UCI Track Cycling Nations Cup | Canadians win bronze in pursuit

(Milton) Canada got off to a good start at the UCI Nations Cup in Milton, winning two medals on the first day of competition.

He first broke the ice by climbing on the third step of the podium in the women’s team pursuit. The women’s team sprint allowed her to add a silver medal to her harvest.

In the team pursuit, the Canada A squad of Erin Attwell, Ariane Bonhomme, Maggie Coles-Lyster and Sarah van Dam came from behind to beat Americans Jennifer Valente, Lily Williams, Olivia Cummins and Chloe Dygert by more than three seconds and claim the bronze medal.

The Canadians finished the race in four minutes, 15,961 seconds (4:15,961). They trailed by almost two seconds until one of their opponents was no longer able to keep pace, with several more laps to go. It was then enough to maintain the rhythm, which they succeeded.

It was Britain’s Katie Archibald, Megan Barker, Josie Knight and Jessica Roberts (4:12,539) who won gold, ahead of Germany’s Franziska Brausse, Mieke Kröger, Lena Charlotte Reissner and Laura Sussemilch (4:13,511).

The second Canadian team, consisting of Devaney Collier, Adèle Desgagnés, Kiara Lylyk and Fiona Majendie, finished eighth, their run coming to an end in the first elimination round.

On the men’s side, Dylan Bibic, Michael Foley, Mathias Guillemette and Carson Mattern narrowly missed – two tenths of a second – their qualification for the small final with a time of 3:52,802 in the afternoon. They finished the competition in fifth place.

It is still their best result of the season after two seventh places at the Nations Cups in Jakarta and Cairo, which will greatly help Canada’s qualification for the Paris Olympics in 2024.

It was Britain’s Daniel Bigham, Josh Charlton, Michael Gill and Oliver Wood who won gold in 3:51,310 ahead of Italy’s Davide Boscaro, Francesco Lamon, Manilo Moro and Mattia Pinazzi (3:52,840).

France (Donavan Grondin, Benjamin Thomas, Thomas Boudat, Valentin Tabellion) won bronze in 3:50.375 in a close race ahead of Australia’s Oliver Bleddyn, Kelland O’Brien, Blake Agnoletto and Conor Leahy (3:50.796 ).

Genest, Mitchell and Orban in silver

In the team sprint, Lauriane Genest, Kelsey Mitchell and Sarah Orban (47,414) narrowly missed the top step of the podium, narrowly losing to Mexicans Jessica Salazar Valles, Luz Daniela Gaxiola Gonzalez and Yuli Verdugo Osuna (47 001).

This is the first conclusive result in the Nations Cup for the Canadian trio, after a difficult first leg in Jakarta. The sprint team did not participate in the Cairo stage.

Poland (47,569) completed the podium.

On the men’s side, Canadians James Hedgecock, Tyler Rorke and Nick Wammes finished off the podium in 43,398, behind Britons Ed Lowe, Hayden Norris and Harry Ledingham-Horn (43,165).

Australians Leigh Hoffman, Matthew Richardson and Matthew Glaetzer (42,125) were too strong for Chinese Shuai Guo, Yu Zhou and Qi Liu (43,122) in the Grand Final.

In the elimination race, Canada also had good results, including two top 10 finishes.

Dylan Bibic and Mathias Guillemette finished seventh and 12^e in the men’s category, while van Dam completed his evening’s work with a 10^e place with the ladies.

Activities resume on Saturday with the sprint and madison for the ladies, as well as the Keirin and the omnium for the men.