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2011 UCI Track Cycling World Championships - Report - Day 4

23-27 March 2011, Omnisport, Apeldoorn, Netherlands | Track Worlds Home

MEN'S KEIRIN

Watch the final (BBC) Watch Hoy's post-race interview (BBC)
Australian Shane Perkins won the Men's Keirin world title in a terrific final featuring keirin big hitters Chris Hoy, Matt Crampton and home hero Teun Mulder. Perkins' journey to the top step of the podium was via the repechages; beaten into second place by The Netherlands' Teun Mulder, he won his repechage heat and progressed to a relatively easy 2nd round draw, earning a place in the final. However, once there, Perkins was surrounded by keirin royalty.

Perkins took first wheel behind the derny, with his main rival Hoy third man. Further back in 5th was Crampton with Mulder in his trademark sixth man position. First to make a move from the back was Crampton, with Hoy slipping into the big man's wake, in what appeared to be a choreographed move. However Perkins began to creep up the inside of Hoy and onto the shoulder of Crampton coming into the last bend. Crampton began to fade after two laps on the front at full gas and Perkins edged ahead, the line in sight. Hoy buried himself and began to regain ground but it was too late. Perkins' wheel was over the line, Hoy taking second while Mulder just edged Crampton out of the final medal berth.

Jason Kenny and Ross Edgar completed a full set of GB sprinters contesting the keirin. However, Edgar left the competition in the first round repechage stage, while Kenny made it to the minor final, eventually finishing 10th overall. Results

WOMEN'S SPRINT

Watch Pendleton in the Bronze Final (BBC)
Australia's Anna Meares took the Women's Sprint world title with the air of an athlete at the peak of her powers, defeating Great Britain's Victoria Pendleton and Lithuanian Simona Krupeckaite on the way to gold.

Meares progress to the semi finals went smoothly, until she met 2010 champion Pendleton. First blood went to Meares, a momentary hesitation by Pendleton enough to give Meares the few metres she needed to take the race. Race two saw Pendleton bounce back, getting her tactics and timing spot on and powering around Meares on the final bend. However, Meares had some tricks up her sleeve for the decider, trackstanding and forcing Pendleton to the front. Meares then rode Vicky up the banking, pinning her near the rail. Meares then swooped and Pendleton swiftly followed, on her wheel and unloading. However, Meares just had the gas to stay in front and earn a place in the final.

Krupeckaite's semi final also went to a decider, with the Lithuanian losing out to Panarina in the first race, levelling the score in the second, before taking the decider and with it a ride-off for gold against Meares.

Come the final, Meares was a rider in full control of her game. Meares led out the first race and won it comfortably, Krupeckaite not even on terms. Following a restart, race two saw a virtuoso performance from Meares, leading Simona high and low on the banking, before a swooping and simply outgunning her rival.

After her defeat in the semi-finals, Pendleton was back on track for the bronze final and wasn't about to go away without the medal. Race one saw Vicky keep Panarina on a short leash until the final lap, when the Belarus rider started her charge from behind and almost caught Vicky on the line. Race two - and Panarina had clearly watched Pendleton's earlier encounter with Meares, with the Belarus rider trackstanding and trying to force Pendleton to the fore. The tactic failed - Panarina went high trying to pin the GB rider - then Pendleton swooped underneath, Panarina hesitated and it was all over. A well deserved bronze for Pendleton. Results

WOMEN'S SCRATCH

Watch Dani's post-race interview (BBC)
The Netherlands' Marianne Vos lit up the home crowd at the end of a packed day of racing at the Omnisport velodrome by winning the Women's Scratch world title. However, the sizeable contingent of GB fans had plenty to cheer about too, bearing witness to a fantastic performance from Worlds rookie Dani King. King, buoyed with confidence following her Gold in the Team Pursuit earlier in the week was in fine form. Always strong in the sprint finish, King had gambled on riding a big gear in the hope a bunch finish. However, a break late in the race forced a change of tactics, King chased it down and bridged and had enough left in the tank at the end to take 3rd place and a second medal. King's elated face on the podium said it all. Her first senior Worlds and two medals in the bag. Results

MEN'S OMNIUM

Australian Michael Freiberg took the World Omnium title in a closely fought scrap with New Zealand's Shane Archbold. Freiberg's title assault was built on consistent scoring throughout the six events and a crucial win in the scratch race. Freiberg was in third place overall after the first day's action on Friday, placing 12th in the flying lap and then bagging a pair of 5th places in the points and elimination races. With a further 5th place in the individual pursuit, Freiberg began to move up the table ahead of the previous day's leader Coquard of France, who could only manage 19th in the pursuit. However, with two events remaining, New Zealand's Archbold became his primary rival, with the kiwi taking second in the pursuit. The pivotal point was in the Scratch race, with Freiberg emerging as the victor, one of seven riders to gain a lap. All that remained was the kilometre TT, a punishing event in its own right, never mind after a packed schedule of six strength sapping events. It was damage limitation for Freiberg, in the knowledge that Archbold was strong over four laps. In spite of Archbold's victory in the kilo, Freiberg had done enough with a sixth place to take the overall points victory and with it the World Title.

GB's Sam Harrison, drafted in at the last minute to replace Ed Clancy, had mixed fortunes but gave it everything, showing huge character and massive potential. Strong rides in the Flying Lap and the Elimination were somewhat negated by weaker performances in the Points and the Scratch races. However, Harrison finished on a high with an excellent 3rd place in the kilo, posting an impressive 1:04.325, enough to haul the young Welsh rider up to 12th overall. Results

WOMEN'S OMNIUM

Kirsten Wild of The Netherlands gave the home crowd at Apeldoorn a lot to cheer about, ending the day as leader of the Women's Omnium after three events. Wild started the day well, placing 4th in the Flying Lap, which was won by Spain's Oleberrio Dorronsoro, before backing it up with a 5th place in the points race, won by Belarus rider Tatsiana Sharakova. Then came the nerve jangling Elimination race, in which the Dutch rider stayed well out of trouble, shadowing Sarah Hammer, who dictated things from the front for much of the race. Wild was the last to be eliminated, with Russia's Romanyuta and New Zealand's Kiesanowski taking 1st and 2nd. However, the home rider's consistent placings left her sitting pretty in orange at the top of the table with 12 points, with Canada's Tara Whitten in second on 14, while Polish Rider Malgorzata Wojtyra held third with 18 points. GB's Laura Trott had a solid start in the flying lap and was active in the points race, picking up points in a number of sprints, but left the elimination race in the early stages, leaving her in 18th place after 3 events.  Results