After a fine beginning to the 2019 UCI track cycling world championships in Pruszków, Poland, on Wednesday, Team Canada experienced some disappointment on Thursday as medals eluded both team pursuit squads.
The day started with the first round of the men’s keirin. Team Canada had two fellows following the derny: Joel Archambault and Hugo Barrette, who latter of whom came second in the event in this year’s World Cup. Neither Archambault in Heat 3 nor Barrette in Heat 4 were in the top two placings, so they entered the repechage. But that was no route for the duo to advance either.
Lauriane Genest was Team Canada’s entrant in the women’s individual sprint. In the flying 200, she posted the 12th fastest time, which put her up against Tania Calvo Barbero of Spain in the 1/16 final. The Spaniard prevailed.
A perennial powerhouse, Canada’s women’s team pursuit squad was thrown up against Belgium in the first round after qualifying with the fifth fastest time on Wednesday. Allison Beveridge, Ariane Bonhomme, Annie Foreman-Mackey and Georgia Simmerling threw down the third fastest time of the round while beating the Belgians soundly. The bronze medal match would be against the Kiwis.
New Zealand led the Canadians throughout the four-kilometres. It’s been three consecutive years without a world championships medal for the women’s team pursuit program after medals from 2012 to 2016.
Men’s team pursuit medal races were next. On Wednesday Canada had powered its way into the bronze medal match against Denmark. The outfit had earned two medals in this season’s World Cup, taking great strides over the last two years.
It was tough going for Michael Foley, Derek Gee, Adam Jamieson and Jay Lamoureux, who found themselves three-seconds behind after two-kilometers. Denmark won by nearly five-seconds. In the gold medal match, Australia beat the Brits.
Friday sees Beveridge contest the omnium–she was World Cup runner-up this season.
