Finucane among those to star on sensational Saturday at the Lloyds National Track Championships
Matthew Richardson won his second title of the week alongside Marcus Hiley and Harry Radford in the men’s team sprint, while Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl bagged title number three of the week in a dramatic women’s B individual pursuit. Anna Morris earned a spot on the top rostrum in the women’s points race, while Crystal Lane-Wright also grabbed another national title in the inaugural C1-5 scratch race. Finlay Graham and Alex Jones took para kilo titles, while Matt Bostock was crowned the men’s elimination champion.
Women’s Keirin
In the final event of the day, Emma Finucane was impeccable on her way to the gold, winning in style as she dominated for the entire race, building up a lengthy gap ahead of her peers. The battle for the remaining podium places was intense, but Lowri Thomas narrowly pipped last year's national champion, Lauren Bell, to take silver as Bell finished with bronze.
Speaking after the win, Finucane said: “I raced in the Keirin last year and got silver, so I’m really happy about how this Keirin went, to win it. It was a massive group of girls who raced really well, and really fast, so I am really proud of this one. “I worked pretty hard this season, starting with the European championships, and I just carried on my momentum from there, so I am really proud.”
Women’s Points
Anna Morris (Private Member) stormed to the Points race title in dominant fashion, sealing victory by more than ten points over women’s individual pursuit Josie Knight (DAS-Hutchinson), while defending champion Katie Archibald (dooleys cycles) was edged into bronze on the final lap sprint.
After a reserved first ten laps, the attacks began to flow, though none managed to gain a lap. Morris herself was involved in chasing down most of the attempted escapees, while Archibald banked sprint lap points and tried to lap the field multiple times.
The race’s decisive move came at the halfway point, when Morris, Archibald, Knight, Jess Roberts (Spectra Racing) and Phoebe Taylor (Shibden Apex RT) gained a lap and 20 points each, with the medallists all holding back smartly to catch the pack on a sprint lap for extra bonus points.
From there, Morris and Archibald traded attacks, but it was the former who would secure second on the final lap to seal the title, and her second victory of the week following the Scratch on Thursday. Knight, level on points with Archibald going into the final lap, managed to sneak fourth place in the final sprint to take silver ahead of the Scottish rider.
Men’s Elimination
Matt Bostock (Rapha CC) secured victory in an entertaining elimination race to make it two national champion jerseys over the weekend so far.
With a high-class field qualifying for the final, the racing was hectic from the gun but all the pre-race favourites avoided an early elimination as the competition came closer to the wire.
This continued to be the case within the final laps as the remaining trio was of the highest calibre, with Bostock, national individual pursuit champion Charlie Tanfield (Private Member) and William Tidball (Velo Club illefranche Beaujolais).
There was confusion between the elimination for bronze medal between Tanfield and Tidball, on which Bostock capitalised to ease away for a simple victory in the end, with Tidball receiving silver on the podium and Tanfield bronze.
Speaking after his win, Bostock said: “It’s mint, especially since the elimination is kind of a gamble. It’s always much trickier to win than other races so it feels good. I always find it's easier to take things race by race, you just do your best in each and then see what happens.”
Women’s B Individual Pursuit
Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl (Private Member) completed the hat-trick, securing their third national championship title in the individual pursuit.
In an electric final, facing off against Georgina Bullen and Miriam Jessett (Born to Bike), the world champion duo racing in the rainbow stripes, produced a textbook ride to overtake their rivals within the second half of the pursuit.
In the bronze medal match, Amelia Robertson and Kate Richardson set out from the gates flying, managing to catch Ella Briant and Georgina Oakley at the halfway point.
Speaking after a third gold of the week, Holl said: “It has been a sick weekend, and it has been really nice to put out some really good rides. For me, the highlight has been riding here in a pretty packed velodrome. We are world champions right now and riding at home, which is not something you get to do all the time, so that has been super cool.” Unwin added: “From the rides we have done this weekend, we just want to build on them in the competitions going forward, as the worlds are later this year, so this is a good starting point for us.”
Men’s Team Sprint
Team Inspired A consisting of Matthew Richardson, Marcus Hiley and Harry Radford came from a second down with a lap to go to seal gold in the men’s team sprint final over Ed Lowe, Hamish Turnbull and Hayden Norris of Team Inspired B.
Team Inspired A had dominated qualifying on their way to the final and lined up against their GBCT teammates in the final looking to make it a perfect run to the national title, as both teams started strong with Radford and Lowe barely separable after the opening lap.
An inspired turn from Turnbull for Team Inspired B saw them earn a slender lead going into the final lap, but an inevitable Matthew Richardson proved himself once again to simply be on another level and his turn of speed saw the pendulum swing back towards Team A, with Richardson ensuring the final gap between the teams was over one second by the finish line.
In the bronze medal race, Team Inspired C of Lyall Craig, Joe Truman, Archie Gill and Oliver Pettifer took the final place on the podium against Team Alba of Pete Mitchell, Niall Monks, Anthony Young & Luthias Arthur.
Women’s C1-5 Scratch
Crystal Lane-Wright (Private Member) became the first national women’s C Scratch champion, securing her second national title of the weekend, following her win in the women’s C5 Elimination final on Thursday.
Lane-Wright looked more than comfortable in the pack through the majority of the 10-kilometre competition, before she, along with Rebecca Newark (Jadan Glasdon pb Vive le Velo) and Morgan Newberry (Loughborough Lightning), accelerated off the front with just over half the race distance covered.
Newark and Lane-Wright continued to build the pace, with Newberry unable to hold on with two laps remaining. Lane-Wright remained cool under pressure on Newark’s wheel as the pair took the bell, powering over the top on the final bend to cruise across the line in first place.
Speaking after the podium, Lane-Wright said: “I’m really pleased, it’s the first time we’ve done the scratch race at National level in the para category, so it feels great to be first. “You’re racing with so many different abilities, you don’t know where someone is at until you get on the line. The race was a lot less predictable, but it worked out in the end for me.”
MC C1-3 Time Trial
Finlay Graham blitzed his way to victory in the Men’s C1-3 time trial to win what was his third gold of the week with a time of 1:08.546. Matthew Robertson took home the silver after only being 1.210s behind the winner, with Callum Deboys sweeping up the bronze medal.
After the podium, Graham said: “It felt really good. The Kilo is always a really tough race from the start, and it always hurts, but it’s obviously nice to come away with the national title, and it finishes off a good weekend. “I have not done much track stuff, but, obviously winning three events, I could not have asked for any better. There is always tough competition as the national jersey is what everyone wants to win, and to come away with three of them feels so good.”
Men’s C 4-5 Time Trial
The Men’s Para C4-5 time trials were fiercely contested, with Alex Jones taking home the national jersey and the gold medal with a time of 1:06.221. There was very little in it between himself and silver medallist Jody Cundy, who recorded a time just 0.243s behind the eventual winner.
The battle for bronze was equally as competitive but it was Sebastien Tyrie sealing the deal for third with a time of 1:09.4688.
Speaking after the podium, Jones said: “ It is pretty overwhelming as I did not expect that and I am just lost for words right now. I just wanted to enjoy myself and just do the best I could have done, and leave it all out there.”
Men’s B Sprint
Frederick Ireland and Aaron Pope (Private Member) came home with an unexpected gold medal in the men’s para B sprint over Tim Caldwell and Benedict Elliot (Weaver Valley CC).
James Ball and Matthew Rotherham came into the event as favourites, with Ball donning the world champion jersey he won while piloted by Steffan Lloyd. However, with Rotherham stepping out due to illness, the door opened for Caldwell and Elliot to feature in the final. Ireland and Pope seized this opportunity, winning comfortably to secure the striped jersey.
Speaking after their win, Pope said: “We only got on the tandem for the first time together this week so a pretty good start.” Ireland continued: “I think my pilot Aaron is just absolutely legendary as he is very clear in his communication when we are on the bike together, and we are very comfortable. We can feel what each other are doing, but I would like to briefly thank all my coaches as well. They have been wonderful and also the crowd today has been phenomenal. What an amazing event.”
