2006 UCI Junior World Championships

Team Pursuit

August 5-13; Track & Road, Belgium
Report & photos by Larry Hickmott

The Aussies make it a double after the senior team narrowly beat us at the Senior Worlds in France whilst New Zealand, the fastest qualifiers had to settle for silver.

Peter Kennaugh on a high and mucking around as we get the photos after the podium.

Bronze but still lots of smiles from Alex Dowsett, Jonny Bellis, Steven Burke and Peter Kennaugh.

FINALS

Both finals were notable for different reasons. In the bronze medal ride off, the Brits got it together after a disappointing ride in the morning and rode the second quickest time of the competition and showed, had they ridden to their potential in the morning, they would have been in contention for the Gold.

In the final for Gold though, the Aussies brought in Cameron Meyer from his sick bed and he led the team to a tense victory over the New Zealand team. The final was a 'proper' race where the teams raced each other and not the clock and although scrappy, it was as expected one hell of a spectacle.

Alex Dowsett who rode a great race swings off and the other three take the race with the French on all the way to the line and a new British record.

The mood in the British camp was certainly upbeat after the finals, far different to that of the morning when their heads were well and truly down and out after they qualified only third. Jonny Bellis talking to British Cycling said afterwards "That was a lot better ride. I feel I had a bad ride this morning and suffered loads and couldn't quite gives us much as I usually do."

"We're very pleased with the bronze medal ride. Its four seconds faster than our previous time and a new national record. Everything went to plan, the line on the track, the changes, it was all spot on."

Peter Kennaugh "the main problem with the qualifier was that Jonny had a bad ride. He is one of our main guys so if he has a bad ride, we're not going to do anything. It was a different Jonny in the final, the usual guy I know and train with and rips my legs apart."

"Our strategy was slightly different and I had to do three lap and half's which suited me down to the ground to help me get everything out. I really emptied the tank getting around Burkey to the finish. The strategy was spot on and I felt good. I'm a bit disappointed with the bronze because I came into it so confident because of the times we were knocking out in training."

Steven Burke: Asked were there any nerves before it, he replied "not as much as last year. I thought as long as we keep it composed and on schedule, we should win the bronze. I felt strong in both rides but that's the way it goes."

Finally, British Cycling spoke to Alex Dowsett, the fourth rider in the Team Pursuit. In Athens he rode round one and missed out on a medal as he was replaced for the final. This time he did both rides and got a medal to take home with him and some flowers for his mum. "It was disappointing not to qualify for the Gold medal final but I was really pleased with my ride. Technically I was better than I have been in training so to come to my first world championships and get on the podium is really good."

Alex has shown he's one of the top riders on the road in Britain, and when asked how hard he finds the track which is dismissed by many as being easy, he replied "No, its hard. It's so fast and if anything, it's the cadence. Coming from Time Trialing, adjusting to the cadence has been a bit of a struggle. I am still improving though and I think there is still more to come."

FINALS
1. Australia 4.09.249
(Jack Bobridge, Leigh Howard, Cameron Meyer, Travis Meyer)

2. New Zealand 4.11.330
(Shane William Archbold, Westley Marc Gough, Shem Rodger, Jesse Sergent)

3. Great Britain 4.10.572
(Jonathan Bellis, Steven Burke, Alex Dowsett, Peter Kennaugh)
4. France 4.16.601

Qualifying
It was a disappointing morning for the British riders in the Team Pursuit when they qualified 3rd fastest and missed the opportunity to ride for Gold. Although training has gone well, and there is no doubting the talent of the riders, it didn't come together in the way they expected and they missed the final by half a second recording a time of 4.14.904 to the Australians 4.14.258 which was the second fastest. They meet France in the final.

The quickest were the Kiwis with a stunning 4.12.092 and the final promises to be a classic despite the Aussies missing their strongest rider, Cameron Meyer who did the 4.18 in the Individual Pursuit and then backed up and won the Madison! The crash in the Madison though caused him problems later that night as shock set in and he ended up spending the night in hospital. Should he ride the final, then it will be a tight tussell for the Gold.

Results
Qualifying
1. New Zealand 4.12.092
2. Australia 4.14.258
3. Great Britain 4.14.904
4. France 4.17.326
5. Germany 4.19.585
6. Italy 4.20.113
7. Russia 4.20.962
8. Netherlands 4.21.456
9. Lithuania 4.21.973
10. Ukraine 4.24.054
11. Spain 4.24.407
12. Czech Republic 4.26.006
13. Poland 4.26.851
14. Belgium 4.27.779
15. Venezuela 4.34.502
16. Ireland 4.36.202
17. Kazakhstan 4.39.971

The start of the GB qualifying ride when they finished 3rd fastest.

Peter Kennaugh powers along and gaps Jonny Bellis and Steven Burke in the closing laps.

New Zealand were two seconds and more clear of the rest in qualifying.

Aussies go for Gold in the final after beng second fastest qualifiers.

French were 4th fastest and meet us in the final for Bronze.