HSBC National Track Championships 2017 – Day 2

Ten titles were decided on the second day at HSBC UK National Cycling Centre.

Men’s Sprint, Women’s Keirin, Men’s Kilo, Para-cycling C1-5 Pursuit, Para-cycling C1-5 200m Flying Lap, Para-cycling BVI 200m Flying Lap, Para-cycling BVI Pursuit, Women’s Scratch Race, Women’s Team Pursuit and Men’s Points Race titles on the line.

Why have one gold, when you can have two. Bigham, Archibald and Booth added to Friday’s medal haul doubling their National Titles.

Ryan Owens was crowned British sprint champion as ten titles were awarded on day two of the HSBC UK | National Track Championships in Manchester.

It was a first British senior title for Owens as he defeated Joe Truman 2-1 in the final of the men’s individual sprint competition.

Owens and Truman were a class apart all day and seemed destined to meet in the final. Owens took the first leg, but Truman levelled things up in the second heat to take things to a decider.

It was a close run thing in the final. Truman went early and left Owens with work to do, but he kept his cool and pipped his team sprint teammate on the line.

Owens will now turn his attentions to adding a team sprint title to his CV alongside Jack Carlin and Joe Truman.

Two more medals for Archibald. Olympic champion Katie Archibald also enjoyed an outstanding evening winning the scratch race and picking up a surprise silver medal in the keirin behind winner Sophie Capewell, to take her medal tally for the weekend to three.

The keirin victory was a first senior title for Sophie Capewell.

It was an all-female podium in the final of the para-cycling pursuit BVI as Sophie Thornhill and Corrine Hall picked up their second national title of the weekend. Their factored time of 4:13.110 was enough to see off a strong challenge from Lora Fachie and Hazel Smith. Alison Patrick and Helen Scott completed the podium.

Para-cycling titles

It was a clean sweep for Para-T in the para-cycling C1-5 pursuit final as Paralympic and world champion, Megan Giglia won the first British title of her career. Her time of 4:34.356 was just enough to pip Louis Rolfe into second place with Jon Gildea posting an impressive time of 4:35.667 to take third.

Giglia was delighted to win her first national crown.

There was also a second national crown of the weekend for 15 year old Lauren Booth who won the para-cycling C1-5 200m flying lap, with Aileen McGlynn and pilot Louise Haston winning the tandem competition.

Breeze take the team pursuit gold. Team Breeze took gold in the women’s individual pursuit, the quartet made up of Ellie Dickinson, Manon Lloyd, Emily Nelson and Annasley Park, catching Lauren Dolan, Pfeiffer Georgi, Jessica Roberts and Emily Tillett from Liv CC.

Dame Sarah Storey was part of the Boot out Breast Cancer team that took third after catching Team 22A in the bronze medal ride off.

Women’s Scratch (qualifying)

Twenty-four riders progressed to the finals from two heats. Most of the major contenders were in heat one which proved too much for the younger riders.

Women’s Scratch 10Kms (final and ceremony) 

The race got underway to a steady pace before Team WNT’s Katie Archibald put the pressure on. It didn’t last when Team Jadan-Weldtite’s Rhona Callander attached off the front.

No sooner had Callander been caught and Archibald counter-attacked once more. This time joined by Team Breeze’s Emily Nelson. Boot Out Breast Cancer’s Neah Evans joined to make a trio and a half-lap lead.

Team WNT’s Emily Kay and Team Breeze’s Ellie Dickinson went off the front of the peloton and seeing the danger Matrix Fitness’s Elinor Barker started to bridge across.

Archibald lapped the field firstly before the other escapees joined her making six fighting for the podium places. A crash in the bunch saw Evans on the boards, but after a lap or two out, re-joined to the applause of the crowd.

Team Breeze girls were back on the front, but a lap down as the race drew towards the close. Barker put the pressure on in the final laps but Archibald and Evans got the better of her finishing third overall.