Womens Points Race (Under 23)

European Track Championships 2006

Under 23 Womens Points Race

July 19-23; Athens Olympic Velodrome

Final

Nikki Harris has a go at trying to get a lap but with no-one crossing the gap to her, after five laps out front, she had nothing left and had to sit up and wait for the bunch before trying again.

After a race in the morning that Nikki herself admitted didn't to plan, the Derbyshire rider was ready to go to battle in the final and chase a medal. It didn't work out for her but she certainly gave it her best shot with one big effort to get away that didn't pay off but another time, may have done so had the timing been different.

The race was 100 laps and the attacks didn't take long to get going as riders tried to slip away to get a lap. It was after a few sprints, one of which Nikki contested but was unable to get amongst the points, that Nikki made her move not long after a sprint at the 60 to go mark. She managed to stay clear for around five laps before the bunch started to wind itself up for the sprint at 50 to go.

More attacks followed, and for a whilst Nikki got in amongst the splinter groups that managed to open a gap on the main field as the pace stretched them all out but it wasn't working for her and when a group of four got away, eventually taking a lap, that was the medal chase over for the GB rider.

Under23_Women_Points_Final

Heats

Nikki had a few digs during the heat as well as winning a sprint with a flying sprint that streeted the rest.

Nikki Harris from Great Britain lined up in heat 2 of the Women's Points race and like in the Under 23 Scratch race, taking laps was obviously a popular strategy with the German rider going first and sealing her place in the final. In all, five riders took laps during the race whilst Harris was being more picky and after winning the second sprint, sat back for a while.

Nikki did try for more points but try as she may to get away for other sprints, riders up the track were taking the points from her but her five points in the end was enough to get through as she finished 8th out of the 13 riders of which only 10 qualified for the final later that evening.

Results

Heat 1
1. GALVEZ LOPEZ Debora ESP
2. POHL Stephanie GER
3. PRUDNIKOVA Alena RUS
4. GALYUK Svitlana UKR
5. MACHACOVA Jarmila CZE
6. BACCAILLE Monia ITA
7. VERBEEK Karen BEL
8. WOLFER Andrea SUI
9. TZOUMANIKA Maria GRE
10. JANIK Karolina POL
11. BAGDONAVICIUTE Agne LTU
12. LANGER Catherine AUT

Heat 2
1. ZEMLYANSKAYA Irina RUS 33
2. SINTAKOVA Klara CZE 30
3. SONTHEIMER Alexandra GER 27
4. ASIPENKA Halina BLR 25
5. CILVINAITE Inga LTU 20
6. BINNENDYK Marlyn NED 10
7. JEULAND Pascale FRA 9
8. HARRIS Nikki GBR 5
9. JAGUSIAK Katarzyna POL4
10. SOLDO Eleonora ITA 2
11. RUSO Karin AUT 1
12. PEETERS Sara BEL