|
Wiggle Honda’s Laura Trott, Dani King, Joanna Rowsell and Elinor Barker successfully defended their women’s team pursuit title as the 2014 British Cycling National Track Championships began in Manchester.
The quartet, featuring three reigning world champions in the discipline in Trott, Barker and Rowsell, defeated Pearl Izumi with a time of 4.27.324 over the four kilometres at the National Cycling Centre.
“There’s some good friendly rivalry between Wiggle Honda and Pearl Izumi so it was a good competition there. That was nice,” Joanna Rowsell said.
“We knew they would go faster in the final so we weren’t sure how we would go in the final, we knew it would be a good race but we’re pleased we won it.”
The title is likely to be the foursome’s last in Wiggle Honda colours, with Rowsell joining Pearl Izumi and Trott Matrix Fitness-Vulpine in 2015.
VC St Raphael took bronze, catching Southampton University in under two kilometres.
In the men’s team pursuit, 100% ME’s Germain Burton, Christopher Latham, Christopher Lawless and Oliver Wood beat NFTO Pro Cycling for the British title, with a catch in 2.57.483, going on to post 4:09.120.
Adam Blythe, Russell Downing, Sam Harrison and Jon Mould had started strongly but the Great Britain Cycling Team youngsters turned the contest on its head.
“We definitely thought we could win it but you never know what could happen on race day. All you can do is ride to the best of your ability and we definitely did that in the final,” Chris Lawless said.
“At one point it got really close, the only indication we had was (coach) Paul Manning telling us to press on so it must have been pretty close.”
Double world champions Sophie Thornhill and pilot Rachel James added another gold to their palmares in the para-cycling BVI mixed kilo.
Neil Fachie and Pete Mitchell, who also hold two world titles, set a faster time of 1.01.953 to James and Thornhill’s 1.09.804.
But after factoring the times, which takes into account the world record in each respective category, Thornhill and James were awarded gold with Fachie and Mitchell settling for silver.
Laura Cluxton (City of Edinburgh RC) and Louise Haston (Rock And Road Cycles) collected bronze.
“I didn’t expect to win it at all, we got on the line having not had the best preparation,” Thornhill said.
“We just wanted to get out there and do a really strong start and try to balance the rest of the race. We went out and did a really strong ride.”
In the para-cycling C1-5 mixed time trial, also a factored event, Newport Youth Velo’s Lauren Booth celebrated victory with Seamons CC’s Jonathan Gildea second and Team Battle Back’s Jaco van Gass third.
The championships continue tomorrow and over the weekend. Tickets are still available for a selection of sessions. For more information or to purchase please click here.
Results
Women’s team pursuit
Men’s team pursuit
Para-cycling C1-5 mixed time trial
Para-cycling BVI mixed kilo
