Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s Elinor Barker took the Bronze Medal in the Commonwealth Games Scratch Race on the boards of Glasgow’s Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome. The 19-year-old, riding in the red, white and green colours of Wales, won a close sprint for third place behind Australian pair Nettie Edmondson and Amy Cure, just beating English Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling teammate Dani King to the line.
“I think my positioning wasn’t perfect,” Barker told BBC Sport. “I got properly boxed in by [English Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling teammate Laura Trott] and I thought – with the kick that she’s got – I’m never going to get out of this. I’ve got no idea how, I just kind of weaved my way through the front and if I hadn’t done that then maybe in the final few metres I could have gone a bit better.
“But I’m so happy with that,” Barker added. “I came so close to not medalling at all that I celebrated like I’d won it at the end, I was just very happy with it.
“It’s absolutely incredible,” Barker said of the capacity crowd. “There’s a whole wall of Welsh flags over there which is unreal to see. Personally, for me, it’s a really proud moment because my parents are here and they never, ever get to watch me race live and be here, so I’m very proud today.”
The ten kilometre Scratch Race, over 40 laps of the track, is simply won by the first rider over the line. Despite a quiet first half, a series of attacks threatened to split the 23-strong peloton, but the bunch was all together as it entered the final laps.
Like the previous day’s Individual Pursuit, all five of Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s British riders were in action, with England’s King, Trott and Joanna Rowsell, and Wales’ Barker and Amy Roberts all riding aggressively at the front. It was the Australians that led the race into the last lap, however, but – despite being trapped at the bottom of the track – Barker was almost able to outsprint Cure as she beat King to the line.
Result
1. Annette Edmondson (Australia)
2. Amy Cure (Australia)
3. Elinor Barker (Wales)
4. Dani King (England)
11. Laura Trott (England)
13. Amy Roberts (Wales)
19. Joanna Rowsell (England)
