UCI 2006 World Track Championships

Womens Keirin

April 16, 2006; Bordeaux (France) 

British Cycling's Larry Hickmott reports

2006 World Track Championships

Day 4: UCI World Track Championships

 

 

 

For Great Britain's Victoria Pendleton, the 2006 Women's Keirin championship went from bad to worse when during the first round repecharge, she was hit by Australia's Anna Meares and almost taken down and only her champion bike handling skills kept her upright. With two of the Meare's sisters in the race, both known for their physical style of riding, it was said that Anna was there to shelter Kerry from Victoria when the British girl started to make her run. And the shame of it is that it worked because after her near fall, Victoria was out of the competition.

Victoria found herself having to ride the repechage after finishing third in heat of the First Round. She started well, going to the back of the group and being patient, waiting for the moment to light the fire. First the derny pulled off and Victoria held back for a lap before making her move around the outside as the group was led by the American Jennie Reed with two laps to go.

 

 

Into the final sprint and Victoria took to the middle of the track with Reed on her inside and eventual winner Christin Muche on the outside. Side by side the three of them, with the Chinese girl Mu Di racing on the blue and later to be relegated, raced to the line and with the final throw of their bikes, Victoria was the one to miss out on a straight run to the second round. She now had to ride the repechage to stay in the event.

That was where another fire was lite as she finished the race angry and disappointed at what had happened. Thankfully though she was in one piece and afterwards said ? "Gutted" to describe how she felt. "I could see that she was just watching me and I was being served a bit. I was waiting for the bend to hit them hard and go straight over, I just didn't expect her to turn right into me. It wasn't a flick, she hit him. That wasn't about giving me a bit of a fright, it was to get me out of the way so her sister goes through. What can you do when people are willing to stoop to that level in racing."

"At least I survived and stayed upright".

Having been next to Shane Sutton and Simon Jones when Australia's Martin Barras, who used to work for the British team, came across and appeared to apologise for his girls actions, I asked Victoria has anyone said sorry to her for what happened? "No, not really". One senses that the Victoria will use this to her advantage in the future...

 

 

The Meares sisters start to leave big gaps ...

 

 

Victoria is position to pounce but was then hit by Anna Meares who was later relegated.

 

Podium for the Women's Keirin.

RESULTS

Round 1
Heat 1
1. Clara Sanchez (France) 11.311
2. Natallia Tsylinskaya (Belarus)
3. Anna Meares (Australia)
4. Miriam Welte (Germany)
5. Lizandra Guerra (Cuba)
6. Cé©ne Nivert (France)

Heat 2
1. Shuang Guo (China) 11.679
2. Elisa Frisoni (Italy)
3. Diana Maria Garcia Orrego (Colombia)
4. Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania)
5. Dana Gloss (Germany)
6. Tamilia Abassova (Russia)

Heat 3
1. Jennie Reed (USA) 12.071
2. Christin Muche (Germany)
3. Victoria Pendleton (Great Britain)
4. Yvonne Hijgenaar (Netherlands)
5. Kerrie Meares (Australia)
REL Mu Di (China)

Round 1 repechage

Heat 1
1. Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania)
2. Kerrie Meares (Australia)
3. Tamilia Abassova (Russia)
4. Victoria Pendleton (Great Britain)
REL Anna Meares (Australia)
REL Lizandra Guerra (Cuba)

Heat 2
1. Cé©ne Nivert (France) 12.289
2. Mu Di (China)
3. Diana Maria Garcia Orrego (Colombia)
4. Yvonne Hijgenaar (Netherlands)
5. Miriam Welte (Germany)
6. Dana Gloss (Germany)

Round 2

Heat 1
1. Clara Sanchez (France) 11.733
2. Christin Muche (Germany)
3. Mu Di (China)
4. Cé©ne Nivert (France)
5. Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania)
6. Elisa Frisoni (Italy)

Heat 2
1. Shuang Guo (China) 12.247
2. Jennie Reed (USA)
3. Natallia Tsylinskaya (Belarus)
3. Diana Maria Garcia Orrego (Colombia)
5. Tamilia Abassova (Russia)
6. Kerrie Meares (Australia)

Finals

For 1st-6th
1. Christin Muche (Germany)
2. Clara Sanchez (France)
3. Shuang Guo (China)
4. Jennie Reed (USA)
DNF Diana Maria Garcia Orrego (Colombia)
DSQ Mu Di (China)

For 7th-12th
7. Natallia Tsylinskaya (Belarus)
8. Elisa Frisoni (Italy)
9. Tamilia Abassova (Russia)
10. Kerrie Meares (Australia)
11. Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania)
12. Cé©ne Nivert (France)