Lydia Gurley won a bronze medal at the UCI Track World Cup in Cali, Colombia overnight. The 32-year old Galway woman is a newcomer to track cycling but is fitting in amongst the eexperienced riders exceptionally well.
By Brian Canty
Ireland’s medal tally at the UCI Track World Cup in Cali, Colombia doubled overnight as Lydia Gurley claimed a brilliant bronze medal in her 10k scratch race.
The Galway woman rode a superb race and capped it off with her best ever result on the track. It follows an agonising fourth place finish at the last round of the UCI Track World Cup before Christmas where she just mised out on the medals in the same event.
Last night it was Sarah Hammer of the US took gold as expected, while silver went to Evgeniya Romanyuta of Russia, the woman who beat Gurley into bronze in Glasgow in November.
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The trio managed to lap the field when they escaped during the contest and in the scrap for the line, the 32-year old Irish woman was third.
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Gurley did the very same in Glasgow three months ago when five lapped the field and back then she was fourth in the gallop.
“The race was really quick with lots of attacking,” she said.
“The plan was to be patient and wait for the right time to attack.
“When it came, David [Muntaner] told me to go; I didn’t look back and just went for it. A massive thank you goes to our coach David, literally today I was just the legs, and he was the brains.”
It was far from good news for the other Irish rider in action, however, as Eoin Mullen ended up in hospital following a high-speed crash in the first round of his keirin event.
The Aran Islands man came down hard and was forced to abandon the race.
He was subsequently whisked away to hospital on precaution but he was later discharged and should be good to go in the sprint event later today.
Gurley is first up in the 20k points race followed by Mullen in the sprint.
Gold medal winner from the men’s points race on Friday, Mark Downey will team up with Felix English for the 30k madison.
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