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british cycling

BETH SHRIEVER COMPLETES THE TREBLE WITH VICTORY AT THE 2021 BRITISH BMX CHAMPIONSHIPS

written by Hugh

42 British Champions were crowned this bank holiday weekend at the BMX British Championships, held at Huncote Hornets BMX track in Leicester. With Olympic gold medallist and World Champion Bethany Shriever in the lineup, along with Kye Whyte Olympic silver medallist, the crowd knew they were in for a show.

Saturday was the turn of the 12 and unders, along with the cruisers. Weather was perfect on what was the first day of 2 days of competition.

Among the winners were Harry Donald, who was defending his title racing up a age category in the male 10, racing on his home track he was undefeated all day taking the title.

A great battle was had in Female 11, with Lexi Waite and Jessica Marriott battling it out all the way to the line, elbow to elbow, wheel to wheel, positions between the two riders changing throughout the lap. Lexi took the win after a great battle.

The 30+ female cruiser was action packed with Michelle Stupple and Rebecca Gohl battling it out down the last straight for the win, but it wasn’t meant to be as they collided coming out of the last berm leaving Leah Pearson to take the win.

The action continued into Sunday which was the turn of the 13+, Junior Men, Superclass and Championship Women.

Full article and images – https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/about/article/20210831-Beth-Shriever-completes-the-treble-with-victory-at-the-2021-British-BMX-Championships-0

1st September 2021 0 comment

Cycling

Ninth medal and seventh gold makes Jason Kenny most successful Team GB Olympian of all time

written by Hugh

Jason Kenny became Team GB’s most successful Olympian of all time with the seventh, and arguably best, gold medal of his glittering career.

Kenny – who was deadlocked with Sir Chris Hoy on six golds and Sir Bradley Wiggins on eight medals – defended his keirin title in a stunning race at the Izu Velodrome to become the first Team GB athlete to win nine Olympic medals.

He sprung clear from his rivals with three laps to go and hammered down the power, catching them all napping and opening up a huge advantage.

By the last lap they were closing fast but Kenny was sniffing history and smelling the finish line.

Kenny, competing at his fourth Games, admitted before arriving in Japan he didn’t know what to expect from these Olympics.

But this is a stage made for the 33-year old – now on a plinth all of his own on the pantheon of Team GB legend.

Kenny, 33, from Bolton, said: “Seven gold medals is really special, when you look back on the ones you have already got it seems pretty easy. Then when you try and get more, you remember how hard it is.

“It is easy to forget the hard work that goes into it. I have been disappointed this week, I haven’t been as competitive as I wanted to be. But in the keirins you can race hard and ride your luck a little bit.

“I couldn’t believe no-one came past, I felt like I was standing still at the end, I was hacking away into the final corner, but just kept telling myself it is a medal. I couldn’t believe it when I crossed the line.

“Before today I had all but given up, I was counting my career in days and races as opposed to years, but maybe I have bought myself more time now.

“The first half a lap I was wondering if it [the gap] was enough and then I thought, ‘it is now or never so I will go for it’.

“I have been racing every race like it is my last, just trying to survive really. I think because I ran every race like it was a final. When I got to the final I was pretty well rehearsed.

“Once we rolled up in the final, for me it was carry on doing what we have been doing.”

8th August 2021 0 comment

Cycling

Laura Kenny becomes first British woman to win gold at three separate Games

written by Hugh

Laura Kenny became Team GB’s first female Olympian to win gold at three separate Games, as she and Katie Archibald showed complete dominance to triumph in the first-ever women’s Olympic Madison.

Kenny already had back-to-back omnium and team pursuit golds from London and Rio, as well as a team pursuit silver from earlier at Tokyo 2020, in her locker and added Olympic title number five in style at the Izu Velodrome.

The 120-lap women’s Madison made a dramatic debut as the high-paced, chaotic action on the boards featured riders hand-slinging each other forward and crashes aplenty.

But Kenny and Archibald kept themselves out of trouble and won a truly remarkable 10 of the 12 sprints that occur at ten-lap intervals, including the final double points dash for the line, and also took a lap on the rest of the field to build an unbeatable total score of 78 points.

For Kenny, who won her first Olympic title since giving birth to son Albie in 2017, this moment was all the more special.

Kenny, 29, from Cheshunt, said: “It’s unbelievable. I’m just so glad. I’ve never wanted to win a race so badly in all my life.

“That was the one. I messaged Jason this morning and said, ‘I feel like my Olympics ends today.’

“The one race I really wanted to do was this and we went and did it.

“I’ve never missed Albie so much in all my life. I kept saying to people, ‘please don’t ask me about Albie’.

“I couldn’t have done it without these girls. It’s so hard leaving him at home but to have Katie there the whole time, I just feel like I’m racing with a sister and I couldn’t have done it if we didn’t have that relationship.”

Their main rivals, two-time reigning world champion Dutch pair Kirsten Wild and Amy Pieters, were Team GB’s closest competitors early on but a nasty crash for Wild just ahead of sprint number six slowed them somewhat.

They then later lost a lap to their medal rivals to finish fourth as Denmark took silver on 35 points, with the Russian Olympic Committee (26) in bronze.

But there was no stopping the dominant British duo, whose place in history is secure as the first women’s Madison Olympic champions.

Archibald, meanwhile, now has two Olympic titles to her name having also won team pursuit gold with Kenny, Elinor Barker and Joanna Rowsell Shand at Rio 2016.

Archibald, 27, from Milngavie, said: “I’ve never wanted something so much and I’ve never been so nervous.

“We’ve been really clinical in our approach to this, none of this would have happened without Monica [Greenwood]. We had a change of coach last year, totally overhauled our entire approach to this event.

“I feel like we’re going after the all-round at this track Olympics spreading between Madison and omnium and it feels so satisfying for it to come off. I’ve never wanted something so much.

“My mum is one for turning into the sofa rather than the racing. It’s always scarier on the sidelines than in the action, in the action you get the reward.”

Kenny now joins Sir Steve Redgrave, Sir Bradley Wiggins, Sir Chris Hoy and her husband, Jason Kenny, as the only British Olympians with at least five gold medals and will go for number six in the women’s omnium on Sunday.

6th August 2021 0 comment

Cycling

Matt Walls strikes omnium gold for Team GB’s 50th medal of Tokyo 2020

written by Hugh

Matt Walls won Team GB’s 16th gold and 50th medal of any colour at Tokyo 2020 with a dominant performance in the men’s omnium.

The 23-year-old scored 153 points across four different disciplines in one intense day, beating New Zealand’s Campbell Walsh by a commanding 24 points for Team GB’s first gold in the Izu Velodrome.

Walls led from the start with victory in the scratch race and he stayed consistent from there, finishing third in the tempo race and second in the elimination race.

In the final points race, he was put under pressure from a charging Elia Viviani but Walls’ proactive approach paid off, keeping a close eye on the Italian and eventually winning comfortably.

Walls, 23, from Oldham, said: “I came into the points race with a bit of a lead and that was nice to have a bit of breathing room. I got a gap and committed to it, it worked out I got the lap (and 20 points) and the legs were sore after that.

“Coming in here, everything was a bit of an unknown. The last track race I did was the European Championships last year, which is a long way away.

“I came in knowing I was in good shape. I didn’t know how it would translate to the track or my tactics from the track, it’s been a long time since I have raced.

“I came into the scratch race feeling good and won it. I thought then, ‘I have a chance now as long as I play it smart.’ I knew I had the legs and it worked out.”

Walls’ gold medal marks the first time Team GB have won the men’s omnium at the Olympic Games, with Ed Clancy winning bronze at London 2012 and Mark Cavendish silver at Rio 2016.

Plenty of success has also been enjoyed in the women’s omnium, with Laura Kenny winning both Olympic titles since the event was introduced to the Games nine years ago.

Walls added: “Before I got on the track, I was a mountain biker with my dad, just having fun. When I was at primary school, I was doing a lot of different sports, did a bit of triathlon and enjoyed the cycling bit.

“Someone said about going down to the velodrome, which was close for me because of where I live. I went there, tried it and loved it.

“I did more and more as I grew up, got into racing and tried all sorts. I did cross, did mountain biking, track and road.

“I got onto the British Cycling programme when I was 15, and went on to get a pro road contract which put me in good shape for here.”

5th August 2021 0 comment

Cycling

Charlotte Worthington lands 360 backflip to win BMX Freestyle Park gold

written by Hugh

Former chef Charlotte Worthington cooked up another golden recipe for Team GB’s BMX stars.

After Bethany Shriever’s gold in the BMX Racing, Worthington won the first BMX Freestyle competition to ever take place at the Olympic Games, rewriting the history books in more ways than one.

An error on her first run left her needing to produce something spectacular – and how she did, landing a gravity defying 360 backflip that has never been landed by a woman in competition.

It meant she scored 97.50 out of a possible 100 to edge hot American favourite Hannah Roberts, who had scored 96.10 on her first run, into silver. Switzerland’s Nikia Ducarroz completed the podium.

Worthington only started competing in 2016 and secured her first World Cup podium within two years, the European champion honing her skills at Corby’s ‘Adrenaline Alley’.

Worthington, 25, from Manchester, said: “It’s kinda unreal, I’m waiting to wake up. I’ve been dreaming about this for four years, and it still feels like I’m dreaming four years ago, I’m still waiting to wake up.

“I didn’t put any pressure on myself. You go in and out of it, you’re thinking there is some pressure and maybe it’s not going to happen this time.

“But you’ve just got to let that go really quick and refocus. I tried not to have any pressure and I tried to focus on enjoying myself and taking it one trick at a time.

“It was incredible. I’ve not been doing that trick [the 360 backflip] for that long, we’ve been trying to find that big banger trick and when we found it we thought, ‘this is the one’.

“We put a lot of faith in that. To be honest, I wouldn’t have had any of those tricks if it wasn’t for Hannah [Roberts, silver medallist]. She’s made me push so hard since day one, this is the first time I’ve beaten her.

“If it wasn’t for Hannah Roberts, we wouldn’t be this far anyway.

“This is a lot of hard work paying off. But the hard work has mainly been on myself.

“Everyone at home, I couldn’t have done this without you.”

1st August 2021 0 comment

Cycling

Georgia Taylor-Brown recovers from pre-Games injury and in-race puncture to win Olympic triathlon silver

written by Hugh

Georgia Taylor-Brown conquered a flat tyre to claw back incredible Olympic silver in the women’s triathlon.

The Mancunian lost 22 seconds after a mechanical failure on the final lap, leaving her fifth.

But she bridged the gap to bronze in little more than a kilometre and caught USA’s Katie Zaferes with a lap to go to claim a remarkable medal on Olympic debut – just weeks after being injured in the build-up to the Games.

It is Team GB’s eighth medal so far at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and fourth silver.

Taylor-Brown’s close friend and training partner Jess Learmonth, who led out the swim, finished ninth and Vicky Holland came 13th.

“It’s strange to come to an Olympic Games not having raced since last September. I kept it all a bit private, what was going on,” said Taylor-Brown, 27.

“I got a stress response in my femur 12 weeks ago. My training had gone so well before then though, so that was a bit of a shock, but I knew I had all of that training in the bag.

“I wanted to keep it private, you don’t want to show your competitors your weaknesses, so I did just say I was ill. I’ve had six weeks of building my running back again.

“It’s not perfect, it’s not what I wanted or what anyone would want. I got myself into a really good position and I was as fit as I could have been on the start line today.

“About a week before we flew out I had to prove I was fit to compete, which was probably more stressful than today because it could have been taken away from me.

“But I proved I was fit, ready to go and did more than they asked me to do. I had to go in to today relaxed and that I’d done everything I possibly could, and I left everything out there.”

Typhoon Nepartak struck Tokyo in the early hours of the morning and brought heavy rain and high winds, with slippery course conditions wreaking havoc on the 40km bike ride.

Four athletes came off and failed to complete the first 5km lap, with Taylor-Brown working harder than the rest at the front of the leading group.

It was intact until the penultimate lap when Vittoria Lopes dropped off and then disaster struck for Taylor-Brown late in the last circuit, when a flat back tyre saw her bleed time on the slow, technical turns.

It would take more than a mechanical to halt the charge of an athlete who missed 16 months with crippling foot and ankle injuries

Taylor-Brown, from a cross-country background with a father who was an international over 800m, let rip on the run and soon overtook Learmonth and Germany’s Laura Lindemann.

It took her longer to reel in Zaferes, but she caught her on the blue carpet into the bell lap and an 8:58 10km run saw her take silver.

Bermuda’s Flora Duffy went clear to win gold by a margin of 1:14.

“I planned for hot weather and for a slower race, which favoured me because of the lack of running I’d done recently,” added Taylor-Brown.

“I didn’t have the speed that Flora had today, and I’m more than happy with silver. Without the injury I think I could have hung in there and maybe given her a bit more of a race. I think I’ve handled it very well and I’m proud to have got on the start line.

“We’ve got Vicky here who’s a medallist from Rio and now a three-time Olympian. She’s given us so much knowledge coming into this and tips and tricks.

“It’s amazing to just have her there. Jess is my rock, she calms me down and tells me everything’s going to be OK. She puts a smile on my face and I know everything’s going to be fine.”

27th July 2021 0 comment

Cycling

Tom Pidcock makes mountain biking history for Team GB

written by Hugh

Tom Pidcock soared to cross-country gold with a searing solo attack that earned Team GB its first medal in mountain biking.

The 21-year-old overtook eight-time world champion Nino Schurter and Mathias Fluckinger on the third lap and never looked like letting go of gold, prevailing by 20 seconds in a time of 1:25:14.

A heavy early fall for race favourite Mathieu van der Poel opened things up and Pidcock, from Leeds, soon took control. Starting 29th on the grid, he gained 26 positions in the start loop alone.

The Yorkshireman sealed qualification for the Games with a record-breaking World Cup win in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic by a whole minute.

“It’s nothing like any other race. The Olympics just transcends any sport. You compete and represent your country and everyone in your country is behind you, no matter in what sports they like. It’s just national pride, it’s unbelievable,” said Pidcock.

“It’s been a such a hard time coming here from crashing and breaking my collarbone [in May] and that’s just unbelievable.

“I’m always better when I take control myself. I take my own lines, my own speed. Once we started I was fine, all the nerves kind of went and I concentrated on the race. I’m happy this [the Olympic Games] is only every four years because it’s stressful.

“I know that my mum and girlfriend are crying at home. It’s sad that they can’t be here but I see them when I get home.”

26th July 2021 0 comment

Cycling

GREAT BRITAIN CYCLING TEAM RECEIVES CQC STATUS FOR MEDICAL SERVICES

written by Hugh

British Cycling is pleased to announce the Great Britain Cycling Team has been given Care Quality Commission (CQC) status, officially recognising that the medical services team operates in a regulated environment to provide riders with safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care.

Receiving CQC status is just one measure the Great Britain Cycling Team has taken to improve the quality of care provided by the medical services team. Other steps include the implementation of new medical record keeping and medicines management policies; introduction of new concussion and cardiac screening protocols; introduction of a new mental health and well-being strategy, and initiation of projects to educate staff and riders on the basic principles of maintaining good health and wellbeing.

Doctor Nigel Jones, Head of Medical Services for the Great Britain Cycling Team, explained: “Gaining CQC status was a recommendation from the independent review of our medical services and I’m pleased that 18 months of hard work and commitment by everyone on my team has been rewarded.

“While our day-to-day running of the medical facility was of a very high standard anyway, achieving CQC status means the quality of our processes and policies for the care we provide to our riders has been officially recognized and will continue to be assessed.

“The Great Britain Cycling Team is one of the first professional sport medical facilities to achieve CQC status, and it’s a huge accomplishment to be at the forefront once again when it comes to the welfare of our riders. This step sits alongside a number of other measures we have implemented in the last three years to ensure riders competing for Great Britain get the best possible support.”

Article & Image courtesy of https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/gbcyclingteam/article/20201002-Great-Britain-Cycling-Team-receives-CQC-status-for-medical-services-0

3rd October 2020 0 comment

Cycling

GREAT BRITAIN CYCLING TEAM ANNOUNCED FOR THE UCI CROSS-COUNTRY MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

written by Hugh

British Cycling has today announced the 14 cross-country mountain bikers who will represent Great Britain at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships which are scheduled to take place in Leogang, Austria, from 5^th – 11^th October.

The reigning Commonwealth Games champion Annie Last will line up for the Great Britain Cycling Team in the elite women’s cross-country race, alongside Evie Richards and Isla Short, while Frazer Clacherty will contest the elite men’s race.

Tom Pidcock will start in the under-23 men’s race, looking to add another rainbow jersey to his existing collection from the road and cyclo-cross disciplines. The 2019 junior world champion Charlie Aldridge, Sean Flynn and Harry Birchall complete the British entrants in the under-23 men’s race while Hattie Harnden and Anna McGorum will compete in the under-23 women’s race.

In the junior events, Rory McGuire, Corran Carrick Anderson, Anna Flynn and Eleana McGorum will represent Great Britain. The decision of which riders will line-up to compete in the cross-country team relay will be confirmed nearer the time.

Full story & Images – https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/gbcyclingteam/article/20200917-gb-cyclingteam-news-Great-Britain-Cycling-Team-announced-for-the-UCI-Cross-Country-Mountain-Bike-World-Championships-0

25th September 2020 0 comment

Cycling

GREAT BRITAIN CYCLING TEAM ANNOUNCE THE RIDERS FOR THE ELITE MEN’S EVENTS AT THE 2020 UCI ROAD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

written by Hugh

Following on from the elite women’s team announcement for the UCI Road World Championships in Imola last week, British Cycling has today confirmed the riders for the elite men’s time trial and road race events.

Geraint Thomas will once again pull on the Great Britain Cycling Team jersey, contesting the time trial event on Friday 25 September along with Alex Dowsett who scored a top five finish in the event in Yorkshire last year.

Luke Rowe and Hugh Carthy will head to Imola from the Tour de France for the road race on Sunday 27 September, where they will be joined by Matt Holmes, James Knox, James Shaw and Tom Pidcock.

Performance director Stephen Park said: “We have consistently seen some fantastic results from British riders at the major road races over recent months, and I’m confident that success will translate across to the UCI Road World Championships.

“Geraint is in good form, as proven by his second place finish on the General Classification at the Tirreno Adriatico, and we have been working closely with Alex and his coaches over recent months to support his time trial ambitions, so I’m confident we will see some good results in that event.

“As we always do, we’ve seen Luke play a solid role as team captain during the Tour de France this year, and it’s been brilliant to see Hugh Carthy up there for his team on the mountain stages. I’m also pleased to see Tom Pidcock selected for the elite men’s race, having won this year’s Giro d’Italia Under 23. He’s a great talent, and a highlight this year was watching him finish in second place in the elite cyclo-cross world championships, so I’m looking forward to seeing him take on the elite men’s field out on the road.

Full story & Image – https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/gbcyclingteam/article/20200916-Great-Britain-Cycling-Team-announce-the-riders-for-the-elite-men%E2%80%99s-events-at-the-2020-UCI-Road-World-Championships-0

16th September 2020 0 comment

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british cycling

British Cycling is pleased to announce the Great Britain Cycling Team has been given Care Quality Commission (CQC) status, officially recognising that the medical services team operates in a regulated environment to provide riders with safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care.

British Cycling has today announced the 14 cross-country mountain bikers who will represent Great Britain at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships which are scheduled to take place in Leogang, Austria, from 5th – 11th October.

Following on from the elite women’s team announcement for the UCI Road World Championships in Imola last week, British Cycling has today confirmed the riders for the elite men’s time trial and road race events.

British Cycling has today announced the 14 cross-country mountain bikers who will represent Great Britain at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships which are scheduled to take place in Leogang, Austria, from 5^th – 11^th October.