Irish riders did battle yesterday with
some of the best track riders in the world at the Dublin Track Cycling
International on Sundrive Road.
While the weather didn’t exactly play
ball, there was still plenty of action between the showers.
The men’s elite scratch race was halted
due to the weather with 12 riders - including world champion Sam Welsford - who
had formed a leading group with 13 laps to go subsequently restarting without
the rest of the field.
Welsford’s strength showed and he went
on to take the win from Oliver Wood and Matthew Walls.
A nasty crash then interrupted the
women’s madison, which resulted in a prolonged break while riders waited for
the drizzle to clear.
When racing resumed, Danish duo of
Amalie Dideriksen and Julie Leth took the victory ahead of Ireland’s Lydia Gurley
and Shannon McCurley.
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Michaela Drummond and Rushlee Buchanan (New Zealand) rounded out the podium in 3rd place.
In the men’s keirin, Jason Kenny,
showing his Olympian class, won the final in style ahead of Juan Peralta
Mohammad Shah.
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The women’s keirin heats saw Charlene Du
Preez, Elena Bissolati, Anis Amira Rosidi, Sophie Capewell, Robyn Stewart and
Emer McMullen power into the main final.
Capewell won in similarly convincing
form to Kenny, flying home in front of Bissolati with Stewart showing the Irish
jersey in third.
A hotly contested men’s madison was headed by another Danish pair, Lasse Norman Hansen and Niklas Larsen, who romped into top spot on the podium.
In the women’s points race, German rider Gudrun Stock lapped the bunch to take a dominant win ahead of Irish road race champion Alice Sharpe.
In the men’s points race Britain’s Ethan Hayter, who also lapped the pack and still had the strength to pip the bunch on the line.
His compatriots Oliver Wood and Matthew Walls rounded out the podium, placing 2nd and 3rd.
The last race of the day saw Dideriksen power to victory in the women’s scratch race, adding to her exploits in the madison.
In the junior men’s scratch race, Navan Cycling Club’s Sean Nolan and Sean Linehan took a 1-2 with Ciaran Dixon 3rd. Eva Brennan took the junior women’s scratch race from Hannah Tilly.
Sunday brings more elite track action from Sundrive, including the omnium and sprint competitions.
Stephen McMahon photos, Dublin International
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