UCI 2006 World Track Championships
Womens Scratch Race
April 16, 2006; Bordeaux (France)
British Cycling's Larry Hickmott reports
larryhickmott@britishcycling.org.uk
2006 World Track Championships Home Page
Nikki Harris giving it her best shot as she attacks early on to test the legs and finds them wanting after her punishing Points race a few days ago.
Nikki Harris was Great Britain's rider in this event and yet again, the Derbyshire girl went in there to give it her all and ended up in 16th place. Not long after the race started, she want on the attack and was soon joined by two more riders including Olga Slyusareva who attacked again and Nikki went back to the group. More regrouping was followed by other attacks but nothing significant went until the Canadian Gina Grain rode away from them and was soon joined by Calle Williams of Columbia.
The two of them worked well and the bunch for some inexplicable reason was seemingly happy for them to go. There were some attacks to get a chase going but everyone seemed happy to chase down any counter attacks, including one by Nikki Harris, but not the leaders and Grain and Williams just kept on building their lead until they had taken the lap and it was race over for the rest.
I spoke to Nikki later about her World championships. "In the points race, I absolutely gave it everything, I could not have tried any more. I felt good before the race, so I was able to attack and although it didn't work out, it was better to do that than just sit in the bunch. Then today I came into the race feeling a little tired in my legs and as soon as I got on the track and made that first effort, I knew it was going to be a hard race. My legs were wrecked when I came off the track despite having been sitting in my room for two days trying to recover".
Gina Grain attacks and is chased by Calle Williams.
Calle Williams leads Gina Grain as the power around the track to lap the field.
Nikki attacks to chase the leaders but is unable to get a chase group going.
The field are not that interested in chasing the leaders who are riding away with the world title.
Calle Williams and Gina Grain lap the field with just over 10 laps to go. Race over for the rest!
The bell lap and the sprinters line up to battle for the bronze. Eventual winner Calle Williams is well position in the second row whilst Gina Grain is nearer the back.
Olga Slyusareva (Russia) wins the sprint for third.
Supporters hold out flags for their riders ...
Gina takes the flag ...
Podium.
Results
1. Calle Williams (Colombia)
2. Gina Grain (Canada)
at 1 lap
3. Olga Slyusareva (Russia)
4. Rebecca Quinn (USA)
5. Elke Gebhardt (Germany)
6. Annalisa Cucinotta (Italy)
7. Lada Kozlikova (Czech Republic)
8. Adrie Visser (Netherlands)
9. Joanne Kiesanowski (New Zealand)
10. Katherine Bates (Australia)
11. Gema Pascual Torrecilla (Spain)
12. Pascale Schnider (Switzerland)
13. Maria Tzoumanika (Greece)
14. Karen Verbeek (Belgium)
15. Katarzyna Jagusiak (Poland)
16. Nikki Harris (Great Britain)
17. Iona Wynter Parks (Jamaica)
18. Elodie Henriette (France)
19. Yoanka Gonzalez (Cuba)
20. Lyudmyla Vypyraylo (Ukraine)
