by Anna Magrath | Jun 5, 2015
Celebrations as a new pavilion for the Herne Hill Velodrome is given the green light
Cyclists across London and the South East are celebrating this week following the approval of plans to build a new pavilion at the historic Herne Hill Velodrome.
At Tuesday’s meeting of Southwark Council’s planning committee, councillors voted unanimously to approve the Hopkins Architects design for the new building, which will replace the existing one, which has been out of use for nearly a decade despite the track itself being very popular and in constant use.
Hillary Peachey of the Herne Hill Velodrome Trust said “We’re over the moon. This has been a long time coming and I want to thank each and every person who has played a role in getting planning permission this week. For far too long, visitors and riders at Herne Hill have had only basic facilities that do not do justice to the site. Herne Hill has been vital to the cycling history of Great Britain and now, with this final piece of the jigsaw secured, will play a role in the future”.
The Herne Hill Velodrome Trust, who submitted the plans, was established in 2011 to ensure the regeneration and continued use of the Herne Hill site, which has hosted a velodrome since 1891. The first ‘win’ of the campaign was to secure a medium term lease on the land, thereby unlocking funding from British Cycling to enable the total refurbishment of the track surface, which had become dangerously unsafe to race on. The second success came with funding from Southwark Council’s Olympic legacy project, to install trackside flood lighting and create a new, junior track inside the existing one, as well as much needed hard standing for use in coaching, training and events. This was completed in 2013 and has allowed the Herne Hill Velodrome Trust to increase participation from around 15,000 riders a year to a staggering 34,000 a year from a range of schools, community groups and regional cycling clubs.
The design is by Mike Taylor of Hopkins Architects, who was also the architect of the 2012 Velodrome. He said “After over 4 years hard work by the local and cycling community, this approval is great news for the long-term future of Herne Hill. To complement the 2012 Velodrome in Stratford, south east London can now have decent facilities to support the already popular outdoor track at Herne Hill. In combination these two venues will really help promote cycling in London. After our experience delivering the Olympic venue we are delighted to be able to help out at Herne Hill too.”
The Herne Hill Velodrome, where Sir Bradley Wiggins first rode a track bike while still at primary school, has hosted some of the world’s greatest track riders, and continues to be a hive of activity from balance bike sessions for toddlers to elite level training and racing. Until the completion of the Stratford velodrome for the 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games, Herne Hill was the only velodrome in the whole of London.
Bob Howden, President of British Cycling, said; “This is fabulous news for cycling in London. The planning consent for the new pavilion will allow the completion of the final phase of the comprehensive improvement programme and ensure that cycling’s rich history continues in the long term. As one of the only surviving venues of the London 1948 Olympic Games the future has never looked brighter for Herne Hill”.
Tessa Jowell, who as local MP was vocal in her support for the campaign since the very start, said; “I’m delighted that Southwark Council has granted planning permission for Herne Hill Velodrome, and I know how much this will mean to the community. The new pavilion will ensure this fantastic asset remains as popular as ever, and as Patron of the Herne Hill Velodrome Trust I look forward to helping plan for a successful future for the track”.
The approved plans, which have been developed and (subject to completion of funding agreements) will be delivered thanks to Sport England, the London Marathon Charitable Trust and Southwark Council, will allow for a multi-sports room, training and office space as well as reconfigured bike storage. It is proposed to begin work and have the new building ready to celebrate the track’s 125th birthday in 2016.
by Anna Magrath | Mar 17, 2015
Route of this September’s edition of Britain’s biggest professional cycle race revealed
- First ever Grand Depart for Wales, with Anglesey to host the start
- First visit for the modern Tour to Edinburgh
- Return of race to Lancashire, Northumberland and East Anglia
- Hartside Fell in Cumbria to host race’s summit finish on Stage Five
- Iconic new London route to include Regent Street and Piccadilly Circus
The 2015 Friends Life Tour of Britain has been officially launched in London this evening [Tuesday 17 March], with a route that includes the race’s toughest ever summit finish, a revamped final stage in the heart of London and a first ever Grand Depart for Wales.Other firsts for British Cycling’s premier road cycling event include a stage start in the Scottish capital Edinburgh and two stages taking in Northumberland and the north east of England.Having welcomed the Friends Life Tour of Britain annually since 2010, Wales will play host to the opening stage for the first time in the modern race’s history, with a stage which will take in all six regions of North Wales as it heads from Anglesey to Wrexham. It will also be the first time that the race has started on an island.
Stage Two sees the race return to the heart of Lancashire for the first time since 2010, with Ribble ValleyandPendle playing host to a stagefromClitheroetoColne, which will pass through the ForestofBowlandandDunsop Bridge, the geographic centre of the United Kingdon.Cockermouth in Cumbria will be the start venue for the first of two stages to include Scotland, with Stage Three heading through Carlisle, Dumfries & Galloway and the Scottish Borders to the finish in the grounds of Floors Castle at Kelso.A second Scottish stage will begin from Holyrood Park in Edinburgh, showcasing some of the city’s iconic landscapes before heading through the Borders and Northumberland to the finish on the coast in Blyth.Stage Five will trace Hadrian’s Wall from Prudhoe in Northumberland into Cumbria and the Lake District before finishingatopHartside Fell in the Pennines. At five-miles long and 1,904-feet high, the climbwillprovide the highest and toughest summit finish in the modern Tour of Britain’s history.Friday 11 September’s stage will join two English cities with the peloton racing from Stoke-on-Trent to Nottingham, the latter returning to the route for the first time since 2012.The penultimate stage will be the longest of the 2015 Friends Life Tour of Britain at 225-kilometres, headingfromFakenham in Norfolk to Ipswich in Suffolk, beforethefinal stage in the centre of London.The London stage presented by Transport for London will feature an entirely new route in 2015, starting and finishing on Regent Street St James and providing an iconic backdrop for Britain’s biggest professional cycle race which will take in Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, the Strand and Whitehall.In total eleven venues will welcome the modern Friends Life Tour of Britain for the first time in 2015.
Commenting on this year’s Friends Life Tour of Britain route, Mick Bennett, Race Director, said;
“Overall we are absolutely delighted with the course for the 2015 Friends Life Tour of Britain and believe it offers something for everybody across eight very different stages.
“Our hope and intention is to again encourage eight days of aggressive, uninhibited racing, the sort of action that we hope is becoming the trademark of the race. We want our national Tour to reflect the tough terrain which is part and parcel of our cycling scene in the UK, and to showcase both the race and the British countryside to spectators at the roadside and to the television audience both at home and around the world.”
Commenting on the announcement, Bob Howden, President of British Cycling said;
“At British Cycling, we measure the success of our major events strategy by the number of people who watch and are then inspired to participate in our sport and, as our national stage race and the biggest event of the year, the growing popularity of the Friends Life Tour of Britain is further proof that in this country cycling has never been in better health.
“This year’s route will excite any fan of cycling and further boosts the Friends Life Tour of Britain’s reputation as one of world cycling’s must-watch races, but it will also give people all over Britain a chance to see some of the world’s best riders in action and encourage them to get out on their bikes.”
Commenting on the brand new route for the London Stage presented by Transport for London, Ben Plowden, Director of Surface Strategy and Planning at TfL, said: “It’s fantastic to be able to welcome back Britain’s biggest professional cycle race to the streets of the London. With a revamped route touching new areas of the city, I’ve no doubt that this year’s race will inspire a new breed of cyclists, who will soon be able to make use of our new and upgraded cycling infrastructure, including segregated Cycle Superhighways.”
Once again ITV will screen three-hours of live coverage of every stage, starting on ITV for the opening Wales stage before reverting to ITV4 for Stages Two to Eight. ITV4 will also screen a one-hour highlights programme each evening during the race.
UK parcel carrier Yodel will continue to sponsor the intermediate YodelDirect Sprints classification while ŠKODA remain official car suppliers and the King of the Mountains sponsors and Chain Reaction Cycles extend and expand their partnership with the race and sponsorship of the Chain Reaction Cycles Points Classification.
New partners Premier Inn will partner a trophy for the Best British Rider, alongside their similar award in the Friends Life Women’s Tour, while Italian tyre manufacturer Vittoria have been appointed the Official Tyre & Wheel Partner, providing neutral service via their Servizio Corse brand.
The Friends Life Tour of Britain is British Cycling’s premier road cycling event giving cycling fans the opportunity to see the world’s best teams and riders competing on their door step.
The Friends Life Tour of Britain
Re-launched in 2004 after a five year absence from the calendar, the Friends Life Tour of Britain is British Cycling’s premier road cycling event giving cycling fans the opportunity to see the world’s best teams and riders competing on their doorstep. The Friends Life Tour of Britain is the UK’s biggest professional cycle race and the country’s largest free-to-watch sporting event.
Upgraded to 2.HC level by the UCI, the sport’s governing body, for 2014, the Friends Life Tour of Britain attracts the world’s top cyclists, including Olympic and World Champions and Tour de France stage winners, to compete on British roads each September, with three-hours of live coverage a day on ITV4.
For details of the Friends Life Tour of Britain, go to www.tourofbritain.co.uk
by Chris Maher | Dec 9, 2014
UCI Track World Cup 2014/15 Round Two, London
Round One, Mexico 09 November 2014
Round Two, London 05 December 2014
Round Three,Columbia 17 January 2015
UCI Track World Championships 2015 France , 18-22 February 2014
Great Britain Cycling Team, Who Rides What UCI Track Cycling World Cup Event?
On Sunday 7th December:
Women’s Omnium – Laura Trott
Men’s Omnium – Jon Dibben
Men’s Sprint – Phil Hindes, Callum Skinner
Women’s Keirin – Jess Varnish
Sunday December 07 2014
Morning Session: 08.00 – 14.00
1 Men’s Sprint Qualifying – 200m TT
- Edward Dawkins 9.975
- Robert Forstemann 10.008
- Matthew Glaetzer 10.015
- Peter Lewis 10.015
- Stefan Botticher 10.025
- Seiichiro Nakagawa 10.032
- Hersony Canelon 10.037
- Matthew Archibald 10.047
- Fabian Puerta Zapata 10.052
- Michael D’Aleida 10.070
Great Britain’s Philip Hindes qualifies in 16 with a 10.146
2 Women’s Omnium IV 500m Time Trial
- Jolien D’Hoore 35.595
- Marlies Mejias Garcia 35.747
- Laura Trott 35.918
- Jennifer Valente 36.065
- Malgorzata Wojtyra 36.228
- Anna Knauer 36.541
- Isabella King 36.566
- Yuanyuan Tian 36.583
- Laurie Berthon 36.710
- Leire Olaberria 36.714
3 Men’s Sprint 1/16 Finals
4 Men’s Omniun IV 1km Time Trial
- Scott Law 1:03.513
- Fernando Gaviria Rendon 1:03.583
- Bobby Lea 1:04.084
- Tim Veldt 1:04.203
- Oliver Beer 1:04.305
- Jonathon Dibben 1:04.580
- Casper Pedersen 1:04.603
- Hao Liu 1:04.975
- Loannis Spanopoulas 1:05.317
5 Men’s Sprint 1/8 Finals
6 Women’s Keirin 1st Round
Safely through to the next round were Shaung Gou, Kristina Vogel, Anna Meares, Wai Sze Lee, Simona Krupeckaite and Olivia Montauban.
7 Men’s Sprint 1/8 Final Repechages
8 Women’s Keirin 1st Round Repechage
Great Britain’s Jessica Varnish qualifies through the Repechage.
9 Men’s Sprint Quarter-finals match A
10 Women’s Omnium V Flying Lap (250m)
- Jolien D’Hoore 14.364
- Kristen Wild 14.377
- Jennifer Valente 14.423
- Tatsiana Sharakova 14.537
- Laura Trott 14.541
- Xiao Juan Diao 14.559
- Marlies Mejias Garcia 14.572
- Anna Knauer 14.639
- Laurie Berthon 14.675
- Isabella King 14.734
11 Men’s Sprint Quarter-finals match B
12 Men’s Omnium V Flying Lap (250m)
- Scott Law 13.186
- Fernando Gaviria Rendon 13.288
- Tim Veldt 13.325
- Olivier Beer 13.382
- Casper Pedersen 13.383
- Jonathon Dibben 13.437
- Bobby Lea 13.473
- Thomas Boudat 13.539
- Loannis Spanopoulos 13.557
- Viktor Manakov 13.564
13 Men’s Sprint Quarter-finals match C
Afternoon Session: 16.45 – 19.00
1 Men’s Sprint Semi-finals match A
2 Women’s Omnium Final 25km Points Race
The New Format Women’s Omnium Points race is now placed at the end of the series. Point’s are now added to the combined total from all the previous rounds.
Great Britain’s Laura Trott led the series going into the final round. Current World Cup leader Jolien D’Hoore had moved up to second. Netherland’s Kristen Wild dropped down to third place.
As the Point’s race unfolded, It was clear that the top three riders would mark each other. The race was rode very tactically by all three girls, and this allowed minor breakaways as the rest of the field tried to climb up the rankings.
The first five points went to Sharakova, the second to Trebaite and the third to Romanyuta.
Three girls were allowed to gain a lap as the main contenders looked at each other. Jupha Somnet (MAS), Sofia Arreola Navarro (MEX) and Caroline Ryan (IRL).
World Cup leader D’Hoore injected a bit of pace for the seventh points sprint, Wild managed third.
The crowd were thrilled though when the penultimate sprint came round. Great Britain’s Laura Trott accelerated into sprint nine and claimed maximum points and sealed the Gold Medal.
3 Men’s Sprint Semi-finals match B
(Previous Winner: BEL, Jolien D’Hoore)
4 Award Ceremony Women’s Omnium
- Laura Trott
- Jolien D’Hoore
- Kristen Wild
Belgium’s Jolien D’Hoore is the World Cup Women’s Omnium Jersey Holder.
5 Men’s Sprint 5th-8th
- Stephan Botticher
- Edward Dawkins
- Nikita Shurshin
- Robert Forstemann
6 Men’s Sprint Semi-finals match C
7 Women’s Keirin 2nd round
8 Men’s Sprint Finals match A
9 Men’s Omnium Final 40km Points Race
Columbian Fernando Gaviria Rendon claimed the Gold Medal after the 160 lap Points Race. Featuring in five of the sixteen sprints on offer, Rendon had been consistant through out the competition.
A strong performance from Australia’s Scott Law in the last three rounds helped the Aussie maintain his silver position.
Veldt, whom had crashed the night before didn’t feature in any of the sprints, and dropped down to fourth overall, whilst American Bobby Lea chipped away as the sprints counted down. Veldt and Lea both went into the Points Race, with a 156 points.
A four man breakaway were the only ones to gain a lap in this final Omnium round. Gate (NZL), Cheung (HKG), Manakov (RUS) and Ahiyevich (BLR) were all active throughout the sprints and were able to finish the competition on a higher note.
10 Men’s Sprint Finals match B
(Previous Winner: GER, Lucas Liss)
11 Award Ceremony Men’s Omnium
- Fernando Gaviria Rendon
- Scott Law
- Bobby Lea
American Bobby Lea is the current World Cup Men’s Omnium Jersey Holder.
12 Women’s Keirin 7-12 place
13 Women’s Keirin Final
- Shaung Gou
- Kristina Vogel
- Hyejin Lee
- Wai Sze Lee
- Jessica Varnish
- Tianshi Zhong
14 Men’s Sprint Finals match C
A thrilling third round for both the Gold and the Bronze Sprint play-offs.
Venezuelan Canelon was thoroughly delighted to take the third deciding race to claim the Bronze medal against New Zealand’s Archibald.
Hoogland whom qualified thirteenth earlier in the day took the third deciding race, to claim the Gold against Columbian Fabian Zapata.
(Previous Winner: MSP, Shuang Gou)
15 Award Ceremony Women’s Keirin
- Shuang Gou MSP
- Kristina Vogel GER
- Hyejin Lee KOR
Shuang Gou is the World Cup Women’s Keirin Jersey Holder.
(Previous Winner: AUS, Matthew Glaetzer)
16 Award Ceremony Men’s Sprint
- Jeffery Hoogland Netherlands
- Fabian Hernando Puerta Zapata Columbia
- Hersony Canelon Venezuela
Columbian Fabian Hernando Puerta Zapata is the World Cup Men’s Sprint Jersey Holder.
17 Award Ceremony After World Cup Round 2, Leaderboard Top Twenty.
- Germany 2898.5
- Great Britain 2804.0
- Australia 2247.5
- New Zealand 2198.0
- Russia 2067.5
- Netherlands 1896.5
- China 1740.5
- Colombia 1487.0
- France 1400.5
- Spain 1197.5
- Canada 1148.0
- Poland 1061.0
- Jayco-AIS 1007.5
- USA 914.5
- Italy 895.0
- Belgium 881.0
- Japan 877.5
- Hong Kong 849.0
- Denmark 810.0
- Cuba 747.0
My photos are regularly updated on https://www.flickr.com/photos/23913935@N07/
by Chris Maher | Dec 8, 2014
UCI Track World Cup 2014/15 Round Two, London
Round One, Mexico 09 November 2014
Round Two, London 05 December 2014
Round Three,Columbia 17 January 2015
UCI Track World Championships 2015 France , 18-22 February 2014
Great Britain Cycling Team, Who Rides What UCI Track Cycling World Cup Event?
On Saturday 6th December:
Women’s Sprint – Jess Varnish, Vicky Williamson
Women’s Omnium – Laura Trott
Men’s Omnium – Jon Dibben
Men’s Keirin – Jason Kenny
Women’s Points – Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker
Men’s Madison – Ollie Wood (GB ‘B’), Chris Latham (GB ‘B’)
Saturday December 06 2014
Qualifying Session: 10.00 – 16.45
1 Women’s Sprint Qualifying – 200m TT
- Elis Ligtlee 10.833
- Tianshi Zhong 10.941
- Shuang Gou 10.942
- Anna Meares 11.021
- Wai Sze Lee 11.049
- Anastasia Voinova 11.076
- Stephanie Morton 11.086
- Kristina Vogel 11.108
- Oilivia Montauban 11.126
- Lin Junhong11.192
Great Britain’s Laura Trott wins the opening session in the Women’s Omnium, the Scratch Race.
2 Women’s Omnium I 10km Scratch
- Laura Trott
- Kristen Wild
- Amalie Dideriksen
- Annalisa Cucinotta
- Isabella King
- Jolian D’Hoore
- Malgorzata Wojtyra
- Jennifer Valente
- Leire Dorronsoro Olaberria
- Anna Knauer
Two riders eventually broke free from the main group after several other attempts. Bobby Lea (USA) and Lok King Cheung (HKG) were joined by Great Britain’s Jonathon Dibben who faded in the final two laps. Columbian Fernando Gaviria Rendon won the bunch sprint to claim fourth in the race a lap down.
4 Men’s Omnium I 15km Scratch
- Bobby Lea USA
- Lok King Cheung HKG
- Jonathon Dibben GBR
- Fernando Gaviria Rendon COL
- Thomas Boudat EUC
Netherlands Kirsten Wild rode a very strong last 1000m, but not enough to deny Great Britain’s Laura Trott her second Omnium victory in the 3000m Individual Pursuit.
6 Women’s Omnium II 3km Individual Pursuit
- Laura Trott 3:36.896
- Kirsten Wild 3:37.107
- Jennifer Valente 3:37.417
- Marlies Mejias Garcia 3:38.619
- Isabella King 3:38.718
- Tatsiana Sharakova 3:41.588
- Amalie Dideriksen 3:42.246
- Jolien D’Hoore 3:42.476
- Sofia Arreola Navarro 3:46.172
- Laurie Berthon 3:46.566
Columbian Fernando Gaviria Rendon set off quickest in the Men’s Omnium Individual Pursuit and maintained his lead to win the second round. His time was over five seconds quicker than the rest of the field and almost on par with the Lee Valley VeloPark record.
8 Men’s Omnium II 4km Individual Pursuit
- Fernando Gaviria Rendon 4:21.998
- Bobby Lea 4:26.782
- Gideoni Monteiro 4:27.782
- Roger Kluge 4:29.638
- Aaron Gate 4:29.953
- Jonathon Dibben 4:30.617
- Scott Law 4:30.825
- Thomas Boudat 4:31.134
- Tim Veldt 4:32.649
- Jasper De Buyst 4:33.054
Finals Session: 19.00 – 22.05
Great Britain’s Elinor Barker finished third in the UCI Women’s Points Race. Taking a lap on the field, along with Australia’s Amy Cure and Canada’s Jasmin Glaesser mid way through the race. The trio looked like they would be the only girls that would get away from the bunch. As they watched each other, another four got away towards the back end, but were unable to collect additional points on the way. Barker didn’t have the legs to contest the final sprint and came in thirteenth. Canada’s Jasmin Glaesser took the final sprint, but Australian’s (Tasmanian) Amy Cure fought hard for second place to deny Glaesser the gold.
1 Women’s Points Race Final
- Amy Cure Australia
- Jasmin Glaesser Canada
- Elinor Barker Great Britain
- Yao Pang Hongkong
- Rushlee Buchanan New Zealand
- Maria LC Williams Columbia
- Lauren Stephens USA
- Giorgia Bronzini Italy
- Jarmila Machacova Czech Republic
- Stephanie Pohl Germany
Great Britain’s Katie Archibald finished Eleventh.
4 Women’s Omnium III Elimination
- Kirsten Wild
- Laura Trott
- Jolian D’Hoore
- Isabella King
- Lucie Zaleska
- Annalisa Cucinotta
- Evgeniya Romanyuta
- Amalie Dideriksen
- Malgorzata Wojtyra
- Laurie Berthon
6 Award Ceremony Women’s Points Race
- Amy Cure
- Jasmin Glaesser
- Elinor Barker
10 Men’s Madison Final
Great Britain 1 Mark Christian & Owain Doull
New Zealand Pieter Bulling & Westley Gough
Germany Henning Bommel & Theo Reinhardt
Australia
France 1
Belgium
Great Britain 2
Columbia
Italy 1
Switzerland
12 Award Ceremony Men’s Madison
- Great Britain 1 Mark Christian & Owain Doull
- New Zealand Pieter Bulling & Westley Gough
- Germany Henning Bommel & Theo Reinhardt
13 Men’s Keirin 7-12 place
Edward Dawkins
Krysztof Maksel
Nikita Shurshin
Francesco Ceci
Matthew Baranoski
Yuta Wakimoto
14 Men’s Keirin Final
Stephan Botticher Ger
Fabian Hernando Puerta Zapata Col
Christos Volikakis Gre
Azizulhasni Awang YSD
Kazunari Watanabe Jpn
Jason Kenny Gbr
Dutchman Tim Veldt survived a crash in the Men’s Omnium Elimination Round to take the win. The race was neutralized as the two riders sorted their bikes. Aaron Gates crashed out and Tim Veldt went over the top. Both riders re-joined the race and the determined Dutchman went on to win. Great Britain’s Jonathon Dibbon went out early in the race. A foot pulled out of the pedal saw an early exit from the race, along with any chance of riding into a podium position.
16 Men’s Omnium III Elimination
- Tim Veldt
- Thomas Boudat
- Fernando Gaviria Rendon
- Jasper De Buyst
- Sebastian Mora Vedri
- Scott Law
- Aaron Gate
- Oliver Beer
- Gideoni Monteiro
- Hao Liu
Great Britain’s Jonathon Dibben finished twenty-first.
(Previous Winner: GER, Joachim Eilers)
17 Award Ceremony Men’s Keirin
- Stephan Botticher Ger
- Fabian Hernando Puerta Zapata Col
- Christos Volikakis Gre
(Previous Winner: RUS, Anastasia Voinova)
18 Award Ceremony Women’s Sprint
- Kristina Vogel Ger
- Anastasiia Voinova Rus
- Elis Ligtlee Ned
My photos are regularly updated on https://www.flickr.com/photos/23913935@N07/
by Chris Maher | Dec 7, 2014
Great Britain Cycling Team, Who Rides What at the UCI Track Cycling World Cup Event?
On Friday 5th December:
Great Britain’s Team Pursuit squads dominate the distance endurance events taking gold in the Men’s and Women’s 4000m events on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in London.
Women’s Team Pursuit – Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker, Ciara Horne, Joanna Rowsell, Laura Trott
Men’s Team Sprint – Phil Hindes, Jason Kenny, Callum Skinner
Men’s Team Pursuit – Steve Burke, Mark Christian, Ed Clancy, Owain Doull, Andy Tennant
Women’s Scratch Race – Laura Trott
Women’s Team Sprint – Jess Varnish, Vicky Williamson
Men’s Points Race – Mark Stewart (GB ‘B’), Ollie Wood (GB ‘B’)
Friday December 05 2014
Qualifying Session: 10.00 – 16.50
1 Women’s Team Pursuit Qualifying
- Great Britain 4:23.406
- Australia 4:23.498
- Canada 4:28.208
- USA 4:32.523
- China 4:32.685
- Germany 4:32.871
- New Zealand 4:33.677
- Russia 4:34.129
- Italy 4:34.684
- Poland 4:36.110
Great Britain’s Trott, Archibald, Barker & Rowsell fought off a strong Australian squad of King, Ankudinoff, Cure & Hoskins to post the quickest qualifier by fractions of a second. The Aussies had almost a second up in the first 1000m and held it to the 2000m mark. Great Britain finished the last half of the qualifier marginally up, but it went all the way down to the wire. This put them into the semi finals in the evening session.
2 Men’s Team Sprint Qualifying
- Germany 43.700
- Jayco 43.832
- New Zealand 43.839
- France 43.907
- Russia 44.360
- Netherlands 44.492
- Great Britain 44.511
- Venezuela 44.682
- Poland 44.725
- China 45.085
3 Men’s Team Pursuit Qualifying
- Australia 4:00.577
- Great Britain 4:02.373
- Denmark 4:02.428
- New Zealand 4:03.773
- Netherlands 4:04.438
- Germany 4:05.302
- China 4:05.964
- Switzerland 4:05.984
- Russia 4:07.965
- Belgium 4:07.965
Great Britain set off eighteenth out of twenty two starters with Clancy, Burke, Doull & Tennant but didn’t set a blistering pace. By 2000m they had moved into the top slot of the day so far and the velodrome filled up will some noise. By 3000m the pace had increased to a sub 59 lap and nobody matched this pace to finish second in qualifying.
Denmark whom rode after GB moved up-to the top slot at 1000m then increased their pace to almost a second in-front of Great Britain. They looked like they were going to topple GB for the top slot but faded by the last few laps.
Last off in the Team Pursuit were Australia. Young and looking to take scalps, Davison, Edmonson, Mulhern & Scotson had over a seconds advantage over Denmark by 1000m and nearly two seconds on Great Britain. Maintaining their lead, although beginning to fade, Australia had enough spare time banked to win the qualifiers by nearly two seconds with a 4:00.577.
4 Women’s Scratch Race Final 10Km
American Lauren Stephens & Columbian Jannie M Salcedo Zambrano gained a lap together towards the back end of the race. As they caught the bunch, a crash neutralized the race till all the girls were dealt with safely. The race resumed with five laps left to go, and the pace increased with the Italians stretching the peleton.
Polands Katarzyna won the sprint with Laurie Burton second, but eyes further down the bunch place the Columbian Zambrano in front of the American Stephens to take the victory. Welsh cycling Emily Kay finished in tenth for the home nation.
5 Women’s Team Sprint Qualifying
- China 32.956
- Germany 33.022
- Jayco-Ais 33.130
- Russia 33.336
- Great Britain 33.622
- France 33.720
- Netherlands 33.809
- Spain 33.821
- Rusvelo 33.903
- New Zealand 34.111
6 Award Ceremony Women’s Scratch Race
- Jannie Milena Salcedo Zambrano Columbia
- Lauren Stephens USA
- Katarzyna Pawlowska Poland
Finals Session: 19.00 – 22.20
1 Women’s Team Pursuit Semi-finals
New Zealand beat Germany.
China beat Russia.
Australia beat Canada.
Great Britain beat USA.
2 Men’s Team Pursuit Semi-finals
3 Men’s Points Race Final
4 Men’s Team Sprint Finals 3/4 & 1/2
5 Women’s Team Sprint Finals 3/4 & ½
6 Award Ceremony Men’s Points Race
- Eloy Rovira Teruel Spain 43 Points
- Kenny De Ketele Belgium 34
- Eduardo Sepulveda Argentina 31
(Previous Winners: GBR, Philip Hindes, Jason Kenny and Callum Skinner)
7 Award Ceremony Men’s Team Sprint
- Germany Eilers, Forstemann & Enders
- Jayco-Ais Glaetzer, Perkins & Hart
- New Zealand Dawkins, Mitchell & Webster
Great Britain’s Hindes, Kenny & Skinner finished seventh.
(Previous Winners: AUS, Kaarle McCulloch & Stephanie Morton)
8 Award Ceremony Women’s Team Sprint
- China Zhong & Gong
- Germany Vogel & Welte
- Russia Gnidenko & Vionova
Great Britain’s Jess Varnish and Victoria Williamson finished fifth.
9 Women’s Team Pursuit Finals 3/4 & 1/2
10 Men’s Team Pursuit Finals 3/4 & ½
(Previous Winners: GBR, Elinor Barker, Ciara Horne, Amy Roberts & Laura Trott)
11 Award Ceremony Women’s Team Pursuit
- Great Britain Archibald, Trott, Barker & Horne
- Australia King, Ankudinoff, Cure & Hoskins
- Canada Beveridge, Glaesser, Lay & Roorda
(Previous Winners: AUS, Daniel Fitter, Alex Porter, Miles Scotson & Sam Welsford)
12 Award Ceremony Men’s Team Pursuit
- Great Britain Burke, Christian, Tennant & Doull
- New Zealand Bulling, Gough, Karwawski & Simpson
- Denmark Pederson, Hansen, Quaade & Von Folsach
My photos are regularly updated on https://www.flickr.com/photos/23913935@N07/
by Anna Magrath | Aug 10, 2014
Adam Blythe won a battle of the Brits to win the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic in central London today beating his old friend and sparring partner Ben Swift in a dramatic sprint finish on The Mall.
The two Sheffield-born cyclists were part of a five-strong group that screamed up Whitehall and under Admiralty Arch after 200 kilometres of hard racing over the wet and muddy roads of the Surrey Hills.
Team Cannondale’s Slovenian rider Kristijan Koren led them up The Mall with the finish line and Buckingham Palace in the distance. But Blythe launched his attack with 50 metres to go, surprising Swift, Team Sky’s pre-race favourite, to take a hard-earned victory for the unfancied NFTO Procycling team.
Blythe threw his arms in the air as he crossed the line, a roar of triumph breaking out from his mud-spattered face.
“It’s hard to say how much this means to me,” said Blythe afterwards. “But you could see how emotional it was as my face said it all.”“OK, it’s not like I won the worlds or anything, but this is very big race for a British rider to win, especially in this setting in front of the Queen’s house. I hope she was watching.”
Swift was one the race favourites and appeared to be in a perfect position to show his famed finishing speed after five Sky teammates, including 2012 Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins, had worked hard in the middle part of the race to get him into a breakaway group.
“It would have been nice to have won but I am really happy with second,” said Swift. “I’ve known Adam since I was seven years old and we’ve got a lot of history, so I knew he was the one to watch.”
“I knew I needed to keep an eye on him and I could see he was looking for me on the run-in. I tried to react to his move but he’s a really fast sprinter and once he got the jump on me he was away.”
Koren’s challenge faded as the two Britons raced away and Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe took third for Omega Pharma-Quick-Step ahead of Philippe Gilbert, Belgium’s former world champion from the BMC Racing Team.
Seventy kilometres earlier it was Gilbert who had made the decisive move of the race on the approach to Box Hill.
There had been a number of early attacks from the 147-man field as the riders set off under the welcome warming sun, which had moved in to replace the morning deluge.
The first significant break came in Richmond Park after 13km when six riders got away and established a gap of just over a minute, an advantage they held through the early stretches out into Surrey’s narrow country roads, many of them still smeared with rain wash.
Wiggins and teammate Ian Stannard did much of the work as Sky took control of the peloton, their intention to close the gap and get Swift into contention for any later break. The plan worked perfectly, and when Gilbert made his move, Swift was one of 10 men who leapt to his wheel.
As Sky stepped off the gas, Cannondale were forced to do the bulk of the work at the front of the chasing group as they tried to get their sprinter Elia Viviani back in touch. But with less 50km to go the leading 11 had stretched their gap to more than a minute and it began to look as if they would never be caught.
They charged down Headley Heath and into Leatherhead, Gilbert and Swift keeping the pressure on at the front. Then Gilbert attacked again between Raynes Park and Wimbledon, splitting the group and dragging five clear of the rest.
The Belgian appeared to be on a mission to win with a long run for home and another kick briefly took him and Alaphilippe away from Swift and Blythe with Koren in tow behind.
But the trio closed the gap by the time they reached Putney High Street and it was five riders who crossed Putney Bridge for the run alongside the River Thames towards Westminster.
At this point it looked like anyone’s race, though the smart money was on Swift. Blythe had other ideas, however, and he timed his final push to perfection.
“In the last kilometre I knew I had plenty in the tank,” he said afterwards. “I just wanted to make sure I got everything out and didn’t leave it too late to make my move.”
“I knew that if I was close to Swifty I’d have a chance. I hugged close to the barriers and had a go. Now I feel like I can mix it with the big boys.”
Two of the early breakaway riders won the day’s other honours. Steve Lampier of Node4 Velosure made it a great day for British cycling by claiming the King of the Mountains title, while Dutchman Steven Lammertink, Team Giant-Shimano’s stagiaire, won the sprint contest.
It was Blythe, however, who won the most important sprint of the day.
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Celebrations as a new pavilion for the Herne Hill Velodrome is given the green light
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