Lara Gillespie has bounced back to fantastic form after a very challenging period over the last couple of years and now the young Irish rider has edged further forward against the top riders on the planet at the World Track Championships in Glasgow.
With two gold medals in her pocket from the recent U23 European Track Championships in Portugal, Gillespie told stickybottle before these Worlds that securing a medal was a big ask. She said she was more interested in her process and performance goals; taking more "steps" at an elite Worlds - being well able to race aggressively - so that the bigger prizes may come a little further down the line.
She has now completed her track campaign in Glasgow - rounding it off with a very solid display in the omnium against the legends of the sport - like Jennifer Valente, Lotte Kopecky and others. She placed 9th, Ireland's best ever result in an omnium at an elite Worlds. And while she comes away without a medal, as she expected, it was clear Gillespie was the strongest she's ever been at this level, where she now has a solid foothold.
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She said before the Worlds that the omnium would likely be the highest level ever, because all the big names would be present as the Paris Olympic 2024 qualification process is now well underway.
"I have to get into the mindset where I feel comfortable in that group – competitive and confident racing them," she said pre-Worlds. "I do feel like I can be up there, but I need more steps. At the moment I’ve only had one World Cup this year to learn the process of an elite omnium.
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“I’m taking steps forward but I think a podium is a very high reach. And right now it’s more about process goals with me, and feeling confident… racing confidently in that bunch and taking it on with aggression in the same way that I was in the under-23s, where I can be attacking and not just holding back. So that’s more my goal, rather than saying I want to beat X, Y and Z.”
After her races last night, she sounded like a rider who felt she had achieved those goals, and she had certainly be able to race aggressively against her top tier rivals; the first objective required before she might start winning medals at elite level in the way she had in the juniors and U23s.
“I’m really tired but I’m really happy with that result, to be honest," she said of her 9th place finish last night in the omnium on Glasgow's Chris Hoy Velodrome. "There are so many hitters here and I said before coming in that I’d be happy with a top ten finish.
"I’m happy with how I raced. I just took each race as it came, and I knew I needed to improve on some places and I’m happy that I’m progressing each time.”
While clearly in need of some recovery time after her efforts on the velodrome - which also included 12th in the madison - despite both Gillespie and partner Alice Sharpe crashing - and 9th in the team pursuit, she was already looking ahead to the elite-U23 road race on Sunday.
“I did the circuit a few times during the week and I’m really looking forward to racing it with the girls," she said of the event she will ride with Sharpe and Megan Armitage. "It’s my first senior World Championships on the road. I’m feeling good, I wasn’t feeling too good at the start of the week, but I feel like I’m riding into it and looking forward to that.”
