Riding for the victorious Great Britain team, Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s Elinor Barker, Dani King, Joanna Rowsell and Laura Trott smashed their own World record in the Team Pursuit at the European Track Championships, in Apeldoorn, Netherlands. The qualification ride, featuring Barker, Rowsell and Trott, along with Edinburgh City rider Katie Archibald, posted a time of four minutes 28.738 seconds for the new 4000 metre distance.
This was almost four seconds quicker than the time that four Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling riders had set at the British National Championships last month, and ten seconds faster than the next fastest team from Poland.
With King replacing Rowsell for the final, the Great Britain team posted an even faster time, with four minutes 26.453 seconds. The Polish team was also a little faster, but still conceded nine and a half seconds as it took the silver medal.
With all five riders having contributed to the team’s performance, Barker, King, Rowsell, Trott and Archibald were all presented with a jersey and medal.
Later in the evening Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s King was in action in the Points Race, where she took a hard fought silver medal.
Taking third place in the first sprint, then first place in the fourth, gave the 22-year-old a seven points and a mid-race lead. The fast race saw several riders try to take laps on the field, but none was able to do so; the effect of the constant attacks meant that the points were shared relatively evenly and, heading into the penultimate sprint, King was one of three riders tied on nine each.
The Netherlands’ Kirsten Wild was first across the line to lift herself to 12 points, however, with King taking second place to tie with the Dutchwoman heading into the final sprint. A late attack from Spain’s Leire Olaberria could have seen the Beijing bronze medallist take the title, but Wild and King were fighting for second place across the line, which would give victory to one or the other.
With Wild one of the most consistent sprinters in the women’s peloton, King was just unable to come around the Dutchwoman on the line, but – with the gold medal from the Team Pursuit already in her pocket – took a well-earned silver medal.
Result Team Pursuit
1. Great Britain (Elinor Barker, Dani King, Joanna Rowsell, Laura Trott and Katie Archibald)
2. Poland
3. Russia
Result Points Race
1. Kirsten Wild (Netherlands)
2. Dani King (Great Britain)
3. Leire Olaberria (Spain)
