The women of Team Great Britain triumphed on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Manchester as they scooped a host of medals and world records.
Women’s Team 4km Pursuit
Olympic champions Dani King, Joanna Rowsell and Laura Trott, alongside Elinor Barker – world champion, showed their dominance in the recently re-formatted Team Pursuit back in October at the European Track Championships, where they won gold in a world record breaking time of 4:26.453.
However, not a team to rest on their laurels, the dynamic foursome, bolstered by a home crowd advantage – twice broke their own world record on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup.
The Team Pursuit squad, racing the 4km distance, now equal to the men’s race won in a time of 4:19.604 against Canada in the gold medal ride, having ridden 4:23.910 in qualifying.
Incredible to think that from qualifying to their remarkable ride in the final, the women’s team took a further four seconds off their time over 4000m. What’s more amazing is that the foursome rode a full nine seconds quicker than their Canadian opponents.
Women’s Team Sprint
The Great Britain women’s sprint squad consisted of two-time world champion Becky James and Victoria Williamson. Although the gold medal was won by Olympic champions Miriam Welte and Kristina Vogel of Germany, the Great Britain duo who were bronze medallists at February’s world championships, enjoyed being reunited in the event and scooping silver.
Women’s scratch 10k
Katie Archibald, representing Scottish Cycling – Braveheart.com, took silver in the scratch race. And Danic King, fresh off the back of her team pursuit success, went straight back on the track to ride the scratch race final and finished an impressive seventh.