UCI Junior Road & Track World Championships

 

August 7 to August 14, 2005

British Cycling's Larry Hickmott reports | >Back to Latest News

 

Gold, Silver and Bronze medals were the rewards for a talented group of Junior cyclists from Great Britain who travelled to Austria for the UCI Junior Road & Track World Championships.

 

Following in the footsteps of many greats, Andrew Tennant won Gold in the Individual Pursuit and was part of the Silver medal winning Team Pursuit team. There were also two medals for Anna Blyth in the sprint events, a medal for Lizzy Armitstead in the Scratch race and near Gold for Jason Kenny. British Cycling was there to follow the action.

 

Image Galleries:

Index to British Cycling's Junior Worlds Photographs >>>>

Day 1, August 7: Mens Scratch, Points & Team sprint; Womens 500m TT

 

Day one of the Junior Track Worlds did not bring any medals for Great Britain but our riders certainly did us proud with a number of fine performances that show a lot of promise for the future.

 

Matt Rowe, the European Scratch Race champion for Juniors, was first into action and he finished 8th in his final (the Scratch Race) after a promising ride. Then Anna Blyth did a stormer of a ride (36.544) to finish 6th in the Womens 500m Time Trial knocking four tenths of her personal best to show she is a star in the making. 

 

Finally, Ben Swift battled hard in the sprints and was 5th in the Mens Points race, one of his favourite races. Learn More >>>>

 

Day 2, August 8: Mens Kilo, I-Pursuit, Madison & Keirin; Womens Points

 

Two World Champions in the one day -- Well almost two. One World Championship went to Andy Tennant who rode a fantastic race to beat his New Zealand opponent in the Individual Pursuit and win the first of perhaps many rainbow jerseys.

 

The second Championship, the Mens Keirin, should have gone to Jason Kenny, a first year junior who showed he had no fear when a door opened at the front of the final and he kicked hard and took the opportunity to get to the front with no hesitation. Unfortunately for him, the Polish rider who had opened the door and gone above the red line, came back down on him and it was Kenny who was unjustly disqualified. Learn More >>>>

 

Day 3, August 9: Mens Team Pursuit; Womens I-Pursuit & Sprint

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.

 

Tonight 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.

 

There was however a fantastic silver medal for Anna Blyth in the Sprint where she left the track disappointed not to have won her first World title after coming into the event not knowing how far she could go in the event. She does now!  Learn More >>>>
 

Day 4, August 10: Mens Team Pursuit & Sprint; Womens Scratch & Keirin

The final night of the 2005 Junior World Track Championships in Austria saw Great Britain come away with two medals after great rides by Lizzy Armitstead who won Silver in the Womens Scratch Race and a Bronze for Anna Blyth in the Women's Keirin.

 

It was a day where the Great Britain Junior Cycling Team arrived at the track for the final day with just two riders and both won medals which sums up just how great this team was - the best ever Junior GB Team performance ever.

 

With many of the riders being first year Juniors, it also shows that the country has the talent to continue to be a force to be reckoned with in World cycling. Learn More >>>>

 

Day 5, August 12: Men's Individual Time Trial, 23.5 km

The first day of competition for the Junior World Road Championships would see two of Great Britain's male endurance riders Andrew Tennant and Ian Stannard taking to the wet Austrian roads in search of more medals.

 

In the men's event, running since 1995, there have been some quite famous winners, Italian Cancellera (98/99) and Mickail Ignatiev in 2002/03 being two who have gone on to greater things.

 

Hopes were high however that one of the GB boys would get close if not win the event, especially after Stannard's win in Switzerland around six months ago. Learn More >>>>

 

Day 6, August 14: Mens & Women's Road Races

 

There were no medals for Great Britain on the final day of the UCI Junior World Road Championships after crashes affected all of the Junior men in their race and Lizzy Armitstead encountered a 'one off' problem that ended her hopes when she was still with the lead group with a lap of her race to go.

 

There were however many fine performances and following is a report on the build up to the road race championships as well the race reports. Learn More >>>>