Great Britain Cycling Team won men’s team sprint silver to start the 2018 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in style in Apeldoorn.
Jack Carlin, Ryan Owens and six-time Olympic champion Jason Kenny pushed home nation Netherlands hard in the final, missing out by just over half-a-second with a time of 43.231 seconds.
It's silver!
— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) February 28, 2018
A great effort from GB's @jack_carlin97, @ryanowens0 and @JasonKenny107 against Netherlands for our first medal of the champs.#Apeldoorn2018 pic.twitter.com/BvEXbcoyl5
Carlin, Kenny and Phil Hindes had defeated New Zealand in 43.434 seconds to book a gold-medal final spot.
In qualifying, Carlin, Owens and Joe Truman had gone fourth fastest in 43.553 seconds, as Britain’s strength in depth was on show with five riders used across the three races.
It was a first worlds medal for Carlin, Truman, Owens and double Olympic champion Phil Hindes.
“I’m really happy with that," Owens said. "I've had a bit of an up-and-down season really, some highs, some lows. So to come to the big one and get it right, I’m pretty proud and as a whole team we really pulled it together today.”
Off the mark!
— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) February 28, 2018
It’s team sprint silver for GB as @jack_carlin97, @ryanowens0 and @JasonKenny107 win our first medal of #Apeldoorn2018
@Eurosport_UK pic.twitter.com/FaoxRcpZZp
Team pursuit progress
Ed Clancy, Kian Emadi and world championships debutants Ethan Hayter and Charlie Tanfield guaranteed Britain a medal on Thursday as they made it through to the team pursuit gold-medal final.
They had qualified fastest in 3:55.714 to set up a first round tie with Germany and the same quartet saw off the challengers in 3:56.335.
"As a whole team we really pulled it together"
— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) February 28, 2018
A proud moment for @ryanowens0 as he wins a first worlds medal as part of the team sprint. #Apeldoorn2018 pic.twitter.com/jRD8j8ttd3
In the women’s team pursuit, Elinor Barker, Katie Archibald, Emily Nelson and the returning Laura Kenny impressed to qualify second in 4:19.177 behind the USA.
With the top eight teams qualifying for round one, Great Britain will now face Italy on Thursday with a place in the gold-medal final on the line, which takes place on the same day.
Women’s team sprint
In the women’s team sprint, debutant Lauren Bate - a double medallist at the junior world championships - joined Katy Marchant.
The duo set a time of 33.624 seconds to qualify sixth before a loss to China in round one - with a time of 33.623 - saw the pair finish sixth overall.
Archibald sixth in scratch
Katie Archibald produced a typically gutsy display but it went unrewarded in the 40-lap women’s scratch race.
The 23-year-old, who had been part of Britain’s team pursuit qualifying earlier in the day, chased down a two-rider break alone in the closing stages.
But the effort took its toll as Dutch rider Kirsten Wild soloed to a popular victory - and the first gold of the championships - as the bunch caught the Scot in the final laps.
