UCI Track World Championships
Mark Stewart entered these championships having finished on the podium three times before, but never on the top step.
Friday’s 160-lap points race was a tense affair. The Dundonian stayed relatively quiet throughout the first few sprints – the only points from the first 50 laps scored from a second place in the third sprint. With no riders escaping the bunch, Stewart would find himself in third after 80 laps after hat-trick of third places, and only six points from France’s Benjamin Thomas in the lead.
A flurry of points would follow. Stewart would win three of the next five sprints and score in all, vaulting the Scot into the lead.
Heading into the final ten laps, Stewart would sit on 29 points, with Portugal’s Salgueiro in second on 27 and Thomas on 26.
A late attack from Denmark would be the main threat however, Bévort hovering off the coattails of the bunch, as a 20-point gain could be enough to dethrone Stewart from gold. A surge from Stewart with two laps to go would make it hard for the Dane to complete his lap gain; meanwhile the Scot would hold off Thomas to secure six points in the final sprint, more than enough to claim his first World title.
A sixth-place finish would follow in Sunday’s madison alongside Matt Bostock, but the main story would be that Stewart finally has his hands on the rainbow bands.
Erin Boothman was making her debut at a senior World Championships, the 19-year-old having won four Junior World titles in the previous two seasons; but at only her second major meet as an elite ride it would be reasonable to temper expectations heading into China.
Signs of her fantastic form would come in Wednesday’s Team Pursuit qualifying, Boothman a key part of the Great Britain quartet that qualified fastest – by nearly two seconds infact. The Glaswegian was rested for the First Round, which her teammates Anna Morris, Millie Couzens, Megan Barker and Josie Knight comfortably managed against the Netherlands.
Boothman would return to the fold for the final against defending champions Italy. The Azzurri would start the stronger, taking the lead through the first kilometre and a half of racing, however the Great Britain squad would take the lead for the first time at the halfway mark that would not be relinquished. Crossing the line in a time of 4:04.610 – and winning by over five seconds to take a fantastic World title.
Saturday’s Madison would see Boothman partner up with Anna Morris. The pair would quietly pick up points in the early stages – sitting in fifth on four points after 45 of the 120 tours of the Shanghai track. A well timed change would see Boothman take maximum points at the fifth sprint to show some early proof of what was to come.
With 49 laps remaining, the pair would make their move. GB were sitting in fourth – on nine points – nine behind the leading Kiwis, but a blistering attack with the French pair caught the bunch napping and would quickly establish a half lap lead.
Despite a missed changed when navigating through the slalom of lapped and resting riders, the pair would complete the gain and go into the race lead with 36 laps to go – leading by four points from France, and 14 ahead of New Zealand.
Boothman closed down a move from the Dutch and came over the top of the Oranje pairing to take another five points with 20 laps to go – extending the British lead to seven heading into the final ten laps.
Both Morris and Boothman carefully marked their French rivals as other nations swept up the final points – to ensure that they would take the rainbow jersey.
A fantastic debut Championships for Boothman – with two outstanding World titles.
Enduro Worlds
Italy was the venue for the UCI Enduro World Championships, with Finale Ligure playing host to the weekend of racing.
Scotland’s Ella Conolly finished fifth in the elite women, despite winning the second of the six stages. Meanwhile Ben Allan was the top Scot in the elite men finishing in 44th place. While Katy McGowan claimed 14th in the junior women’s event.
Cyclocross
The opening round of the National Trophy Series took place in Derby with the Scots making the journey down to the midlands.
A very competitive elite female race saw British Champion Anna Flynn (CAMS-Alba) donning the stripes for the first time; the Scot was in the leading group throughout the early stages and was joined by teammate Arabella Blackburn (CAMS-Alba).
As the race progressed Flynn would be part of a leading group of around five or six but dropped back in the latter stages to cross in sixth, Blackburn coming home in a strong ninth. Corran Carrick-Anderson (Peebles CC) was the best of the elite open riders in 11th place.
There’s a new cohort of junior riders this season and there was little hesitation for them to make an impact, Olivia Poole (Specialized Youth Dev.) winning the sprint for second place in her first junior trophy. In the open field, Xander Graham (Prologue RT) would finish fourth.
Josh Stewart (Harrogate Nova) won out in the Under 17 race by ten seconds after pushing clear on the second of four laps, and he would be joined on the podium by Gregor McNaught (Falkirk Junior BC) in third.
Chrono des Nations
The road season is effectively over, but there have been a few final race days to note.
Lauren Dickson (FDJ-United Suez) claimed ninth at the prestigious Chrono des Nationals time trial on the outskirts of Paris. Andrew Levinson (Shibden Apex RT) finished in third in the Under 17 event, a great result to round off the season despite having suffered injuries this year.