Olympic champion Katie Archibald produced a stunning ride to win individual pursuit gold at the 2017 HSBC UK | National Track Championships on Friday.
The Olympic champion caught Emily Nelson within the first six laps to take the British title for Team WNT as Neah Evans won bronze with victory over Emily Kay.
Six titles were decided on the first day. Lewis Oliva was crowned men’s keirin champion, Jess Crampton women’s sprint champion while Dan Bigham took the men’s individual pursuit title.
CHAMPION!!! Stunning from @_Katiearchibald!!!
— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) January 27, 2017
The @WNTTeam rider catches @EmilyNelson21 to win individual pursuit gold!#TrackChamps pic.twitter.com/PtSa8VcNXA
Lauren Booth celebrated victory in the para-cycling C1-5 time trial while Sophie Thornhill, piloted by Corrine Hall, took the para-cycling BVI time trial crown.
"I'm chuffed. It feels nice in this (British champion's jersey)," Archibald said.
"She (Nelson) actually qualified going out quite hard and I was gambling on the fact that she would moderate that in the next round. I gave myself six laps. I thought six laps if I've not made it it's game over and I think I got her at about five and a half so it just happened."
Keirin joy for Oliva
Team USN’s Lewis Oliva took the men’s keirin title in a pulsating final in which he narrowly edged Matt Rotherham to the line, and gold.
Thrilling
— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) January 27, 2017
Watch as @Lewis_Oliva becomes British keirin champion with @MattRotherham taking silver and @TomRCycling bronze. #TrackChamps pic.twitter.com/EjBRDCdVfF
Rotherham settled for silver while his brother Tom took bronze in a final full of talent that saw Joe Truman, Jack Carlin and Pete Mitchell miss out on the medals.
"Yeah sometimes you've got to make the best of a bad situation you know and it's definitely not my tactic to go out that long, I haven't got that style of legs," Oliva said.
"I prefer it to be a little bit shorter and a little bit punchier but obviously when it pays off and you're going into that last lap when nobody has past you yet you know you are going pretty well so yeah it's good."
Crampton wins sprint gold
Jess Crampton beat Rachel James 2-0 to win a first British sprint title. James had qualified fastest and progressed to the final undefeated.
But there Crampton showed her tactical nous and strength to triumph. James also suffered a heavy crash which meant the second heat had to be restarted but Crampton controlled the race, crossing the line with metres to spare as James conceded defeat. In the bronze-medal final, Sophie Capewell dug deep to edge a close contest with Jessica Lee 2-1 to take the third step on the podium.
"I think I did really well – if you’d have told me earlier today that I was going to win I would have been like ‘no’. I needed a bit of confidence," Crampton said.
@jesscramptonis crowned women's sprint champion with a win over @rachyjames1.#TrackChamps pic.twitter.com/HGoqxhFGxO
— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) January 27, 2017
Para-cycling titles decided
In the para-cycling BVI time trial, Paralympic champion Sophie Thornhill was piloted by Corrine Hall and the new pairing won gold in a factored time of 1:01.407 over the kilometre.
Aileen McGlynn and Louise Haston took silver in 1:01.424. Alison Patrick and Thornhill’s pilot in Rio, Helen Scott, completed the podium with a time of 1:03.638 for bronze.
Earlier the first title of the 2017 championships was claimed by Lauren Booth as she powered to the para-cycling C1-5 time trial crown.
Booth’s factored time of 1:05.449 was enough for gold ahead of Paralympic champion Jody Cundy, who set a factored time of 1:06.210.
Para-cycling C1-5 time trial podium.
— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) January 27, 2017
@bikegirllauren
@jodycundy
@alexjonesy73#TrackChamps pic.twitter.com/hFMie5dAEY
Alex Jones collected bronze in a time of 1:10.756.
“I'm over the moon,” Booth said. “When I was told I'd made the podium I literally burst into tears because I just couldn't believe I'd beaten one of the great Paralympians, Jody Cundy. I've been watching Jody's standing starts and his efforts, and that's what I model mine on.
“It's very special to win here.”
Bigham digs deep for gold
Dan Bigham proved his endurance over 16 laps to take a popular win in the individual pursuit.
— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) January 27, 2017
CHAMPION!!! @DanBiggles22 is men's individual pursuit champion!! He enjoyed that! #TrackChamps pic.twitter.com/9Ze41siB6K
Bigham set the standard with the fastest qualifying ride before defeating Charlie Tanfield in a time of 4.22:545.
Ethan Hayter won bronze in a time of 4:27.607 against Matt Walls.
The championships resume on Saturday.
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