2005 Junior World Championships Day 3 (Track)

 

August 9, 2005; Austria;

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Above: The end of the pursuit of Gold for the lads in the Team Pursuit. Ian Stannard and Andy Tennant are the only riders left upright after a touch of wheels caused Steven Burke and Ross Sander to crash in the final for the Team Pursuit.

 

Day 3 - Morning

 

Above: Setting a new British Record, The GB team are lead here by World Junior Individual Pursuit Champion Andy Tennant from Ian Stannard, Ross Sander and Steven Burke.

It was a quiet morning for Great Britain on Day 3 in the Velodrome in Vienna but one where the Great Britain Team Pursuit riders came away from the track in the knowledge they were going to get the chance to fight for Gold this evening. Only one other rider was involved in the racing this morning, Lizzy Armitstead who kicked off proceedings in the Womens Pursuit qualifying.

Recording a 2.35.961 for 16th place, it was a little (tenths, not seconds) off what the team were looking for from her but it wasn't so much the time she did but the pace of the ride that disappointed Lizzy who is probably the least experienced of all the riders. She is however equally talented and from what I  have heard here, just needs to be taken back to basics and given some experience and conditioning to back up her physical ability. As a first year junior, by the time she hopefully makes the next World Junior Championships, not only will she move on physically but also have a lot more experience to give her the
chance to perhaps repeat what Andy Tennant did the other night.

Whilst Lizzy was concentrating on her ride getting help from her coaches as she warmed up with the obligatory head phones on, the Team Pursuiters arrived for what was probably the most important event for GB during the championships, at least in terms of performance goals. Following the tried and tested warm-up routine from many a championships, the GB staff went about their various tasks of preparing the riders for their event step by step. Numbers were pinned on by Nick Kenwright, drinks and food from Sarah Heal, coaches Darren Tudor and Simon Jones briefing the riders and making sure they follow the warmup routine whilst the mechanics brought the bikes into the track centre and tweaked the odd thing.

With the Team Pursuit competition well under way, and as the time to race got nearer and nearer for the GB riders, they left the track centre with coach Darren Tudor to warm up away from the distractions that get in the track centre. By the time they came to warm-up, they already knew what time they had to beat, a 4.14.404 set by the New Zealand team. On the track, it was encouraging to see many many National teams with all the kit for this event including bikes with double disks -- all trying to set the new fastest time. Many came and went but no-one was getting near it until in the 7th heat when, the British team if Steve Burke, Ian Stannard, Andy Tennant and Ross Sander came out and took almost a second off to set a new best time of 4.13.544.

As the lads came off the track, they didn't appear to be in a state of exhaustion similar to what Andy Tennant had been the day before in his rides. They were in fact, all looking quite good, Ross Sander especially chatting away as if he'd just been on a club run! Andy Tennant did admit his legs were tired from the two rides he had the day before in winning his World Title but all four finished together and there was a confident mood in the camp it would be good enough to make one of the finals where the team expects to perhaps improve on their qualifying time.

With the Brits ride over, the riders were given their SIS drinks to get down them as they rolled the legs over on the rollers while being debriefed by their coaches.. On the track as we got into the seeded teams, the major nations which were an unknown quantity for this event came and went and hopes of a major final ride were growing. Although the early rounds had been a little tedious, it was starting to get quite exciting as the teams expected to do well took to the track.


Right, The boys warm down on the rollers while the coaches Simon Jones and Darren Tudor go over their qualifying ride to get feedback to plan the strategy for the ride for Gold.

 

Germany were one team who GB felt might pose a strong challenge and yes, they qualified 4th, best of the other European Nations but were not a challenge to the time set by GB. The record holders Russia came and went but they too couldn't get near the British time which meant that GB were in the ride off for Gold - it was now just a matter of who it would be, Australia or New Zealand. So while Darren Tudor sent a text with the good news to one of the GB riders who had all been sent back to the hotel, it was down to the old enemy Australia to try and make the gold and silver final.

And what a race they made it of it as well! From the word go they were setting new fastest times but the start and the pace they were setting took its toll and in the last kilometre not only did they lose a rider, they also missed the gold and silver final by hundreths of second - going from fastest to third fastest in a few laps. It was to be New Zealand, the expected challengers, who GB will meet in the final this evening.

With the morning session over it was back to the hotel for the staff that were at the track and more work planning strategies for the evening final. Who would ride in what position, what schedule to set to ride to and much more for the riders to take in as they rest on their beds for the final. This is the big final that they have all been waiting for and only one of them has ridden at all so far, World Junior Pursuit champion Andy Tennant.

The other three, have not been wasting energy getting to the track to watch the other events and stretching the resources the team has in Austria. Instead, they have been sat at their hotels, waiting for their chance to do what they do best - race - and so far, its looking good. Fingers crossed when we send
another report back this evening, we'll have news of more new World Champions? fingers crossed!

 

Day 3, Evening --- Another Night of Drama for Team GB -- Silver for Team Pursuit and Anna Blythe

What can you say about a night where Great Britain has won two silver medals but in both cases came away from the events very disappointed. If the second night was bad when Jason Kenny was disqualified for an offence that the judges thought they saw, then tonight just left one completely numb after the Team Pursuiters, when leading their rivals in the final for the World Team Pursuit Title, crashed coming into the home straight after a touch of wheels. Down went Steven Burke and Ross Sander with the latter breaking his wrist and being taken to a local hospital (more on his injury as we get it).

It was the type of crash that has happened to many countries before but when it happens to your team, it's impossible to describe the shock, not just for the riders who have lost their world title, but also for everyone in the GB camp. It was just unbelievable but it happened and it will be a lesson not just for the riders who were involved but any other GB team for this event.

Prior to the crash, the team went through the same pre-race routine and spirits were high as they looked forward to the final ride for Gold and Silver. Earlier in the day, the boys came to my hotel room looking to see some photos and were on top of the world and full of confidence. A stark contrast to how they would feel many hours later.

Before the crash which happened less than two minutes into the race, they were on top of the New Zealanders and certain to take the victory but fate, just like last night with Jason Kenny, wasn't doing the British riders any favours and the crash ended their hopes of taking home rainbow jerseys.

Being young though, time is on their side and although gutted to the core tonight, it won't be long before these same riders are challenging for World Senior titles where lady luck will hopefully smile on them a whole lot more than it has for the last two days!

 

When you know you should be World Champion, coming second after a crash is difficult to take and even on the podium, the British boys were still as deeply gutted at losing a certain World Title but it was one race (an important one admittedly) and they will come back from this to win even bigger victories).

 

Anna Blyth with her best result to date -- second in the Womens World Sprint championship for Juniors -- how special is that!

Anna's Silver .... At the start of the night's racing, the expected highlight was the Team Pursuit but as it turned out, there were many more. A fantastic Silver medal for Anna Blyth for example. The young lady who rides for British team, VC St Raphael/Waite Contracts, was outstanding tonight but even she came away disappointed losing the final for the Womens Sprint 2:1 to a Cuban girl. Anna remember is a first year Junior and relatively new to sprinting. A rider will always go into a competition with the aim to win but realistically prior to the competition, Anna was expected to get in the top six or so in what was her first year in this category.

But even before today, Anna had got further in the competition than she expected and when driving to the track, we knew anything at this level was possible for the semi final. Anna was drawn in the first heat for the semi final against French girl Sandie Claire. In the first ride for this semi final battle, the French girl lead the way getting a favourable draw and Anna wasn't able to get round her. In the second heat however, Anna lead the way and held the French girl off and it was one a piece.

It was going to be down to a sudden death third run and what an amazing sprint from Anna. She tried to lead out but the French girl managed to squeeze her way past Anna down the back straight to lead into the final bend which wasn't on the schedule of what was supposed to happen. Anna though wasn't about to give up and after a short 'break' in that final bend, she kicked again and found something from somewhere because this was not a track where many riders were able to come from behind but Anna did! She came around the French girl and inch by inch managed to claw her way past the French rider and won it in a photo finish (see below!). Awesome, absolutely awesome!

The win meant Anna was now in the ride off for Gold which considering the competition at this years Junior Worlds is red hot, is a real indication of how special Anna is. In that final she would come up against the favourite from Cuba, Lizandra Guerra coached by none other than Richard Wooles who used to be on our side! With the way the Cuban was riding, it was always going to be a tough test for Anna but the Yorkshire girl wasn't giving in without a fight and in the first heat, she took the Cuban all over the track and came out the winner to go one up. It was a magic moment and gave us all the belief that this special young lady may well go all the way to being World Champion. Now that would really have been something!

The next round however saw the Cuban come out all guns blazing and gave Anna no chance, sprinting home well clear of her to level the final one all.  Something different was needed and so a gear change and a change of tactics was called for in the final round of the final. It was going to be all or nothing and in the that final heat, Anna tried everything she knew to get the Cuban to go to the front but the girl from the UCI World Cycling School wasn't having any of it and stayed on Anna's wheel.

Not only did Anna have to deal with the Cuban not playing the game, Anna also fell (well slipped) on the steep banking as the slow speed saw her bike slip from under her and she slid down the track (Pictured left).

Bravely undeterred, Anna got back up and did the same again but still the Cuban didn't want to come to the front and so Anna did all she could do on the big gear and started to wind it up from the front only to find the Cuban had speed to burn and came past to take the title from Anna's grasp.

A silver medal though was just an awesome performance - bloody awesome and everyone in the camp was pleased for the first year Junior who had proved she was more than just talented - she was a champion in the making and the silver she won tonight will one day be gold for sure.

But in talking to Anna as she walked to the podium, the silver was scant consolation for losing - no winner ever likes losing and Anna is a rider who likes winning for sure. The determination that she showed in her semi final coming around the French girl in the home straight was proof of that - and whilst Anna could smile about having made that final, the French girl was left in tears searching for answers as to why she had lost to Anna.

Anna did concede however that she didn't expect to win this medal, saying "if anything I would have expected it in the 500 rather that the sprint but I am really pleased to have won a medal. Tactically I have ridden my best ever so that is really good". Anna then lined up to get her silver medal on the podium
and although we had to coax a smile from her, she eventually relented and showed just how pleased she was to be one of the best sprinters in the world and remember she is only a first year Junior and has another chance next year!

Right: A very proud National Sprint coach, Iain Dyer with GB's Anna Blyth after the medal ceremony.

Mens Sprint
Anna wasn't the only sprinter doing well on the Viennese track. Jason Kenny in the qualifying round took almost four tenths off this personal best to do a 10.6 for the 200 metres. It was a stunning ride from the youngster who the night before had a World title denied him by the commissaries for the Keirin event. Having been at Manchester when he did his previous personal best of 11.00, I was starting to think as rider after rider at the Worlds did times of  10.5 and 10.6 seconds that perhaps it wasn't going to be Jason's year.

But the young sprinter came out and put in a sensational performance to make it to the next round. There he won again but that was as far as he got in that competition, his last of the championships, because in the 8th final he lost and then again in the Repechage.

But talking to him later that night on the way back from the track, he was pleased with how it had gone even though there was that burning ambition to have gone further which is only natural, especially when the night before you've won (at least on the track) the World Keirin title.

 

Left: Jason in full flight during his qualification ride where he broke his PB by almost 4 tenths. Way to go Jason!

 

 

It was however a night when the over riding memory is that of the crash in the Team Pursuit - something that is part of bike racing and those involved will, like all bike riders, realise that its done, there is no changing it however much we all want to and like Jason Kenny, they will have to continue working
hard as they have done and when next riding in a final for a World Title, remember past mistakes and learn from them. A silver medal isn't such a bad thing when you know in your heart of hearts that on the day, the best team in the world on that track prior to that crash were the British. Don't ever forget that
boys -- your day will come?

 

Tomorrow, the final of the track events, is an evening only session when Lizzy has the Womens Scratch and Anna has the Womens Keirin. More on that tomorrow night?.

More photos from the Championships ....

Lizzy Armitstead during her ride in the Womens Pursuit



The lads get off the mark quickly ...



Ross Sanders leads Steven Burke, Andy Tennant and Ian Stannard



You can tell a GB rider is trying when they 'get their teeth out!' as Andy Tennant gives it some gas at the end of the 4k.



The warm up area where the GB riders turned the legs over before their ride.



The waiting is always the worst .... Ross Sander, Steven Burke, Andy Tennant and Ian Stannard



Ride over and its give the bikes a once over and pack them up before returning them to their container.



Familiar site as Ernie Feargrieve carries Lizzy's bike onto the track ready for her pursuit



Lizzy starts an interval on the rollers whilst her coach Darren Tudor keeps track of the time for it.

Results

Men's Team Pursuit

 

Qualifying
1 Great Britain 4.13.544
Steven Burke
Ross Sander
Ian Stannard
Andrew Tennant

2 New Zealand 4.14.404
Sam Bewley
Westley Gough
Jesse Sergent
Darren Shea

3 Australia 4.14.454
Zakkari Dempster
Cameron Meyer
Mitchell Pearson
Matthew Pettit

4 Germany 4.16.146
Patrick Gretsch
Jochen Helfen
Oliver Jakob
Gerd Seifert

5 France 4.18.002
Vincent Dauga
Ronan Guinaudeau
Alexandre Lemair
Pierre Luc Perichon

6 Ukraine 4.18.180
Yuriy Agarkov
Artur Kanyuka
Oleksandr Polivoda
Vitaliy Shchedov

7 Netherlands 4.19.701
Bas Eckmann
Lars Jun
Isma¹¨Kip
Michel Kreder

8 Russia 4.21.669
Andrey Klyuev
Roman Maximov
Alexey Shiryaev
Sergey Valynin

9 Italy 4.22.798
Alessandro Cantone
Nicola Dal Santo
Simone Pasolini
Marco Benfatto

10 Spain 4.25.213
Cristian Benages Tosca
Martzel Elorriaga Azpitarte
Sebastian Mora Vedri
Francesc Mateu Orfi Zanoguera

11 Lituania 4.25.477
Egidijus Juodvalkis
Egidijus Jursys
Algirdas Mockus
Ramunas Navardauskas

12 Czech Republic 4.27.588
Martin Hacecky
Vojtech Hacecky
Jakub Kratochvila
Ivo Vildomec

13 Poland 4.29.233
Dawid Glowacki
Tomasz Krysztofik
Michal Nawrocki
Hubert Tulacz

14 Kazakhstan 4.35.936
Roman Chumakov
Berik Kupeshov
Alexandr Silaichev
Nikolay Slonov

15 Austria 4.37.056
Felix Kaineder
Michael Kocner
Georg Lauscha
Michael Singer

16 Japan 4.40.463
Rikiya Abe
Jun Kanehira
Takayuki Kawanishi
Yoshinori Sasaki

Final for 3rd and 4th
1 Australia 4.12.163
Zakkari Dempster
Cameron Meyer
Mitchell Pearson
Matthew Pettit

2 Germany 4.17.017
Patrick Gretsch
Jochen Helfen
Oliver Jakob
Gerd Seifert


Final for 1st and 2nd
1 New Zealand 4.16.580
Sam Bewley
Westley Gough
Jesse Sergent
Darren Shea

2 Great Britain (crashed out)
Steven Burke
Ross Sander
Ian Stannard
Andrew Tennant


Women's Individual Pursuit Qualifying
1 Bianca Rogers (Australia) 2.27.490 (48.817km/h)
2 Lesya Kalitovska (Ukraine) 2.28.183 (48.589km/h)
3 Amanda Spratt (Australia) 2.30.357 (47.886km/h)
4 Kimberly Geist (USA) 2.30.419 (47.866km/h)
5 Lisa Brennauer (Germany) 2.30.734 (47.766km/h)
6 Mie Bekker Lacota (Denmark) 2.31.881 (47.406km/h)
7 Oxana Kozonchuk (Russia) 2.32.941 (47.077km/h)
8 Hansen Trine Schmidt (Denmark) 2.32.975 (47.067km/h)
9 Alexandra Sontheimer (Germany) 2.33.100 (47.028km/h)
10 Svitlana Galyuk (Ukraine) 2.33.394 (46.938km/h)
11 Laura Doria (Italy) 2.34.069 (46.732km/h)
12 Pascale Jeuland (France) 2.34.159 (46.705km/h)
13 Maxime Groenewegen (Netherlands) 2.34.576 (46.579km/h)
14 Vilija Sereikaite (Lithuania) 2.35.643 (46.260km/h)
15 Rushlee Buchanan (New Zealand) 2.35.682 (46.248km/h)
16 Elizabeth Armitstead (Great Britain) 2.35.961 (46.165km/h)
17 Irina Zemlyanskaya (Russia) 2.36.866 (45.899km/h)
18 Roxane Knetemann (Netherlands) 2.37.160 (45.813km/h)
19 Rodriguez Dalila (Cuba) 2.38.607 (45.395km/h)
20 Maria Tzoumanika (Greece) 2.40.952 (44.734km/h)
21 Alena Sitsko (Belarus) 2.44.358 (43.807km/h)
22 Katarina Uhlarikova (Slovakia) 2.44.463 (43.779km/h)
23 Daniela Fink (Austria) 2.45.219 (43.579km/h)
24 Kira Kalmakova (Belarus) 2.45.522 (43.499km/h)

Final for 3rd and 4th
1 Kimberly Geist (USA) 2.30.364 (47.884km/h)
2 Amanda Spratt (Australia) 2.33.364 (46.947km/h)

Final for 1st and 2nd
1 Lesya Kalitovska (Ukraine) 2.27.292 (48.882km/h)
2 Bianca Rogers (Australia) 2.28.005 (48.647km/h)



Women's Sprint

 

Qualifying
1 Lyubov Shulika (Ukraine) 11.594 (62.101km/h)
2 Elodie Henriette (France) 11.729 (61.386km/h)
3 Guerra Lizandra (Cuba) 11.776 (61.141km/h)
4 Sandie Clair (France) 11.811 (60.960km/h)
5 Yulia Kosheleva (Russia) 12.054 (59.731km/h)
6 Virginie Cueff (France) 12.151 (59.254km/h)
7 Bridgette Broad (New Zealand) 12.167 (59.176km/h)
8 Chloe Macpherson (Australia) 12.292 (58.575km/h)
9 Anna Blyth (Great Britain) 12.304 (58.518km/h)
10 Anja Drotleff (Germany) 12.326 (58.413km/h)
11 Hayley Wright (Australia) 12.334 (58.375km/h)
12 Eunmi Park (Korea) 12.361 (58.248km/h)
13 Evgenia Romanyuta (Russia) 12.405 (58.041km/h)
14 Anastasia Rozhkova (Russia) 12.428 (57.934km/h)
15 Malindi Maclean (New Zealand) 12.459 (57.790km/h)
16 Helena Casas Roige (Spain) 12.466 (57.757km/h)
17 Paulina Cieslik (Poland) 12.491 (57.642km/h)
18 Cynthia Lakatosh (USA) 12.542 (57.407km/h)
19 Johanna Preisler (Germany) 12.610 (57.098km/h)
20 Janowiak Marta (Poland) 12.637 (56.976km/h)
21 Chiara Ramuscello (Italy) 12.648 (56.926km/h)
22 Viktorija Lomsargyte (Lithuania) 12.823 (56.149km/h)
23 Nozomi Oka (Japan) 12.901 (55.810km/h)
24 Chiara Galeotti (Italy) 12.911 (55.766km/h)
25 Maria Tzoumanika (Greece) 12.964 (55.538km/h)
26 Skye Lee Armstrong (Australia) 13.016 (55.317km/h)
27 Zuzana Galandova (Slovakia) 13.142 (54.786km/h)
28 Veronika Barakova (Czech Republic) 13.537 (53.188km/h)

Quarter Finals

Heat 1 Race #1
1 Anna Blyth (Great Britain) 12.821 (56.158km/h)
2 Eunmi Park (Korea)

Heat 1 Race #2
1 Anna Blyth (Great Britain) 12.693 (56.724km/h)
2 Eunmi Park (Korea)

Heat 2 Race #1
1 Elodie Henriette (France) 12.494 (57.628km/h)
2 Hayley Wright (Australia)

Heat 2 Race #2
1 Elodie Henriette (France) 12.384 (58.140km/h)
2 Hayley Wright (Australia)

Heat 3 Race #1
1 Guerra Lizandra (Cuba) 12.116 (59.426km/h)
2 Virginie Cueff (France)

Heat 3 Race #2
1 Guerra Lizandra (Cuba) 12.284 (58.613km/h)
2 Virginie Cueff (France)

Heat 4 Race #1
1 Chloe Macpherson (Australia) 12.216 (58.939km/h)
2 Sandie Clair (France)

Heat 4 Race #2
1 Sandie Clair (France) 12.371 (58.201km/h)
2 Chloe Macpherson (Australia)

Heat 4 Race #3
1 Sandie Clair (France) 12.479 (57.697km/h)
2 Chloe Macpherson (Australia)

Semi Finals

Heat 1 Race #1
1 Sandie Clair (France) 12.751 (56.466km/h)
2 Anna Blyth (Great Britain)

Heat 1 Race #2
1 Anna Blyth (Great Britain) 13.072 (55.080km/h)
2 Sandie Clair (France)

Heat 1 Race #3
1 Anna Blyth (Great Britain) 12.968 (55.521km/h)
2 Sandie Clair (France)

Heat 2 Race #1
1 Guerra Lizandra (Cuba) 11.929 (60.357km/h)
2 Elodie Henriette (France)

Heat 2 Race #2
1 Guerra Lizandra (Cuba) 12.005 (59.975km/h)
2 Elodie Henriette (France)

Final for 3rd and 4th
1 Elodie Henriette (France) 12.469 (57.743km/h)
2 Sandie Clair (France)

1 Elodie Henriette (France) 12.012 (59.940km/h)
2 Sandie Clair (France)

Final for 1st and 2nd
1 Anna Blyth (Great Britain) 12.532 (57.453km/h)
2 Guerra Lizandra (Cuba)

1 Guerra Lizandra (Cuba) 11.872 (60.647km/h)
2 Anna Blyth (Great Britain)

1 Guerra Lizandra (Cuba) 11.853 (60.744km/h)
2 Anna Blyth (Great Britain)