Lara Gillespie of Team Ireland has again put in a monster ride at the European Track Championships, this time in the points race, after her heroics of yesterday in the omnium when she just missed out on a medal.
The 22-year-old, a multiple U23 and junior European track champion, has again lost out on the bronze medal, just as she did in the points race which concluded the omnium on Friday night, in the very last action of the event.
In what is a 100-lap race, with ten sprints and points for the first four each time, Gillespie started like a rocket with 2nd in the opening two sprints.
The Irish woman then won the fourth sprint but, unfortunately, did not add to her tally of 11 points after that. And in the final act of the race, the finishing order went against her when there were double points on offer in the final sprint.
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With 22 laps to go this evening - and with Gillespie sitting 2nd - world champion Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) put in a big move in a bid to gain a lap. While she was failed in that regard, she was joined by six other riders, with Gillespie missing out.
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The group was away for the next sprint, won by defending European champion, Anita Stenberg of Norway. The leaders remained clear for the penultimate sprint, with 10 laps to go, with Irish rider Gillespie missing out again at that sprint point, won by Kopecky.
With 10 laps, and just one sprint remaining, Gillespie was still equal 3rd, on 11 points, with Polish rider, Wiktoria Pikulik. Then with five laps to go, Gillespie got up to the leaders in a group, ensuring she at least stayed in contention for a medal.
However, almost immediately Gillespie was back on, a four-rider group went clear, with all of the well-placed riders absent.
However, Czech veteran Jarmila Machačová was in the front group and when she won the final sprint for double - 10 - points, she moved ahead of Gillespie, who again finished 4th, for the third time at these Europeans. She was also 4th in the team pursuit and omnium.
This evening's points race was won by Kopecky on 24 points, with Stenberg taking silver, on 19 points. Machačová took bronze on 18 points, some seven points ahead of Gillespie.
