A better start to the tournament was hardly possible. Gold for Kirsten Wild at the point’s race.
The final few hundred meters by Kirsten Wild on Friday evening were both exciting and impressive. She knew that she had to finish in front of Great Britain’s Dani King so Wild opted for a very long sprint. She succeeded and took her first big title on the track. When Kirsten Wild made her debut two years ago, she won bronze at the omnium. Her point’s race was worth a title but the UEC regulations decide that the event is not an official championship. Nevertheless Kirsten was on the podium, with a jersey and a medal. She was rightfully happy with her achievement. “Title or no official title, this is really cool,” the Argos-Shimano rider said.
To have a chance to win the event she opted for the tactics that would save her energy, hoping it would give her a little boost to go for a lap. There was no opportunity to take a lap so Wild decided to sprint for the points. A national record does not result in a a medal but fast times do. Therefore the national team pursuit coach had a smile on his face this Friday. His boys got to step on the podium. Tim Veldt, Dion Beukeboom, Roy Eefting and Jenning Huizenga didn’t only exceed their own expectations but also those of the audience by winning the bronze medal.
In the women’s team sprint Dutch duo Elis Ligtlee and Shanne Braspenninckx got to ride the 3/4 final too. They had to compete against Becky James and Jess Varnish. The youngsters from Holland managed to ride a 34,235 but it wasn’t enough. The British duo rode to bronze with their 33,771. After a short moment of disappointment, Els and Shanne were smiling again. After all they did succeed in their goald and that was a place in the top 4.
