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Review of Day 4

Interview with Jennie Reed USA

How did you feel after the qualifying for the Sprints?

“Truthfully I did not have a tonne of expectation, I wanted to make the top 8 but that didn’t happen. I finished fifth last year so finishing higher would have been nice. My focus all year was the Keirin, so I was not too disappointed. I know my form is there for the Keirin, I just need to stay focused and get ready”.

Who do you feel are your main competition in the Keirin?

“There are about 6 or 7 riders that could go for the win. My focus is to make the final, then, I think anyone could win. There are 5 or 6 riders consistent on the Keirin, it will be about position and who’s mentally on top of their game”.

 Do you feel more pressure because you are on home turf?

“Yes, I feel a little more pressure, but I always put more pressure on myself just to have a good feeling at the end of the day. Although having people looking on from your home country showing them what you have been doing for so many years. You always want it to go well, however you can’t always make it happen, I will try”.

 What are you plans after this World Championships?

“I plan to take about four weeks off, then I will start again slowly for next year”.

Keirin First Round

Heat 1

The heats for the Keirin were tough today, the top riders really mixed across the three heats.

In heat 1 Kerrie Meares AUS was up against the World Keirin Champion Sanchez FRA and the newly crowned Sprint World Champion Pendleton GBR. 

Kerrie Meares AUS tried to hold back the back four riders during the first few laps in an attempt to get a good position for the final lap, unfortunately at the bell she could not maintain the pace. Sanchez and Pendleton took the win in 11 sec 816 60.934km/h

Heat 2

Tyslinskaya RUS took the wheel of the derny, followed by Guo CHN, Abassova, Hijgenaar NED, Frisoni ITA last years silver medalist battled it out. With two to go Guo CHN moved to the front, with Tyslinskaya RUS on her wheel. At the bell Tyslinskaya anh Hijgenaar moved up but were closely marked by Abassova and Guo. On the line Tyslinskaya took the win ahead of Abassova RUS. 12 sec 138 59.317km/h

Heat 3

In the third heat the home favourite Jennie Reed USA had a tough battle against Anna Meares AUS. Meares tried to take the lead but could not hold it to the line and Reed took the win. 12 sec 019, 59.905km/h

Repechage 

In the first of the of two reprechage races, Kerrie Meares was up against Frisoni, Nivert and Kanis NED. 

Frisoni went early in the last lap, closely followed by Kanis, Meares and Nivert. Unfortunately Meares could not hold the speed and dropped back finishing in 5th place. Frisoni took the win.

Unfortunately for Kerrie Meares the championships are over

In the second reprechage Guo proved too strong and took a clear win over Hijgenaar and Grishina RUS, they go  through to the second round.

Second Round 

In the first heat of the second of the Keirin Anna Meares AUS, Guo CHN, Sanchez FRA, Frisoni ITA, Kanis NED and Abassova RUS fought it out, for the three places in the final. Meares was behind the derny at the start, with Frisoni on her wheel. Frisoni was watching the four riders behind her including the current World Champion Sanchez. Guo took the lead with two to go,, on the line, Sanchez, Frisoni and Guo took the top three places. Unfortunately for Anna Meares she finished a close fourth.

In heat 2, Tyslinskaya BLR, Nivert FRA, Pendleton GBR, Hijgenaar NED, Grishina RUS and Reed USA battled it out in a tough heat. Hijgenaar took position behind the derny, Pendleton GBR sat at the back. With two to go Hijgenaar led out on the last lap closely followed by Tyslinskaya BLR, but on bend Tyslinskaya crashed forcing Pendleton up the track and out of contention. Nivert FRA took the win ahead of Hijgenaar NED and Reed USA

Final 7-12 Place

The women rolled out for the last time to race for 7-12 place, Kanis NEDsat on the Derny wheel. As the derny pulled up the riders were watching each other. At the bell Anna Meares attacked and took 7th place on the line, followed by Kanis NED, Abassova and Pendleton.

Final 1-6 Place

Hijgenaar took the wheel of the derny with two to go, all riders were watching each other. Reed tried to come from behind but it was too late. Sanchez FRA won the Gold for the second year in a row. 

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Scratch Race Write Up

 As soon as the race got underway, the attacks started, Katherine Sell NZL tried to get off the front with 36 laps to go. She was, quickly marked by Mandy Poitras CAN and Charlotte Becker GER. The bunch reacted with the American Rebecca Quinn pushing the pace and brought the break back. Olga Slyusareva RUS moved to the front, as she did so there was a counter attack from Tatsiana Sharakova BLR, who was quickly joined again by Poitras. Slyusareva reacted but was held behind Poitras. Sharakova managed to get to hold out for 10 laps as it seem that no one in the bunch wanted to work to bring her back. Kate Bates AUS tried on a number of occasions drive the chase by going to the front. She pulled herself up to allow someone else to work but no one want too. Sharakova managed to get 150m gap before the bunch giving up and drifting back in to the bunch.

With 22 to go Lyudmyla Vyoyraylo UKR went to the front but again the bunch slowed up again. With 19 to go Sell NZL and Poitras went to the front to pick the pace up but it did not last for long. The bunch slowed as they approached 13 to go, Bates and Quinn USA sat on the front keeping an even pace. With 10 to go the German rider Becker attacked. She managed to get a clear 20m lead before the Chinese rider Meifang decided to chase. Poitras the silver medallist from 2004 reacted again to bring the break back. Immediately she attacked followed by Sell NZL, Quinn USA and Moinard FRA.

Slyusareva reacted quickly and with 8 laps to go she caught the break bringing the bunch with her. With 3 laps to go Kate Bates went to the front again quickly followed by Slyusareva and Visser NED. At the bell Bates, lead Slyusareva and Poitras through. On the final bend there was a crash Mandy Poitras was brought down, joined on the floor by Moinard of France and Rebecca Quinn.

Slyusareva RUS wins the scratch Bates AUS on her wheel, Vypyraylo UKR third

Post Race Reactions - Scratch Race and Keirin

Olga Slyusareva  was pleased with her win in the scratch race, she spoke to Womenscycling.net through her interpretator. “I am very happy, this is the first time I have been happy during these championships. This is a very good feeling but it is different each time I win”.

Next on the calendar for Slyusareva are the World Cup races on the road with her team Nobili-Rubinetterie. Asked if they support her track and road career she added “yes very much”.

Kate Bates looked frustrated as she climbed off her bike despite taking the silver medal. She expressed this frustration in her interview “it was so frustrating I was going a bit ‘loopy’, I thought we could at least roll around. There were a few attacks but it was very frustrating, I just did not have the legs in the end, so a little frustrated at that. For me I go away with three minor medals I would trade them any day for one gold. As long as I choose to ride all three events I put myself in that position, at a slight disadvantage to those riders who train specifically for one, but that’s my choice. Who knows we will see how it goes in the next few years, maybe I will make some compromises so that I can get one of those striped jerseys. Three medals from three starts I can’t really complain at that”.  

Asked if she plans to take a break or go and join her team on the road, she added “unfortunately no rest, I am back on the road next week; we have a World Cup race. There’s no rest for the wicked, I am looking forward to getting stuck into road racing. Racing on the road, is what makes me stronger on the track, hopefully a good season there will give me another ‘crack’ next year”.

Looking towards the Commonwealth Games, Kate added “yes, no Russians or Italians there, I am definitely targeting that, I am not in any rush, I am pretty confident that going into the games I can start to achieve my goals”.

Womenscycling.net asked if Kate’s European based team were supportive of her racing both the track and the road. “Absolutely, it is mutually beneficial, a world championship medal is great, it does not matter what discipline it is achieved in. I would not have joined a road team that did not support that. I have my priorities and I have made that pretty clear to everyone, that I love the road, but it is clear that at Beijing Olympics I want to be standing on top of the podium and I need a team that will help me to do that” 

Lyudmyla Vyoyraylo UKR, spoke very briefly through her interpretator to Womenscyling.net after winning the bronze medal in the scratch race . “I am very happy, it was a difficult race, I am pleased to win bronze”

Catherine Sell NZL tried to get a break in the scratch race, this was her view on proceedings. “I am sort of frustrated, I can’t believe that I wasn’t in the right position. The crash happened right beside me, I was lucky not to go down”. Talking about the pace of the race she added “It was quite a negative race, when you looked at the bunch of riders it was always going to be a bunch sprint. I was hoping they would take it a bit harder it was a bit frustrating”

Next on the agenda for Catherine is “a break, then there are some races at home in New Zealand and preparation for next years Commonwealth Games” she added.

Mandy Poitras spoke after her treatment for the crash she was involved in during the final stage of the scratch race “I am pretty disappointed, I was a little further back than I wanted to be, but I felt good coming round the outside, the legs were working and I was taking over a lot of ground. I was feeling really good. I felt I could have made the podium, then one minute I was up and the next I was on the ground. I got hit from behind so I did not see it coming”

When asked what was next she added “I will go home I teach job share so I have to go home to work for a little while. Then we are off to Florida to prepare for the Pan- American Championships in Argentina at the end of April. Then of course there’s the Commonwealth Games, I will do a couple of the World Cups, I will still be working, but I enjoy the balance of working and racing so I would not want to be away for too long in Australia. I will head to Sydney in February and prepare for March. It is difficult to plan that far ahead”.

Mandy races for Rocky Mountain Track team and the Symetric Road team, specifically Pacific North West racing, both are supporting her.

Anna Meares' reaction to coming 7^th in the Keirin was “it is nice coming out with a win from the ‘B’ final. I am happy with how I rode the race but my legs just weren’t there after the sprints last night and I struggled to get back on form. I am disappointed generally with the Sprint and the Keirin but it’s an experience and hopefully next year I will be back to give them a run for it”.

Clara Sanchez FRA winner of the World Championship Keirin for the second year in a row spoke to reporters after her win. “I am very happy, it is terrific for me to win the Keirin again and I am looking forward to Bordeaux next year to make it three in a row”

Elisa Frisoni ITA silver medalist in 2004 tried hard to make it gold this time but just could not make it, getting silver again. She talked to Womenscycling.net after the victory ride, when asked if she was please with her performance at these championships, Elisa smiled “It started very badly but, she tried hard and believe that she could do more, in the end I am pleased because the medal arrived”.

Like many other track riders Frisoni plans to join her team on the road “I plan to join VeloClub Isilano to gain more experience on the road and then compete in the European Track Championships in Italy in July next year I am sure that I can get into the gold position, I am very confident of that” she added.

Yvonne Hijgenaar NED, always happy to speak to Womenscycling.net reflected on her bronze medal place in the Keirin, “I did not expect it, I am so scary [worried] on the Keirin, and I was thinking it’s only the Keirin I will see how I am going. Then I was going well so I am happy”. When asked what is next on Yvonne’s calendar she added “I am going start racing on the road with the team Therma Skincare. I am new to the road and don’t really know how to ride [road] but it is good for my track and will give me more energy for the track I hope”

 Shuang Guo spoke after the keirin final, commenting  “I am disappointed, after Sydney I was going so well. I did my best and I will be back again”

New World Sprint Champion,  Victoria Pendleton's  reactions:

Did you take inspiration from the guys in the team after their Gold medal in the pursuit?

“Definitely when you have an excited environment around you can’t help but feel lifted and encouraged by it” You have been out cycled so many times in the past few years, to come here and win the Gold medal can you believe it? “no, is it real or do I need to pinch myself”

WomensCycling.net managed to catch up with Victoria after she had, had time to take in her win. “it’s pretty amazing really, I feel very lucky and very blessed, I have had a lucky run this time and I can’t really believe that I have done it. I just phoned my dad back in the UK and woke him up. He said “You can wake me up any time Victoria to tell me you are World Champion” 

When asked what Victoria planned to do after these championships she added “I am taking some time off, I am moving into a new flat then I will start preparing again, it’s a big year next year. This is a dream come true, when I started grass track racing I was very young, people said to me ‘you could be world champion some day’, of course I did not believe them”

Are you going to focus on the sprints, or the Keirin, what’s your preference?. “Everyone has been saying to me over the last year, maybe you’re not a sprinter, well now I am and I feel I can choose to do Keirin as a second option. I am in a great situation really and fell very blessed”

Kerrie Meares is always happy to talk and chatted while waiting for her sister to receive the Bronze medal in the Sprint. When asked how she felt, she replied “I have not been this high up in the ranks since before my back injury, I am very pleased with how things are going, I am still tuning my engine while others are resting theirs after the Olympics. Obviously it would have been good to up there (on the podium) but Anna deserves it.

When asked how her back is now, Kerrie responded “a little niggle now and then but I just have to take care and keep riding”.

When asked, if going up against your sister for a medal was tough for both of you, Kerrie responded “it was very difficult because we know each other so well, we know each other’s tactics, I have had a really big learning curve tonight, Anna and I work each other hard in training. I feel really lucky to have an Olympic champion as a training partner as well as a sister. The bronze medal sprint off was probably the most exciting racing seen at the velodrome, The Meares sisters showed their track skills, managing to do track stands during their highly technical races. Neither sister wanted to take the lead in each heat, coming close to being penalized by the commissaries in one heat. Kerrie added this comment about this “we both didn’t want the front, we tried everything not to get the front, it was really tiring doing the track stands, probably more tiring than the sprinting its’ self. 

Anna Meares was happy that she had another medal under her belt but said “there was a small amount of sadness that I had to beat Kerrie to get it”.

Looking forward to the Keirin events Anna added “I think the Keirin will suit Kerrie, the stage she is at with her recovery will suit the Keirin event. I am not too disappointed with my rides today, I made a few mistakes that I learnt from and corrected later. As a competitor you are really happy but as a sister you feel really disappointed for Kerrie’s loss. I think that’s the hardest part”

Looking forward to the Commonwealth games on home turf Anna was asked how she felt about that, she commented “it will be interesting, between Kerri and I we hold the Olympic, World and Commonwealth records, then you add Victoria, who’s just become World Champion and Lori-Ann Muenzer I think it will be a top class field producing top class racing. The melbounre crown really gets behind the home nation. The atmosphere in Melbourne is amazing and unbelievably noisy, this is always an advantage on home ground. The best experience in the world is competing in front of a home crowd”.

Tamilia Abassova RUS gave this reaction to her silver medal “I wanted more may be next time, hopefully I will do well in the Keirin”.

Karin Thürig was pleased with her bronze medal in the pursuit she had this to say “I am very happy, when I came to these championships I did not have any expectations as I knew that I was not in my best shape, so I did not want to come, I was unsure if it was a good idea to come but I am very happy with the race, it was tough and I had to fight hard but I am happy now”.

Photos

Click here for a full gallery from Day 4

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