FORMER Holme Valley Wheeler Ed Clancy helped Great Britain to a second team pursuit gold medal in less than a fortnight as part of the pursuit team who rode to glory in the second round of the World Cup series in Beijing, China.
The 22 year old former Huddersfield Technical College student had won team pursuit gold in the first round in Sydney, Australia and moved up a gear to help the GB foursome to victory in China.
Add to that Clancy’s pursuit gold in the world championships in Palma de Majorca earlier this year and it’s clear that the young rider’s long-held ambition to return to Beijing next year to bid for Olympic gold is a realistic target.
The GB line-up between Sydney and Beijing altered with Tour de France powerhouse Bradley Wiggins and Premier Calendar winner Chris Newton making way for Geraint Thomas and Paul Manning. Clancy and Steve Cummings made up the foursome.
But even with a different line-up the GB quartet showed they can still do the business and the foursome qualified in 4min.04.659sec. They went even faster in the final, clocking 4.02.517 to New Zealand’s 4.05.
The British team started fastest with a 1.04 opening kilo two tenths up on the Kiwis. They were two tenths slower than the New Zealanders over the second kilometre but then turned the gas up on kilometre three with the fastest third 1,000 metre split before coasting in over the final kilometre with the third fastest time but overall, the quickest time for the distance.
Former Mirfield rider Louise Robinson returned to West Yorkshire from her Stourbridge base to finish second in the women’s race in the National Trophy Cyclo-cross race at Peel Park, Bradford.
Robinson, daughter of former Tour de France stage winner Brian Robinson, of Mirfield, was pipped by promising junior Annie Last (Matlock Cycling Club).
The senior race was won by Cheshire’s Ian Field (Hargroves Cycles) with Polish visitor Mariusz Gil second from Bingley-based Rob Jebb. The same course will host the 2008-9 National Championships in 13 months’ time and on the evidence of the event on Sunday, it will produce some excellent racing.
