UCI Track Champions League
Round Two
A brace of second places in Friday’s Round Two in Apeldoorn saw Katie Archibald extend her lead in the UCI Track Champions League standings in the Netherlands.
In the scratch race, Canadian Sarah van Dam attacked with ten laps to go, powering away from the field in the closing 2km and riding solo across the line to take the full 20 points. Archibald led home the bunch for second place, with Neah Evans coming home in sixth.
The elimination saw Archibald stay out of trouble by leading from the front for much of the race, only to be pipped in the final sprint by Anita Stenberg. Neah Evans produced another strong ride to once again finish sixth.
Round Three
Fatigued seemed to play a factor for Saturday’s third round; the pace would steadily ramp up in the scratch race, but with no-one committing to a real attack and the riders gearing up for a bunch sprint, Archibald timed it wrong to come home 12th, with Evans two places back.
However, any mistakes were redeemed in the elimination, with Archibald producing another masterclass, winning a re-match with the Mexican rider Acevedo after the two contested the win in Paris last week. The good news continued for Archibald as she cemented her grip on the Women’s Endurance lead, with rival Anita Stenberg (Norway) finishing down in ninth place.
The victory gives Katie Archibald a 27-point lead heading into the final double-header this weekend in London. A strong performance on Friday could wrap the series up in style.
After Saturday’s exploits Archibald told the press:
“Indecision really caught me out in the Scratch race, but damage control has been okay in the Elimination. I always knew this was going to be a good round, I’ve raced lots in Apeldoorn.
“They’re a great cycling nation and they get excited by the sport. It’s nice to be in a stadium that enjoys wins by their home favourites, but I think they give every rider a big mark of respect. It’s such a privilege to be a British rider in this series and for the Finale to be the most special round for us.”
Limited briefs are available for Friday’s Round Four – you can purchase them here
Scottish CX Champs
Anna Flynn reclaimed the Scottish Cyclocross title on the beach at Irvine on Sunday afternoon after a great battle with defending champion Grace Inglis, perhaps the highlight of a brilliant day of championship racing on the Ayrshire coast.
Lewis Martin retained his Scottish title with an excellent performance in the Open race, whilst Freya Mowbray and Cameron Annable would take the Junior titles.
Read the full report here.
Dublin World Cup
Cameron Mason (Cyclocross Reds) and Arabella Blackburn (Trinity) were both in action at the UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Dublin on Sunday.
Mason bounced back from an early puncture on lap one to ride to 15th place – a strong performance through the pack.
Stonehaven’s Arabella Blackburn made her World Cup debut on Sunday in the juniors, with an excellent 16th place finish in the Irish capital.