The racing has been fiercely contested at the World Championships in Holland. But Ireland's efforts were not helped by a series of unfortunate mishaps on the penultimate day. Riding in the madison, Lydia Gurley and Lydia Boylan had more than their opponents to contend with.
Lydia Boylan and Lydia Gurley suffer bad luck at Worlds
European Championships medal winners Lydia Boylan and Lydia Gurley have finished 9th in the madison at the World Track Championships.
On the penultimate day of the meeting, Felix English was also in action for Ireland. He took 19th in the omnium in Apeldoorn, Holland.
Having taken silver in the omnium at the Euros last year, Gurley and Boylan now race with expectations on their shoulders.
However, the rub of the green wasn’t with them yesterday; a tough race complicated by mishaps.
And when a group of fiver riders gained a lap, the battle was suddenly all uphill.
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“It was unfortunate we missed that first move as we could have been in the top five,” said Gurley of that important early escape.
“It was not a power issue missing out, it just started so quick. After missing that move we minimised damage and were in the mix.”
Boylan said while she and her race part were determined, their luck was not in.
“We kept fighting after they got the lap,” she said. “But I unclipped during a change and crashed down.
“Then I got a front wheel puncture which wasn’t ideal. But we managed to keep fighting to the end.”
Felix English in action in the omnium; he finished down the field and far below what he's capable of.
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Gurley added they coped as best they could with the situation. “There were a few unfortunate, unforeseen things, but it was a better result than last year,” she said.
“And we did the best we could do. But you always want to do better.
“Tonight, there were 17 teams competing – that’s 34 riders on the track. In a lot of the smaller events that we do there are maybe 12 teams. That adds another element to it.
“The Worlds is always a step up. It’s always the hardest race of the year. Everybody brings their A game.”
Today, Sunday, the last of the Irish are in action. Gurley is one of them; in the points race.
“I want to give it a good go. It’s a nice long race, it suits my fitness. I want to go out there and do the best race I can do.”
Irish riders for final day
For his part, Felix English saved the best to last in lapping the field to gain 20 points in the points race final event.
But he ended the four races in a disappointing 19th place; far off what he is capable of.
He was 16th in the scratch Race, 17th in the tempo and 22nd in the elimination race.
Polish rider Szymon Sajnok won gold from Holland’s Jan van Schip and Simone Consonni of Italy.
In the madison, Team GB’s Katie Archbald and Emily Nelson won the gold. Silver went to Kirsten Wild and Amy Pieters of Holland. Italians Letizia Paternoster and Maria Giulia Confalonieri won bronze.
Today as well as Gurley in points race action, English contests the madison with Mark Downey.
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