Lara Gillespie has struck gold for a second time at the European Track Championships in Portugal. The Irish rider dominated the omnium yesterday, claiming gold just 24 hours after winning the points race title.
It is the third European title of her career and now the young Wicklow woman has cemented her place in the history of the sport as Ireland's most decorated rider at U23 and junior level.
Before these championships she had already won five medals at the Europeans as a junior and one at the Worlds, also in the junior category. Her last medal came at the Europeans two years ago, taking silver in the U23 pursuit. Immediately after that she suffered the year from hell with illness and injury.
But all that is clearly now behind her and having ridden really strongly on the road in her first season for UAE Development Team this year, she has now become a double European champion.
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In Anadia yesterday she faced four events; scratch race, tempo race, elimination race, points race. Her start - 10th in the scratch race - didn't mark her out as the champion in waiting, though she soon found her groove.
Gillespie dominated the tempo race, attacking from the start with another rider. With a point on offer for the first rider across the line every lap, Gillespie bagged nine points before catching the bunch and gaining 20 points for lapping the field, sealing victory.
She triumphed again in the elimination race, moving up to 3rd overall, with just the points race remaining.Gillespie took 24 points in the points race, enough to finish with 126 points - eight points clear of her nearest challenger.
More to follow.
