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2005 UCI Track Cycling World Championships - CM
Los Angeles, CA, USA, March 24-27, 2005
Day 1 - March 24: Men's points race 40 km final; Men's team sprint qualifying & finals; Women's 500m TT final
Opening day rainbows for Britain, Belarus and Ukraine
By Eddie Monnier
Great Britain continued to dominate in the team sprint on the first day of racing at the 2005 Track Cycling World Championships, while Natallia Tsylinskaya (Belarus) beat Australian favourite Anna Meares in the 500m TT and Volodymyr Rybin (Ukraine) rode a canny points race to take the gold medal.
Team sprint
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As the first of 11 teams to go, the Olympic sprint team from the Czech Republic kicked off the 2005 Track World Championships in front of a relatively sparse crowd at the ADT Event Center that houses the United States' only indoor and newest velodrome.
Great Britain ripped the fastest laps of the night so far to move into the top qualifying spot with a time of 44.337. With only France and the Netherlands remaining, they were guaranteed to advance to the finals, the only question was whether they would ride for gold or bronze.
In spite of France opening with the fastest first lap of the night, Olympic silver medalists the Netherlands eclipsed the reigning world champions with a 44.575 to move into the gold medal final against Great Britain, while France would face Germany in the bronze medal ride.
You'd think they'd give a day's rest before running the finals, but these guys had to give it their all just two hours later. Each team rode a bit more slowly. Germany dispatched France for the bronze medal in a race that was too close to call by the naked eye. Netherlands had trouble getting together but still led going into the final lap before falling to Great Britain for the gold medal.
" It's great for morale to get that gold medal again," said British team member Chris Hoy. His team-mate Jamie Staff had incurred some mechanical problems with his pedals and said of the misfortune, "Something's bound to go wrong. You can't let it faze you. That didn't bother me at all."
Women's 500 meter TT
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By the time the women started their 500 meter time-trials, the stands had filled considerably. Early starter Willy Kanis (Netherlands), who uses track cycling to supplement her BMX racing, powered to a time of 35:056, a personal best by almost 0.8 seconds. She then had the nerve-wracking experience of waiting to see how her time would hold up. While waiting, she told Cyclingnews, "Yeah, I'm a little bit nervous. I hoped for top eight, so I'm happy."
Her time held up until the fifteenth rider, Natallia Tsylinskaya (Belarus), scorched a 34.738 to take the top position. Everyone was waiting for Anna Meares (Australia) to show why she's the world record holder and reigning Olympic and world champion. She missed Tsylinskaya's time by a mere 0.02 but was not disappointed. "I'm really excited that I did so well. I haven't been training for this event. I knew there would be expectations after the Olympics and my world record. We almost flicked it, but then we figured we would give it a shot."
Becky Conzelman (USA) was not happy with her time of 36.074 and 13th place. "I'm really disappointed in my ride tonight. I've been doing some great times in training. Tonight, I got stuck in the gate and that really costs you… It probably cost me six or seven tenths."
Tsylinskaya, the first world champion crowned at the 2005 Track World Championships, commented through an interpreter, "This is my first time so I am still in amazement."
Men's 40K points race
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A field of 22 riders lined up for the points race, always a crowd pleaser. The depth of the field would be revealed by how close the race remained. In fact, down to the last lap, there were several riders who still had a shot at earning the world champion stripes and many more who were still in medal contention.
As soon as the gun fired to start the 160-lap race, current scratch race world champion Greg Henderson (New Zealand) bolted off the front with Wouter Van Mechelen (Belgium) and Sean Finning (Australia). They quickly established a half lap lead but the pack kept the reigns tight. They did take the first three sprints spots but were reabsorbed shortly thereafter.
A mish-mash of attacks followed, with the first really serious move coming from Olympic champion Ignatiev (Russia), Pearce (USA), Newton (Great Britain) and Schep (Netherlands). The field was not going to allow a break with this much horsepower to gain much ground, thogh and the riders realized this and sat up after scooping up most of the points in the second sprint.
Volodymyr Rybin (Ukraine), Kei Uchida (Japan), Guido Fulst (German) and Sean Finning (Great Britain) attacked heading into the bell lap for the third sprint, scooped up the points, and then rapidly establish a half-lap lead over the field. They were firing on all cylinders and quickly turned the half lap into three-quarters of a lap. Finning fell off the pace, allowing Rybin, Uchida and Fulst to take the first lap of the race. Finning eventually got his lap, too.
By the mid-point of the 160-lap race, Finning led with just a three-point advantage over Rybin.
Henderson, Newton, Ratajczyk (Kazakastan), Aeschbach (Switzerland), and Sobal (Belarus) stormed off the front and quickly made it clear they were going to get a lap. They made a tactical misstep by taking the lap at 71 to go instead of waiting first for the sprint at 70-to-go before joining the field. This missed opportunity could have very well cost Newton and Henderson medals as they both would finish within three points of a podium spot.
Colby Pearce put in a solo attack at 63-to-go to try to scoop up the 60-to-go points, and then sat up after collecting his 5 points. At this point, only three points separated the top 5 riders.
Heading into 20 laps to go, it was still a close race between a number of riders. Rybin led by 4 points over Finning. Newton and Henderson were tied with 30 laps and several others were close as well.
With 12 laps to go, 2000 Olympic champion and 2004 Worlds silver medalist Llaneras (Spain) and Tamouridis (Greece) attack, snap up points on at the 10-to-go sprint and keep rolling to lap the field, moving Tamouridis into a one point lead over Rybin with just only the final sprint remaining.
Rybin sprinted to second place on the final sprint to re-take the lead and earn the title of 2005 points race world champion.
"I'm very happy, but very tired. To be honest I did not expect it. There was very strong competition and I'm very surprised," said the new world champion.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Mike Gladu/www.velodrome.com
- Natallia Tsylinskaya of Belarus started fourth from last, and turned in the first sub-35 second ride - which held up for gold.
- The Netherlands Yvonne Hijgenaar started next and moved into second temporarily.
- Australia's Anna Meares started last and bumped Hijgenaar to Bronze.
- The men's points race field
- Vladimir Rybin of Ukraine settles into the lead with two sprints to go
- Juan Llaneras of Spain only figured in two sprints until working to take a lap 25 laps to go
- Ioannis Tamouridis of Greece had one sprint win (sixth) before joining Llaneras in a breakaway
- Tamouridis and Llaneras take a lap with only 4 laps remaining
- Rybin takes a moment to celebrate his Points Race win.
- Great Britain in the team sprint qualifying (Staff, Queally, Hoy)
- Team Germany in the team sprint finals for bronze (John, Wolff, Nimke)
- France goes down to Germany in the bronze medal ride (Bourgain, Bauge, Tournant)
- Jamie Staff of GBR snapped the clamping spring of his SPD-R, which caused a minor delay before the final for Gold
- The Netherlands races against Great Britain in the Team Sprint Final (Mulder, Veldt, Bos)
- Jamie Staff leaves the lane a bit early, but Great Britain holds on to take Gold (Staff, Queally, Hoy)
- Staff, Queally and Hoy accept the cheers of the crowd at Theo Bos and Ray Godkin look on
- Staff, Queally and Hoy in full regalia
- Becky Conzelman of the USA got the crowd on its feet in the Women's 500m
Images by Russ Wright/www.abbiorca.com
- The opening ceremonies
- The last Netherlands rider takes it home in the team sprint qualifying
- Magdalena Sara (Poland) rides in the 500m TT
- Tamilia Abassova (Eussia) on the way to 6th in the 500m TT
- Natallia Tsylinskaya (Belarus) recovers after her gold medal ride
- Anna Meares (Australia) powers out of the blocks in the women's 500m TT
- Anna Meares (Australia) on the way to 2nd in the 500m TT
- Colby Pearce (USA) had an off day in the points race
- More points race
- Colby Pearce (USA) in the points race
- Sean Finning (Australia) was in contention until the final sprints
- Points race action
- Ouch! Poland's Rafal Ratajczyk crashed early in the points race but still finished 9th
- Colby Pearce (USA) in the men's points race
- The women's 500m TT podium - All smiles Anna Meares (Australia), Natallia Tsylinskaya (Belarus), Yvonne Hijgenaar (Netherlands)
- Chris Hoy (Great Britain) finishes up the team sprint
- Volodymyr Rybin (Ukraine) tastes gold in the points race.
- The team sprint podium - if you think this is crowded, wait till the Team Sprint...
- Team sprint gold goes to Great Britain
- Team sprint silver medalists, Netherlands
Images by Dana Ross/www.danarossphoto.com
- The Brits keep it organized like this.
- Weighing in.
- You have to iron all the flags.
- The riders at the ADT Event Center Velodrome in Carson California
- Natallia Tsylinskaya of Belarus rides to first place in the women's 500m
- Natallia Tsylinskaya of Belarus rides to first place in the women's 500m
- Anna Meares of Australia gets ready to ride the women's 500m
- Anna Meares of Australia rides to 2nd place in the women's 500m
- The start of the Men's 40km points race.
- Action from the men's points race
- Action from the men's points race
- Colby Pearce makes a move on the field in the men's 40km point's race.
- Rafal Ratajczyk crashed , got back in, and still finished 9th in the Men's 40K Points race
- Media coverage is extensive for this event.
- Attendance was good on opening night of the World Track Cycling Championships in Los Angeles
- Natallia Tsylinskaya on the podium as new world champion in the women's 500m TT
- Natallia Tsylinskaya (gold) and Anna Meares (silver) taking a victory lap after the women's 500m TT
- The German team getting ready for the team time trial
- The Brits go for gold in the team time trial
- Ioannis Tamouridis wins silver for Greece in the Men's 40K Points race
- Ioannis Tamouridis from Greece - silver medalist in the men's 40km points race.
- Volodymyr Rybin of Ukraine - gold medal winner of the Men's 40K points race.
- The Brits took gold in the team sprint - Chris Hoy, Jason Queally, Jamie Staff
Images by Mitch Friedman/www.mitchophoto.com
- US track legend Nelson Vails was on hand and walking around the pits
- The Dutch team mechanic gets to work
- The Management - AEG's Bill Peterson, UCI's Hein Verbruggen and USAC's Jim O
- Simona Krupeckaite of Lithuania gets her hands taped
- Victoria Pendleton (Great Britain) rode to 5th in the 500m TT
- Elisa Frisoni of Italy came in as World Cup leader and left in 9th spot overall
- Elisa Frisoni (Italy) on the way to ninth
- Natallia Tslinskaya (Belarus) flying to her first world championship
- Australia's Anna Meares rode hard and just missed out on repeating her 2004 rainbow ride
- Natallia Tsylinskaya celebrates
- The women's 500m TT podium - L-R 2nd Anna Meares (Australia), 1st Natallia Tslinskaya (Belarus), 3rd Yvonne Hijgenaar (Netherlands)
- The women's 500m TT podium - L-R 2nd Anna Meares (Australia), 1st Natallia Tslinskaya (Belarus), 3rd Yvonne Hijgenaar (Netherlands)
- Natallia Tsylinskaya (Belarus) on the podium, looking not unhappy
- Action from the men's points race
- Action from the men's points race
- Action from the points race
- Winner in the Points race Rybin and 11th place finisher Scheps getting points
- Colby Pearce (USA) rode hard and finished 13th
- Olympic champion Mikhail Ignatiev (Russia) had an off night in the points race
- Volodymyr Tybin (Ukraine) celebrates his points race win
- The Russian team in the team sprint
- The German team in the team sprint
- The Czech team blasts off in the team sprint
- Team France starts the team sprint
- Jamie Staff's broken pedal
- The Netherlands team had trouble staying tight in the final
- Chris Hoy and Jamie Staff celebrate the British team sprint victory
- The points race podium - Ioannis Tamouridis (Greece), Volodymyr Rybin (Ukraine) and Juan Llaneras Rossello (Spain)
- Flags go up at the team sprint award ceremony
- The team sprint podium
- Hands up who's a world champion!
- British fans were happy tonight
Results
Team sprint finals Gold 1 Great Britain 17.779 (2) 30.870 (2) 44.379 (60.839km/h) 2 Netherlands 17.708 (1) 30.854 (1) 44.713 (60.385km/h) Bronze 3 Germany 17.872 (2) 31.005 (2) 44.790 (60.281km/h) 4 France 17.670 (1) 30.948 (1) 44.835 (60.22km/h) Full Team Sprint results Men's points race 1 Volodymyr Rybin (Ukraine) 38 pts 2 Ioannis Tamouridis (Greece) 36 3 Juan Llaneras Rossello (Spain) 34 4 Christopher Newton (Great Britain) 32 5 Guido Fulst (Germany) 31 Full men's points race results Women's 500m TT 1 Natallia Tsylinskaya (Belarus) 19.453 (2) 34.738 (51.816km/h) 2 Anna Meares (Australia) 19.484 (3) 34.752 (51.795km/h) 3 Yvonne Hijgenaar (Netherlands) 19.703 (4) 34.928 (51.534km/h) 4 Willy Kanis (Netherlands) 19.233 (1) 35.056 (51.346km/h) 5 Victoria Pendleton (Great Britain) 19.815 (5) 35.088 (51.299km/h) Full women's 500m TT results
