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Day 1 - European Track Championships

Pruszkow (Poland), 5-7 November 2010 | by Larry Hickmott

DAY 1 - Friday, 5 November (Men's & Women's Team Pursuit and Team Sprint)

Two Gold, one Silver and one Bronze from four events; that was the haul by the Great Britain Cycling Team on the opening day of the Elite European Track Cycling Championships. However, there was a tinge of disappointment, with the team clearly believing that they had missed out on a chance to win all four gold medals. It was, however, a solid start to the Olympic qualifying campaign for the Team.

Photos from the morning and evening action now available.

WOMEN'S TEAM PURSUIT

Celebrating on the podium are Wendy Houvenaghel, Katie Colclough and Laura Trott.

Based on the times from the previous World Championships, this was expected to be a tough challenge for Great Britain but Laura Trott, Katie Colclough and Wendy Houvenaghel produced a thoroughly dominant performance in winning Gold. In the final, it wasn’t so much about whether they would win, but whether they could crack the Lithuanian team and go for the catch.

It didn't happen, but the ride was still very impressive considering how little work they had done on the track prior to the championships and the fact the team had a Junior in their ranks. That Junior, Laura Trott, spoke about the race afterwards and said “that title meant loads to me. Coming from the Junior worlds it means more to me because it’s a senior title. In the team I am in, we’re all getting on really well so it was nice to win something as a team because I haven’t had that opportunity yet”.

“The final felt easier than the qualifiers to be honest. We set out to go slower than what we went for the first kilo in qualifying because we’d gone out so hard but actually it felt easier in the final. Technically, it felt spot on and that we’d got our changes right and the finish was good. I can’t wait for the next two days now, I’m well up for it now.”

Gold Silver Ride Off
1. Great Britain 3:23.435 53.088kmph
(Laura Trott/Katie Colclough/Wendy Houvenaghel)
2. Lithuania 3:29.992 51.431

3/4 Final
3. Germany 3:28.127 51.891
4. Belarus 3:28.410 51.821

Qualifying

Laura Trott gets the team off to a good start in their qualifying round.

Laura Trott, Katie Colclough and Olympic Silver medallist Wendy Houvenaghel blew their rivals away with the fastest time in qualifying after a great display of Team Pursuiting. Early starters Lithuania set the standard with a 3.28 and some good teams came and went with only Belarus and Germany going close to beating their time. Even the Dutch, who were expected to pose a big challenge, did not step up to the mark and it was left to the British trio to take on the race.

GB started steady in the final heat and after one kilometre were only the third fastest. Into the second kilometre though, they really started to lift the pace and they were quickest after 2,000 metres by half a second and by the finish, were over three seconds clear.

Qualifying
1. Great Britain 3:24.916 52.705
2. Lithuania 3:28.011 51.920
3. Belarus 3:28.534 51.790
4. Germany 3:28.720 51.744
5. Belgium 3:29.630 51.519
6. Poland 3:29.870 51.460
7. Russia 3:30.558 51.292
8. Ukraine 3:31.203 51.136
9. Holland 3:31.903 50.967
10. Spain  3:33.438 50.600
11. France 3:35.189 50.188
12. Ireland 3:37.072 49.753
13. Italy 3:39.380 49.230
14. Czech Republic 3:39.750 49.147

MEN’S TEAM PURSUIT

Ed Clancy, Steven Burke, Jason Queally, Andy Tennant.

Gold, is the only colour the riders in the Great Britain men’s Team Pursuit will settle for and in the final for the European title, they duly went out and cracked their opponents, the Russians.  Producing a technically better and faster ride in the final than they had in qualifying, the Great Britain foursome came away from the championships pleased with the result and the foundation it now gives them.

Afterwards, Ed Clancy said “A couple of us after this morning were quite sore as it was a struggle to do the 4.01 that we did. The Russians were looking alright and we knew we had a good fight ahead of us. Fortunately, they cracked before we did and I think we rode better in the final there.”

“We’re not on the best form ever but hey, its early days and the points are in the bag. Sometimes it’s victories like this that you remember more. It’s alright turning up at the Manchester World Cup and knocking out track records and waving to the crowd but sometimes these ones you really have to fight for are a bit more meaningful.”

Jason Queally meanwhile was looking forward to getting home to be with his family after winning his first Endurance Gold medal as part of the Team Pursuit foursome. “It’s brilliant, I’m over the moon and really chuffed for the boys. It is great to be European Champion again. I was European Team Sprint Champion and now I’m Team Pursuit Champion and there’s around 12 years between the two!”

Having admitted he was a little nervous about the championship, his first full distance race in the Team Pursuit, Jason explained that on the start line, that he tries to put such fears to the back of his mind: “I was still petrified on the line because I knew from the first round that it was hard work. I had never gone two rounds before and the question of whether I could recover and so on remained.”

“In the final, we did a better ride and went quicker so that was a positive for me. It was a bit more of a steady ride. Andy got a feel for it this morning and he did a lap and half for one of his turns and that enabled me to deliver on a half lap turn at a better speed so the ups and down were not as great. I think we dropped our gears as well. I think the conditions were a bit harder, a bit cooler!”

“I didn’t know Andy was going to throw in the lap and half. It was possible but I didn’t think it was going to happen so when it happened, it was like bloody hell, I have been given a half lap here. It is though all good experience and I’m a happy chappy!” 

Gold/Silver Ride Off
1. Great Britain 4:00.482 59.880
(Ed Clancy/Jason Queally/Steven Burke/Andy Tennant)
2. Russia 4:04.274 58.950

3/4 Ride Off
3. Holland  4:06.049 58.525
4. Spain 4:08.099 58.041

Morning Session

Steven Burke leads Andy Tennant, Jason Queally and Ed Clancy in their qualifying ride in the Team Pursuit.

The first event of the European Championships saw the male Team Pursuiters take to the boards and as expected, the fight to be fastest came down to Russia and Great Britain. In qualifying, the first few teams found it difficult to get below 4minutes 10 seconds, but the stonrger nations were soon draggin their times closer to the magic four minutes mark.

After Russia’s 4.03, GB only had to get within a 4.06 to make the Gold medal final and they did this with ease. The race was Jason Queally’s first major championship in the Team Pursuit and, as expected, he held the pace of the others until three kilometres had been covered before pulling away and leaving it to Ed Clancy, Andy Tennant and Steven Burke to bring the team home in 4 minutes and one second.

Team Pursuit Qualifying
1. Great Britain  4:01.953 59.516
2. Russia 4:03.690 59.091
3. Netherlands 4:06.693 58.372
4. Spain 4:07.865 58.096
5. Italy 4:08.726 57.895
6. France 4:08.839 57.869
7. Switzerland 4:10.681 57.444
8. Ukraine 4:11.039 57.362
9. Germany 4:11.374 57.285
10. Poland 4:11.567 57.241
11. Belgium 4:12.253 57.086
12. Czech Republic 4:12.742 56.975

WOMEN’S TEAM SPRINT

All smiles on the podium as Victoria Pendleton and Jess Varnish celebrate a silver medal.

Fastest qualifiers, the Great Britain team of Jess Varnish and Victoria Pendleton, came away from the final with Silver and disappointment because the Gold was there for the taking. As ever, with the first major event of the winter, there was a little rustiness about both the men’s and women’s performances and in this case it cost the GB duo the Gold, but the pluses from the competition outweighed the disappointment when they reflected afterwards.

As Victoria Pendleton pointed out later: “We didn’t quite have as slick a performance in the final as we did this morning. My change was awful, it was amateur and that probably cost a tenth or so. Jess did a fantastic job and I think she paid for the false start a little bit.”

“It is always hard after a false start to get back in the zone when you have been prepared for that one effort from the start line and so it is all experience and important experience because it is stuff that might happen on the day of the Olympics and you have to be ready for it.”

The final was a real thriller, despite the GB duo's technical glitches, and it went to a photo as Vitoria related afterwards: “It was so close, the officials weren’t sure who had won. So it isn’t as if we were behind the schedule in anyway and our performance just needs some fine tuning and for November it is the fastest we have ever been. We have basically started this season where we ended last season and that is a great place to start and we can only get better. To take that away from today is probably one of the most important things.”

Jess Varnish was cleary disappointed afterwards: “It was so nice to be on the podium. At the beginning of the week, we wouldn’t have expected that but I am disappointed which is a natural feeling. I will learn from the experience and move on and I know I can go faster so that is good. I am now really looking forward to the rest of the competition and also looking forward to doing my next team sprint because I know I have a better standing lap in me than that. Hopefully it will come out in the next World Cup.”

Gold Silver Ride Off
1. France (Sandi Clair/Clara Sanchez)  33.478 53.767
2. Great Britain (Jess Varnish/Victoria Pendleton) 33.586 53.594

3/4 Ride Off
3. Germany (Kristina Vogel/Miriam Welte) 33.708 53.400
4. Holland (Willy Kanis/Yvonne Higenaar) 34.212 52.613

Morning

Jess Varnish gets the GB effort off to a great start

A top ride by Jess Varnish got the GB duo off to a flying start with a 19.1 opening lap. Victoria Pendleton then finished the ride in style for them to qualify fastest. and relegate France, who were fastest up to that point with a 33.521.

Qualifying
1. Great Britain 33.381 53.923
2. France 33.521 53.698
3. Germany 33.676 53.451
4. Netherlands 34.061 52.846
5. Lithuania 34.485 52.197
6. Poland 34.860 51.635
7. Russia 35.159 51.196
8. Spain 35.178 51.168
9. Ukraine 35.420 50.819
10. Greece 35.660 50.477

MEN'S TEAM SPRINT

Bronze for the GB trio in the Team Sprint:  L-R Jason Kenny, Chris Hoy and Matt Crampton.

After failing to make the final for Gold by a few hundreths, Chris Hoy, Jason Kenny and Matt Crampton made no mistake in the final for Bronze, recording the fastest time of the finals and showing the rest what might have been but for a very small mistake by Chris Hoy in qualifying.

Talking afterwards, Hoy explained “It is definitely cooler tonight after the smoke from the opening ceremony saw them open the windows and the temperature has dropped. So in slower conditions, to go quicker than we did earlier on, and to go faster than the Germans, is a big positive.”

“Obviously we came here to win Gold medals but that wasn’t to be and looking at the bigger picture I think it’s an encouraging sign. Personally, I was happy with that ride in the final. I got on a lot cleaner behind Jason and that gave me a longer time to recover and go again for the second lap and that meant I didn’t die off as much and gave Matt a better lead in as well.”

Chris then explained what happened in the first round saying “essentially I was trying to create a gap behind Jason to run into and gain speed at the change over. I kind of underestimated how fast he was going to go on the second half of the lap and I left it a bit late to come though. So although my lap was quite strong, I crossed about a tenth of a second behind him instead of being level with him. Normally you want to cross the pursuit line dead level with the guy in front of you as you change over.”

“That tenth of a second we lost, meant we didn’t make the final as we were only four hundredths off second place so I felt responsible we didn’t make the Gold medal final so I wanted to do a better ride in the final and I felt I did that. There are a lot of positives from tonight.”

“There is a buzz around the team, you can sense it again and it was nice to hear the national anthem twice before I even got onto the track this evening. It is a very encouraging first day and I think the boys and girls have done really well. Hopefully there is more to come!” 

Matt Crampton: “Yeap, I’m happy with my ride, I was on him (Chris Hoy) and roaring! The form is good. Last week I seemed to be in this rut in the road and gym and kind of working away and now it has come up lovely.”

1. Germany  44.066 61.272
2. France 44.281 60.974

3. Great Britain  43.968 61.408 (Matt Crampton/Jason Kenny/Chris Hoy)
4. Poland 44.495 60.681

Morning

Jason Kenny leads Chris Hoy and Matt Crampton off to a very quick start in qualifying.

Great Britain lost a out on a place in the Gold medal ride off by less than a tenth after a quick qualifying session. Jason Kenny got GB off to a flying start with a 17.597 and as the team completed the second lap in 30.665 to the 30.672 of France and the 30.622 of Germany, so they were right in the mix.

However, the race for the finals came down to the final lap and it saw the Brits drop slightly to third, losing the chance for the Gold medal final by a few hundreths. Talking to Chris Hoy in the tunnel on his way to the hotel, he explained that technically it was a not a perfect ride but because the other teams are so close, he and the team are not that disappointed especially with all the other results from the morning.

Qualifying
1. Germany 43.968 61.408
2. France 44.102 61.222
3. Great Britain 44.149
4. Poland 44.428 60.772
5. Russia 44.918 60.110
6. Holland 45.254 59.663
7. Czech Republic 45.415 59.452
8. Spain 46.256 58.371
9. Italy 46.517 58.043
10. Ukraine 46.715 57.797
11. Austria 48.450 55.728