Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup cycling returns to the HSBC UK National Cycling Centre for the first time since 2013 this month, when a star-studded Great Britain Cycling Team picked up where they left off at London 2012 and comfortably topped the overall standings in front of a jubilant home crowd.
The squad picked for the 2013 event included London Olympic champions Jason Kenny, Philip Hindes, Steven Burke, Ed Clancy, Dani King, Joanna Rowsell Shand and Laura Kenny née Trott took to the boards and comfortably topped the overall team standings.
Burke and Clancy took gold in the team pursuit alongside Owain Doull and Andy Tennant, beating world champions Australia in the final, while Rowsell Shand, King and Kenny were joined by 19 year old Elinor Barker as they too took team pursuit gold.
Riding over 4km for the first time in UCI Track Cycling World Cup history, the Brits blew away their Canadian rivals in the final by eight seconds, bettering the world record time they had already set in qualifying by over four seconds. Doull and Barker would soon become a regular fixture in their respective quartets, and each claimed their first Olympic gold medal three years later in Rio.
Rowsell Shand and Laura Kenny followed their team pursuit success with gold in the individual pursuit and omnium respectively, while Becky James claimed silver in the keirin and individual sprint. James was pipped to the post by Kristina Vogel on each occasion, and Vogel would prove to be her nemesis again three years later in the individual sprint final in Rio. She also took bronze in the team sprint alongside Vicky Barnes née Williamson.
Elsewhere there were bronze medals for Hindes, Kenny and Matt Crampton in the men’s team sprint and for Jonathan Mould – riding in Welsh colours – in the scratch race, while Katie Archibald donned the blue and white of Scotland to take silver in the scratch race and bronze in the individual pursuit.
The Manchester round was followed by back to back events in Mexico, topping the standings in Aguascalientes before finishing third in Guadalajara, securing an overall series victory in the process.
Of the 17 riders selected for the 2013 event, 8 would go on to win gold in Rio.
The Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup takes place at Manchester’s HSBC UK National Cycling Centre from November 10 and 12.
Get your tickets at www.trackworldcup.co.uk/tickets.
