Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling’s Jolien D’hoore has taken the Bronze Medal in an exciting Track Cycling Omnium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The 26-year-old, riding in the pale blue colours of the Belgian National Team, finished the six-race event with a total of 199 points, just 31 behind Gold Medalist – and former Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling rider – Laura Trott of Great Britain. The USA’s Sarah Hammer took the Silver Medal after overtaking D’hoore in the final Points Race.
“I went so hard,” D’hoore told Belgian TV channel Sporza. “In the last 20 laps I really was so tired…
“I knew I just had to stay with the group. I was very happy that I could keep it up, because I was really dying. I had to go to extremes. Halfway through the race I was really struggling because of all the big accelerations.”
As a multiple Belgian Champion on road and track, D’hoore has taken a number of victories and podiums at Track World Cups. Having taken fifth place in London 2012, however, the Bronze Medal marks her greatest ever result in a major Championship.
“It was the first time I could hold my own against Trott and Hammer for so long,” D’hoore explained. “That it happens [here] is fantastic. I have so fourth often been at European Championships and World Championships. That makes this so good.
Consistency was the key to D’hoore’s performance, with the Belgian constantly in the medal positions after her third place in the opening Scratch Race. Heading into the Points Race she was tied with Hammer, on 172 points, with Trott ahead of the two riders on 198.
“I’ve given so much here. I had a lot of confidence at the start, but only in the Points Race, did I really start to believe in a medal.”
Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling’s Nettie Edmondson – riding in the green and gold colours of Australia – also began the Points Race within sight of the podium, trailing D’hoore and Hammer by just four points in fourth place. The 24-year-old London Bronze Medallist had pulled herself into contention with a victory in the fourth event of six – the 500 Metre Time Trial – and second in the fifth event – the Flying Lap – but slipped to a final eighth place overall.
“I think it was a combination [of things],” Edmondson explained to Cycling Australia’s website. “I missed a move and I should have been more onto it, I think I was just trying to… I don’t know…”
“I had to try to make up for it and everything I tried after that was marked and I couldn’t get away when I needed to,” she added.
“It’s really hard but that’s just the way it is. You win some you lose some and unfortunately this was the biggest.”
Result
1. Laura Trott (Great Britain)
2. Sarah Hammer (United States)
3. Jolien D’hoore (Belgium)
..
8. Nettie Edmondson (Australia)
