Great Britain’s women’s team sprint trio landed a silver medal at the UCI Track World Championships on Wednesday, but were left with the feeling it could have been more, after Sophie Capewell’s saddle snapped in the final.
The team, which also included Rhianna Parris-Smith and Emma Finucane, led fellow finalists China after the first of three laps, before Capewell took her turn and the trio fell behind, missing out on gold by less than four tenths of a second.
Capewell revealed afterwards that she suffered a mechanical issue, and struggled to stay upright on her bike.
“[It was] a disappointing final. It wasn’t our best ride. My saddle snapped halfway through my lap, so as you can imagine it was quite difficult staying up and finishing off my turn,” the 28-year-old Olympic champion said.
“[I] still put in a good ride considering, but there was a lot more in there, and it would have been really interesting to see what we could have put up in that final.”
Tong Mengqi, Yuan Liying and Jiang Yulu earned China’s first world title in the event since 2015 with a time of 45.578 seconds.
Despite her saddle snap, Capewell praised her opponents, saying they “came out swinging” inside their home velodrome in Shanghai.
“That wasn’t the finished product for us. We’re actually a fairly new team put together. Me and Emma have ridden a lot, and I had the privilege of riding with Rhianna at the start of the year at Euros, but we’re not a well drilled team,” said Capewell, who won Olympic gold in the event with a world-record ride alongside Finucane in 2024.
“To turn up today and get a silver medal is something I’m super proud of,” she said. “At the start of Olympic quali[fication], a silver medal’s not too bad, and leaves us hungry for more.”
Germany claimed bronze to round out the podium.
In the men’s team sprint, the Olympic champions, the Netherlands – made up of Roy van den Berg, Harrie Lavreysen and Jeffrey Hoogland – claimed their eighth title in nine years with a time of 41.954 seconds in the final.
Australia were the last team to beat the Dutch, doing so in 2022, and took silver in Shanghai, having led the first two laps of the final, before Hoogland overhauled the deficit in the last lap to win by more than half a second. China sealed the bronze medal.
Great Britain's men’s team sprint trio, silver medallists last year, placed 6th this time round. The team was without the double European champion Matthew Richardson, who was withdrawn from the squad on Monday amid reports of serious misconduct.
According to The Times, the 27-year-old is under investigation for discriminatory posts and behaviour. Richardson responded to allegations in a statement on Tuesday afternoon, vowing to “co-operate fully” and with “contrition for the feelings of anyone who might be affected”.
The first rainbow jersey of this year’s Track World Championships went to Lorena Wiebes, the now three-time scratch race champion in as many years. The Dutchwoman attacked off the front of the pack inside two laps to go, and was chased by Lara Gillespie (Ireland), who couldn’t find the speed to pip her on the line.
“It’s quite crazy,” said Wiebes, who represents SD Worx-Protime on the road. “Of course, you always go for the win, but it’s always harder and harder to repeat it.”
Denmark will face Italy in the final of the men’s team pursuit on Thursday. Great Britain qualified for the bronze medal ride-off against France.
The British women’s team pursuit squad qualified first on Wednesday, with the first round and finals to follow on Thursday.