR
6 LAVREYSEN Harrie NED
7 GLAETZER Matthew AUS
8 VYNOKUROV Andrii UKR
9 WAKIMOTO Yuta JPN
10 BARRETTE Hugo CAN
11 PERALTA Juan ESP
12 EILERS Joachim GER
Team Pursuit
Finals
Clearly buoyed by their strong performances on day one, the team from Denmark went out fast and held their lead for over half of the distance. At the 2500m mark, though, the British team clawed their way back and didn’t falter from there to the finish. The quartet of Ed Clancy, Kian Emadi, Ethan Hayter and Charlie Tanfield posted a time of 3:53.389 to take the Gold medal, giving Emadi, Hayter and Tanfield their first taste of the coveted rainbow stripes.
The Bronze medal ride was a similar story. Germany were fastest for the first half but then Italy tipped the pendulum in their direction and, just like their compatriots in the Women’s event, they bagged the third spot on the podium.
GOLD Great Britain (CLANCY Edward, EMADI Kian, HAYTER Ethan, TANFIELD Charlie) 3:53.389
SILVER Denmark (LARSEN Niklas, JOHANSEN Julius, MADSEN Frederik, von FOLSACH Casper) 3:55.232
BRONZE Italy (CONSONNI Simone, BERTAZZO Liam, GANNA Filippo, LAMON Francesco) 3:54.606
4 Germany (SCHOMBER Nils, GROSS Felix, REINHARDT Theo, THIELE Kersten) 3:56.594
Scratch Race
Greek sprinter Christos Volikakis, who likes to try his hand at the endurance events, was one of the early protagonists of the race, attacking several times within the first ten laps.
The first serious move came when Callum Scotson (AUS), Robbe Ghys (BEL), Wim Stroetinga (NED), Quentin Lafargue (FRA) and Volikakis jumped clear of the bunch. They were off the front for a few laps but were soon brought back.
It was then that Italy’s Michele Scartezzini launched his attack. He quickly built up an advantage, and then Scotson and Yauheni Karaliok of Belarus set off in pursuit. The three riders soon joined up out front, as the bunch failed to form an organised chase.
The leading trio had a 50m advantage at 30 laps to go and that was when Scotson decided to really put the hammer down. Chris Latham of Great Britain was one of the riders trying to apply the pressure in the pack but it was having little effect on the advantage of Karaliok, Scartezzini and Scotson. At the 20 lap to go mark, the three riders gained the valuable lap and were then able to enjoy a brief recovery from their efforts.
Roman Gladysh (UKR) and Xavier Canellas (ESP) were amongst the brave souls who tried to make a last ditch move away from the peloton but it was to no avail.
In the final sprint, it was Gladysh who crossed the line first but, more importantly, Karaliok was the first finisher of the three that gained a lap, meaning he claimed the Scratch Race world title. Scartezzini finished second and Scotson, clearly spent after his efforts earlier on, was left with Bronze.
GOLD KARALIOK Yauheni BLR
SILVER SCARTEZZINI Michele ITA
BRONZE SCOTSON Callum AUS
4 GLADYSH Roman UKR
5 OLIVEIRA Rui POR
6 STROETINGA Wim NED
