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U.S. women win Team Pursuit title for fourth time in five years

  • Ron 

The second day of the 2020 UCI Track Cycling Worlds Championships saw Team USA win their fourth world championship title in the Women’s Team Pursuit in the last five years. The team of Jennifer Valente (San Diego; Sho-Air TWENTY20), Chloe Dygert (Brownsburg, Ind.; Sho-Air TWENTY20), Lily Williams (Asheville, N.C.; Rally UHC Pro Cycling), and Emma White (Duanseburg, N.Y.; Rally UHC Pro Cycling) would stop the clock on their final ride at 4 minutes and 11.235 seconds, 1.894 seconds faster than Great Britain.

Having qualified first yesterday, the team pursuit squad began the evening session racing against New Zealand in the final heat of the Women’s Team Pursuit Semifinals. They stopped the clock at 4:11.634, 2.249 seconds ahead of the Kiwis.

“I’m proud of what this team accomplished tonight.”, said Gary Sutton, USA Cycling’s Head Coach, Women’s Track Endurance. “They pulled together and rode really well, like I knew they could. This is the starting point for Tokyo and our plan is to only go up from here.”

The team pursuit program has been solid all of the 2019-2020 UCI Track World Cup season, winning the first World Cup in Minsk, BLR, and the last World Cup in Milton, ONT, CAN as well as earning fourth at the World Cup in Brisbane, AUS.

Adrian Hegyvary (Asheville, N.C.; Texas Roadhouse Cycling Team) took to the track for the Men’s Scratch Race. He would start the race conserving energy and watching other riders make moves, and tested the waters himself to see other riders’ reactions. With one third of the race remaining Hegyvary made his move going off the front of the main field. He worked with a group of eight other riders to bridge across and take a lap with one lap remaining, ensuring him a top placing. Three of the riders from the break would drive right through the field, while Hegyvary, Matthew Walls of GBR, and Roy Effting of NED would decide places four through six by a bike throw.

Earlier in the day Madalyn Godby (Lousiville, Colo.) and Mandy Marquardt (Allentown, Penn.; Team Novo Nordisk) contested the Women’s Sprints. Godby would ride first in the seventh heat. She would stop the clock at 10.855 seconds, her best time at sea-level this season. Marquardt rode in the 21st heat, and finished in a time of 10.989 seconds. Ultimately Godby would qualify in 25th position and advance out to the first round of competition. She would ride against Laurin van Reissen of NED, who qualified eighth, in her first ride, and would ultimately be knocked out of competition.

Tomorrow Valente takes on her signature event with the Women’s Omnium, to see if she can replicate her success at the last World Cup and take home a rainbow jersey.  Ashton Lambie (Lincoln, Neb.) races the Men’s Individual Pursuit, where he was the world recorder holder for over a year. Daniel Holloway (Boulder, Colo.; Texas Roadhouse Cycling Team) will take on the Men’s Points Race in the evening session.

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