Fresh from their outing at the UEC Track juniors and Under-23 European Championships last week, the junior squad now heads to Switzerland to compete against the best junior track riders in the world.
The Great Britain Cycling Team haven’t sent a squad to the UCI Juniors World Championships since 2013 so this will be this first chance the current cohort will have had to win medals at world level.
The team
Women’s endurance
Jessica Roberts and Rebecca Raybould both returned from the European championships with two bronze medals each.
Super happy to take Bronze in the Team Pursuit with these lovely girls #eurotrackchamps @… https://t.co/dKyoKk7J4s
— Jess Roberts (@JessRoberts_99) July 13, 2016
The pair took third in the team pursuit along with Eleanor Dickinson and Lauren Dolan, before Roberts won bronze in the omnium and Raybould rode to third place in the points race.
Dickinson had two fourth place finishes, in the scratch race and individual pursuit.
Men’s endurance
The men’s endurance squad will head into the championships on a high after setting a new national junior record in the team pursuit and winning the European title in Italy.
Matthew Walls took home two gold medals from two races in Montichiari last week.
Teamed with Rhys Britton in the Madison and Fred Wright, Ethan Hayter and Reece Wood in the team pursuit, the 18-year-old will be looking to repeat his golden performances on the world stage.
Hayter won silver in the junior men’s omnium and is expected to contest the team pursuit and individual pursuit for the team in Aigle.
No win but happy with 2nd in the omnium to finish off a top week +PBs in every event. Looking forward to the worlds! pic.twitter.com/4furoUG4m5
— Ethan Hayter (@ethan_hayter) July 16, 2016
Men’s sprint
The junior men’s sprint team of Hamish Turnbull, Alex Joliffe and Lewis Stewart won a team sprint bronze medal at the European championships in Montichiari.
Joliffe narrowly missed out on a medal in the junior men’s sprint, finishing fourth behind Belgium’s Ayrton De Pauw.
Women’s sprint
Sophie Capewell came away from the European championships with two bronze medals; an individual effort in the 500m time trial and alongside her teammate Lauren Bate-Lowe in the team sprint.
Georgia Hilleard finished just outside of the medals, with a fourth place in the keirin but thoroughly enjoyed her first foray into international junior competition.
4th in my first European championships in the Keirin. Didn't go how I planned but can't complain with the result. Excited for Worlds now
— Georgia Hilleard (@Georgiahilleard) July 16, 2016
The venue
The junior squad will be heading to face the world’s best riders at the international home of track cycling, the UCI World Cycling Centre Velodrome in Aigle, Switzerland.
We have arrived at the @WCC_cycling ahead of the junior worlds! pic.twitter.com/O9YMR3DHHY
— Lauren Bate-Lowe (@LaurenBateLowe) July 17, 2016
The Siberian pine track is 200m in length, significantly shorter than the 250m track in Montichiari, upon which the European championship medals were decided.
The difference in length will mean tighter bends and shorter straights for the riders to navigate.
Schedule (UK time)
Wednesday 20 July: 11am - 6.30pm
Medals decided: Women’s team sprint, men’s team sprint, women’s points race
Thursday 21 July: 12pm - 7.10pm
Medals decided: Women’s 500m time trial, Men’s keirin, women’s team pursuit, men’s scratch 10km, men’s team pursuit
Friday 22 July: 9am - 8pm
Medals decided: Men’s 1km time trial, men’s points race 24km, women’s individual pursuit, women’s scratch race
Saturday 23 July: 8.30am - 7pm
Medals decided: Women’s sprint, women’s Madison, men’s omnium, men’s individual pursuit, women’s omnium
Sunday 24 July: 9am - 3.45pm
Medals decided: Men’s sprint, women’s omnium, women’s keirin, men’s Madison
How to follow the team
- The competitions will be live streamed on the UCI YouTube channel
- Follow #Aigle2016 on Twitter
- Updates on Twitter @BritishCycling
- Daily report and gallery will appear on the British Cycling website.
