FORMER Holme Valley Wheeler Ed Clancy helped Great Britain win gold in the World Cup track series in Copenhagen on Sunday to complete a hat trick of GB golds this year and secure an overall series victory.
The 22-year-old former Huddersfield Technical College student had already sampled life on top of the podium as part of the GB team that won gold in Sydney and Beijing last month and it was no surprise when the team rode to victory again – going within a whisker of breaking the four-minute barrier. Clancy, who also won pursuit gold in the world championships in Palma de Majorca last month, teamed up in Copenhagen with Paul Manning, Geraint Thomas and Steven Burke in the final, where they took on the Danes on their home track.
The victory was all the sweeter because the team brought in Lancastrian Steven Burke, a young and untested rider at this level.
Burke was given a trial last week and impressed so much he was given a ride in the final and seized his chance to win a World Cup Gold medal.
Having been training at above world record pace over two kilometres, the GB team were only eight tenths off the four-minute barrier they broke at Manchester last year and again in Majorca at the World Track Championships.
Australia took bronze in the final.
In the qualifying ride the GB foursome of Clancy, Thomas, Manning and Chris Newton finished behind the Danes in clocking 4min 4.348secs.
But obviously saved their best effort for when it really mattered in the final, winning by two seconds – Clancy again underlining his credentials as part of a team capable of winning gold in the Beijing Olympics this summer.
