World Championships conclude in Los Angeles
Carson, Calif. (March 27, 2005)—The 2005 UCI Track Cycling World Championships concluded Sunday as Australia bagged another two medals to maintain their stronghold on the medal count and close the games as the most highly decorated nation at the annual crown jewel of international-level track cycling competition. Kate Bates snagged her second silver medal of the weekend with a strong ride in the women’s scratch race and Jobie Dajka rode to a bronze in the men’s sprint to bring the Aussie medal total to nine.
In terms of world championships though, it was Great Britain who took home the most with four world titles, adding another one today in the men’s madison event courtesy of Robert Hayles and Mark Cabendish. With a total of six medals, Great Britain finished third in the medal standings behind Australia and the latest track cycling powerhouse, The Netherlands. The consistent and well-rounded Dutch squad earned another two medals in the final day of racing thanks to Robert Slippens and Danny Stam in the madison and sprinter Yvonne Hijgenaar in the women’s keirin.
As host country for the first time in 19 years, the United States came away from the 2005 world championships without a medal despite a handful of opportunities on Sunday. Jennie Reed (Kirkland, Was.) made the finals in the keirin but finished sixth, the best finish for the U.S. squad in an otherwise modest overall performance.
Today’s final session was contested in front of a third consecutive sellout crowd at the ADT Event Center velodrome and featured medal rounds in the women’s scratch race, the men’s madison, the men’s sprint and the women’s keirin.
Four-time defending world champion in the points race, Olga Slyusareva (RUS) won’t walk away from these world championships without a world title as she claimed the rainbow jersey in the women’s 10km scratch race by outsprinting Bates and Lydmyla Vypyraylo (UKR) to the line just ahead of a final corner crash that claimed four riders.
After an initial trio of riders escaped from the field on lap two, a solo effort from Tatsiana Sharakova (BLR) followed as the only significant attempt to break away from the bunch in an otherwise uneventful contest. Once Sharakova was caught, a couple of attacks ensued, but it became evident that the majority of the field was content with a mass sprint. In the closing laps, Bates put her time trialing skills to work and led out the sprint with two laps remaining and managed to hold off everyone but Slyusareva. A mid-field crash took out American Becky Quinn (Quakertown, Pa.), Mandy Poitras (CAN), Virgine Moinard (FRA) and Norazian Alias (MAS) as they exited turn four on the last lap.
Quinn was later taken to an area hospital where she was treated for two broken ribs and a broken clavicle.
In the 50km madison, the British duo of Hayles and Cabendish was the only team to lap the field throughout the 200-lap race in order to collect Great Britain’s fourth world title of these games. After an attack by Americans Marty Nothstein (Orefield, Pa.) and Colby Pearce (Boulder, Colo.) the British twosome counterattacked and quickly completed what proved to be the winning move.
“It’s unbelievable. Those last 40 laps were horrible,” said Hayles after the event. “In that kind of race there’s probably 90 percent of the field that can win. It just depends on what you do, when you do it, and more importantly, what the others let you get away with.”
The men’s sprint semi-finals and finals were without top seed and reigning world champion Theo Bos (NED) because of his surprise quarterfinal loss to Dajka Saturday evening. Riders making the final four included Dajka, René Wolff (GER), Mickaël Bourgain (FRA), and Grégory Bauge (FRA).
In the semifinals, Wolff easily defeated Dajka in two straight rides while the French pair of Bourgain and Bauge needed a third ride in the best-of-three format to decide who would advance to the gold medal final.
A high speed crash in the third ride sent Bauge to the deck, a scene which eventually ended with Bauge being removed from the track on a stretcher. Remarkably, Bauge returned to re-ride, only to lose to his countryman.
In the final, Wolff prevailed in two straight rides against Bourgain to claim his first world sprint championship. ”It’s a great feeling because it’s my main discipline,” said Wolff after his winning ride. “That’s all I ever wanted to do, except at the Olympics.”
In the women’s keirin, four of the top favorites failed to advance to the final as Natalia Tsylinskaya (BLR) crashed out in the second round, and the three women’s sprint medalists, Victoria Pendleton (GBR), Tamilia Abassova (RUS), and Anna Meares (AUS) were ousted in earlier rounds.
Without some major contenders in the final, the door was open for defending champion Clara Sanchez (FRA) to repeat. Seizing the opportunity, Sanchez took full advantage and cruised to her second straight keirin title ahead of Elisa Frisoni (ITA) and Hijgenaar.
For a complete wrap up of event results, visit www.tissottiming.com and for complete event coverage, visit www.usacycling.org.
For a photo gallery of images from the week’s competition, click here.
About USA Cycling
Recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling promotes American cycling through its 50,000 members and 2,000 annual events. USA Cycling associations include the BMX Association (BMX), National Off-Road Bicycle Association (mountain bike), U.S. Cycling Federation (road/track), the National Collegiate Cycling Association and the U.S. Professional Racing Organization (professional men’s road). For more information visit www.usacycling.org or contact, USA Cycling Director of Communications, Andy Lee at 719-866-4867.
Recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling promotes American cycling through its 50,000 members and 2,000 annual events. USA Cycling associations include the BMX Association (BMX), National Off-Road Bicycle Association (mountain bike), U.S. Cycling Federation (road/track), the National Collegiate Cycling Association and the U.S. Professional Racing Organization (professional men’s road). For more information visit www.usacycling.org or contact, USA Cycling Director of Communications, Andy Lee at 719-866-4867.
This Article Published March 27, 2005 For more information contact:
