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RACE REPORTS: OLYMPIC TRACK RACING REPORT: SATURDAY AUGUST 16:
Road Bike Action
August 16, 2008
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Olympic Track Racing Report: Saturday August 16:
Photo: Rob Jones / Canadian Cyclist: Rebecca Romero In Full Flight
Women's 3000m. Individual Pursuit Qualifying Round
British women continued their domination of the Women's 3000m. Individual Pursuit as Rebecca Romero and Wendy Houvenaghel were first & second fastest in Saturday's Qualifying Round and will ride for the Gold Medal Sunday in the finals.
Women's 3000m. Individual Pursuit Qualifying Round
Heat 1
1. Alison Shanks (New Zealand) 3'32.478"
2. Sarah Hammer (USA) 3'34.237"
Heat 2
1. Lesya Kalitovska (Ukraine) 3.31.785
2. Vilija Sereikaite (Lithuania) 3.36.808
Heat 3
1. Rebecca Romero (Great Britain) 3.27.703
2. Katie Mactier (Australia) 3.37.296 (caught)
Heat 4
1. Wendy Houvenaghel (Great Britain) 3.27.829
DNF Lada Kozlikova (Czech Republic) (caught)
Photo: Joan Llanaras On The Attack In Mens Points Race
Men's Points Race Final
Eight years after his Points Race Gold Medal in Sydney, 39 year old Spaniard Joan Llaneras captured his second Olympic Points Race gold medal, just two points ahead of German Roger Kluge, while former Points Race World Champion Chris Newton brought another Olympic track medal to Great Britain winning Bronze.
Llaneras talked about his win today, saying "I'm still able to be at a high level at 39. Perhaps this is not the best form of my career, but it is still at a very good level. This race is a race of endurance, where age isn't necessarily the deciding factor. Thankfully, athletes these days can have much longer careers, and I still have had the motivation to work and train hard."
Llaneras didn't attribute his win to luck, declaring "I don't believe in luck, it's about working hard, controlling the details of your training and travel schedule, working on tactics and knowing your rivals. When I looked at the the list of starters, I knew that these were the best Points riders in the world, and any one of them could have won. The race today was very complicated. My initial plan was to try to earn some early points and build up an advantage, but the race was not very controlled, and many riders were attacking. Everyone was watching what I was doing, and when Kluge gained a lap, it was even more challenging. It was the riders who shouldered the responsibility for the race, who did well, like Kluge, Newton and myself. In the second half of the race it became possible to ride more to a plan, and I was able to attack and take one lap, and then another."
Llaneras is now the best Points Race rider in cycling history based on his results, and told the media "For me, this a dream ending to my career, to win the gold medal. I will race the Madison in two days and will then finish my career. This is a family decision, and there is no changing my mind. I can't think of a better way to say goodbye than to win a gold medal at the Olympics."
Men's Points Race Final
40KM: 45'14.480" / 53.048 km/hr. avg. speed
1. Joan Llaneras (Spain) 60 pts
2. Roger Kluge (Germany) 58
3. Chris Newton (Great Britain) 56
4. Cameron Meyer (Australia) 36
5. Vasili Kiryienka (Belarus) 34
6. Daniel Kreutzfeldt (Denmark) 29
7. Zachary Bell (Canada) 27
8. Makoto Iijima (Japan) 23
9. Milan Kadlec (Czech Republic) 22
10. Greg Henderson (New Zealand) 13
11. Rafal Ratajczyk (Poland) 10
12. Iljo Keisse (Belgium) 8
13. Angelo Ciccone (Italy) 8
14. Volodymyr Rybin (Ukraine) 8
15. Kam Po Wong (Hong Kong) 5
16. Milton Ariel Wynants (Uruguay) 5
17. Mikhail Ignatyev (Russia) 4
18. Juan Esteban Curuchet (Argentina) 1
19. Marco Arriagada (Chile) 1
20. Peter Schep (Netherlands)
21. Christophe Riblon (France) -17
DNF Bobby Lea (United States)
DNF Chun-Kai Feng
Photo: Bradley Wiggins & His Gold Medal
Men's 4000m Individual Pursuit
Another Olympic Gold for Britain as Bradley Wiggins dominated the Men's 4000m Individual Pursuit, easily
beating Kiwi Hayden Roulston in the Gold Medal final. Wiggo's 20 year old teammate Steven Burke was the
surprise of the Men's pursuit, capturing the Bronze medal with a strong ride to beat experienced Russian Alexei Markov.
Wiggins explained post-race " It was another brilliant day for Great Britain, we are just on top everywhere. We're just pissing all over everyone, to be frank. It's no surprise, really, we expected to be in this position. In eight years we've become the dominant force right across the board."
A cold, controlled Wiggins said "I don't do emotions anymore; I can go out now and enjoy the race, but I treat it like business. Athens sort of destroyed me. I was young there and to win at the Olympics at 23 was a massive thing. I won the gold, and it took so much out of me I underperformed in the Team Pursuit, and we won bronze, when were the best there."
Men's 4000m Individual Pursuit Final
Gold Medal Final
1. Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain) 4'16.977" (56.036 km/hr avg.)
2. Hayden Roulston (New Zealand) 4.19.611"
Bronze Medal Final
1. Steven Burke (Great Britain) 4'20.947"
2. Alexei Markov (Russia) 4'24.149"
Photo: Chris Hoy (L) and Ross Edgar (R) Celebrate Gold & Silver In Men's Keirin
Men's Keirin
Yet another Gold for Great Britain in the Men's Keirin Final, this time with a Silver too as the Great Britain Medal Rush continues at the Beijing Olympic Games. This time, big Chris Hoy powered to his second Gold Medal in the Men's Keirin with his patented power move from the front with 500m. to go. His countryman Ross Edgar took silver while Japan scored Bronze with Kiyofumi Nagai.
Unlike Wiggins, Hoy talked about his second Gold Medal modestly, saying "It's beyond expectations, I think this is a race I'll remember for a long time. It's just fantastic that Ross got silver as well. I left it a little later than normal, because I knew that if I went full gas they might pass me. I had to think about the finish like nothing else." Silver medalist Ross Edgar echoed Hoy's joy, saying "We knew coming in that if I got the front and got the [moto] bike, I would open up a spot for Chris. He can go long and I can protect, and then go for my own finish. I got boxed in a bit and had a bit of a shoulder rub with Shane [Kelly]. But I squeezed through and was down the track after Chris."
Men's Keirin Final
1. Chris Hoy (Great Britain)
2. Ross Edgar (Great Britain)
3. Kiyofumi Nagai (Japan)
4. Shane Kelly (Australia)
5. Carsten Bergemann (Germany)
6. Arnaud Tournant (France)
Men's Keirin 7-12 Place
1. Gregory Bauge (France)
2. Ryan Bayley (Australia)
3. Josiah Ng (Malaysia)
4. Mohd Azizulhasni Awang (Malaysia)
5. Kamil Kuczynski (Poland)
DNS Theo Bos (Netherlands)
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