2007 UCI World Track Championships

 

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Women's Team Sprint

 

 

Final: A thousandth of a second slower than their qualifying ride, but in a class of their own - that was the verdict on the dynamic duo of Shanaze Reade and Victoria Pendleton after they had won the first ever staging of the World Championships of the Women's Team Sprint. For Reade it was a sensational result in only her second Track competition. And for Vicky it was a second world title to go with her sprint win back in 2005.

 

Shanaze swings up, Victoria comes through and a lap later, they have the Worlds fastest time for the event on a 250 track.

 

Rider reactions

Shanaze Reade “I was aware of bring focused in the final so there wasn’t a repeat of Manchester again. I don’t know how I feel right now, I just can’t express what this means to me. Its just unreal.  I still feel like a novice as its only my second race.” Talking about the moment she was in the gate waiting to go, Shanaze says “I just wanted to get it over and done with because I was so built up from the first one and nervous.”

 

“When I first got here, I felt sick and dizzy because I was like a novice coming to the worlds and it was like whoa.  But for the final, I just felt really relaxed and wanted to get it over with.”

 

Victoria Pendleton “She is very fast and its not easy getting on her wheel on that opening lap and it was a really strong ride. Although the sprint is my main event, this is still a World Champions jersey and I’m really happy to have won it and I think there is more to come. This is the first one I have done with Shanaze and didn’t know what to expect. I just focused on my own lap and hoped it went okay and it did.”

 

On Anna Blyth (who rode the event at Manchester), Victoria said “It is a shame it is a three person event because I think the three of us would be unbeatable. We train together so we help each and push each other so it is a really good atmosphere.”

Finals

Gold GBR Great Britain 33.631 (PENDLETON Victoria & READE Shanaze)

beat
Silver NED Netherlands 33.974 (HIJGENAAR Yvonne & KANIS Willy)

 

Bronze AUS Australia 33.810 (BAYLEY Kristine & MEARES Anna)

beat
FRA France 34.644 (CLAIR Sandie & CUEFF Virginie)

Qualifying

 

Shanaze, gets out of the gate and on her way to a place in the final with a Rainbow jersey on offer! 

 

If there was one aspect about this team that was notable besides their obvious talent on the track, it was the morale. As soon as they came into the track centre over an hour before competition was due to begin, the two were in a huddle in the pit, laughing and chatting together and no sign of the nerves you may expect.

 

With the time table of everyone’s warm-ups carefully planned based on the time table for the events ahead, the two were soon out of the their casual clothing and on the rollers at the back of the pit, focused on their job of attempting to win the very first World Title for the Women’s Team Sprint. Coaches Iain Dyer and Jan van Eijden spoke to both Shanaze and Victoria as well as reserve Anna who was required to go through the same routine in case something happened to either of the riders scheduled to do the event.

 

Victoria watches a DVD from the EIS.

 

Their warmup was broken up into three sessions and in between, Victoria helped her motivation by watching a special DVD put together by the EIS on the Manchester World Track Cup where she had so much success as well as getting up on the track with Shanaze and Anna to do some flying efforts. Once the Men’s Omnium 200 metre TT was done, it was the turn of the Womens Team Sprint.

 

Off in the fourth heat were Great Britain with Shanaze Reade and Victoria Pendleton and there was a lot expected from them after Shanaze had combined with Anna Blyth to set the Worlds fastest time for this event in Manchester in February. Both Shanaze and new partner Victoria Pendleton had looked good together in training and in the qualifying round for this inaugural event at the World Championships, they set the track centre buzzing with a stunning time of 33.630, the only team under 34 seconds.

 

The British riders were clearly the quickest ahead of the favourites Holland who were a tenth quicker than the Aussies. Their time means they meet the Dutch in the final at Manchester. Some how I think the result may be different this time!

 

Afterwards, Shanaze Reade told us  Shanaze Reade "I was disappointed with the start as it was my first gate all week and I was a little bit hesitant and I definitely think there is more to come. I am happy with the overall time after recording the Worlds fastest again. I was so tense because it was my first World Championships and race and I think the nerves got the better of me but I am confident for the final".

 

The Dutch, World Cup Champions, are in the final against the Brits.

 

France and Australia (above) will contest the ride-off for bronze.

Results

Qualifying

1 Great Britain 33.630 (PENDLETON Victoria & READE Shanaze)
2 Netherlands 34.071 ( HIJGENAAR Yvonne & KANIS Willy)
3 Australia 34.155 (BAYLEY Kristine & MEARES Anna)
4 France 34.314 (CLAIR Sandie & CUEFF Virginie)
5 Germany 34.578
6 China 34.676
7 New Zealand 34.799
8 Russia 34.862
9 Poland 36.159
10 Spain 36.354
11 Czech Republic 37.348