Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s athletes were in action in both the northern and southern hemispheres this weekend, with Medals won and Podiums earned on both track and road. In the Track World Cup at the Lea Valley Velopark, London, Double Olympic Champion Laura Trott took Gold in the Omnium, to add to that taken in the Team Pursuit on Friday, while Elinor Barker added a Bronze Medal in the Points Race to add to her Team Pursuit Gold. Meanwhile, in Launceston, Tasmania, Eileen Roe crowned her first appearances with the black and orange team with second place in the Symmons Plains Raceway Kermesse and third in the Stan Seijka Launceston Cycling Classic.
“After you win quite a lot of events, people expect you to win. It’s hard,” Trott told British Cycling after her Omnium victory. “You go into training sessions, you feel rubbish and then you try to think about the next event. It does sometimes get on top of you. [But] to race in front of a home crowd again is just amazing and it is such a confidence boost to win again here in London.”
Trott had dominated the first day of the Omnium competition, winning both the Scratch Race and Individual Pursuit, although she was narrowly beaten to the line by the Netherlands’ Kirsten Wild in the Elimination. The second day was shaping up to be a battle between the two riders, but a poor 500 metre Time Trial from the Dutchwoman, along with victories there and in the Flying Lap for Belgium’s Jolien D’hoore – who will join Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling in 2015 – meant that the competition would be decided between Trott and the Belgian in the Points Race, with the two riders separated by just 14 points.
The Points Race was a tactical affair between the two riders – with Wild also defending her third overall – but D’hoore managed to reduce Trott’s lead to eight. An attack at the penultimate sprint from Trott took the gap back up to 12 points, however, and that was how it was to finish.
“Points Race has never been my strongest event,” Trott explained. “I’ve been doing a lot of work with Chris Newton, who was obviously a great points race rider himself. It’s really paid off. Winning the points race at the Commonwealth Games I never expected. In the Omnium it has given me a massive confidence boost.”
In Saturday’s Points Race – held at the World Cup, but not actually part of the World Cup competition – Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s Italian Giorgia Bronzini took an early lead, but this was to be neutralised as riders began to take laps. Barker was among those to lap the field, meaning that the 20-year-old was fighting for the medals.
Consistent sprinting from Australian World Champion Amy Cure was keeping her in the lead, but Barker was edging herself clear of the others into third place outright. A massive attack from Bronzini in the closing stages almost managed to take a lap that would have given the 2009 Points Race World Champion the lead, but she was just unable to reach the back of the field.
Meanwhile, in the southern hemisphere, Roe led the Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling team for the first time in the Launceston Cycling Festival, in Tasmania, along with Georgia Baker, Jess Munday, Peta Mullens and Emily Collins.
Saturday’s Symmons Plains Kermesse saw the British Criterium champion escape the peloton with Roxsolt’s Chloe Hosking – who will also join Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling in 2015 – and Orica-AIS’ Loes Gunnewijk. With the three most powerful teams in the race represented, the trio was able to forge a race-winning break, but Roe was just beaten to the line by future teammate Hosking.
The Stan Seijka Launceston Cycling Classic on Sunday also saw Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling well represented in the front of the race, with the lead group of seven containing Roe, Baker and Mundy. Orica-AIS was also present in the group, in the form of Gracie Elvin and Amanda Spratt, but Roxsolt’s Kimberley Wells was able to take advantage of the two teams’ rivalry to win the final sprint.
“The break away constantly kept attacking each other to try get rid of Kimberley, who’s well known for her fast finish!” Roe explained. “Wiggle Honda put in loads of attacks, with Jess and I doing solo attacks off the break lasting for several laps. However it came down to a sprint finish amongst the breakaway, and Kimberley won with a very close lunge for the line.”
“The team obviously wanted a win under our belts but I am extremely proud of the girls and how we rode as a team,” Roe added. “Considering I’m new to the squad, and was nervous about meeting and racing with the ‘wigglettes,’ I’m really pleased with the results; especially considering I’ve just come from a road block back in Scotland.”
Result Points Race
1. Amy Cure (Australia)
2. Jasmin Glassier (Canada)
3. Elinor Barker (Great Britain)
Result Omnium
1. Laura Trott (Great Britain)
2. Jolien D’hoore (Belgium)
3. Kirsten Wild (Netherlands)
Result Symmons Plains Raceway Kermesse
1. Chloe Hosking (Roxsolt)
2. Eileen Roe (Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling)
3. Loes Gunnewijk (Orica-AIS)
Result Stan Seijka Launceston Cycling Classic
1. Kimberley Wells (Roxsolt)
2. Gracie Elvin (Orica-AIS)
3. Eileen Roe (Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling)
