CANADIAN WOMEN’S TEAM PURSUIT TAKES SILVER AT TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
(Ottawa, Ont., Feb. 27, 2014) – It was an exciting day for racing at the UCI Track World Championships in Cali, Colombia. Strong winds gusted heavily through the Velodrome in the afternoon, which caused unpredictable headwinds during many of the races. The wind died down in time for the evening races, as the temperature dropped to a manageable 20C.
Canadian women’s Team Pursuit, comprised of Laura Brown (Vancouver, BC), Allison Beveridge (Calgary, AB), Stephanie Roorda (Vancouver, BC) and Jasmin Glaesser (Coquitlam, BC) set the pace earlier in the day in the qualifying round with a time of 4:30.721, mere moments behind Great Britain who qualified with 4.28.597. Australia trailed just behind Canada with 4.31.504.
Also on the track this afternoon for the first round of the Men’s Keirin was Hugo Barrette, who finished with a strong 3rd place in the first round, but couldn’t keep his legs for the Repechage.
The evening races had the WTP squad back on the track to race Great Britain for gold. It was a close race with Canada taking the lead early in the race. At 2500m Canada dropped down to three riders, and Great Britain caught up to overtake the Canadians in the final few hundred meters, which sealed up the Gold Medal. Canadian Women’s Team Pursuit leaves with Silver. Australia, with bronze.
Craig Griffin, Cycling Canada’s Track Endurance Coach, summed up the race by saying, “The girls went out with the intent of winning it. They rode a hard race. They attacked the race head-on from the beginning and only lost the lead with a few laps to go. Their performance shows their determination and their commitment to the program. The program is getting stronger as the weeks go by and will only be getting stronger once we get the keys to our new home in Milton.”
Competition continues Saturday and Sunday for the Canadian Track Cycling Team.
Photo Credit: Canadian Cyclist
