Track Cycling World Cup 2012: Day 2 - The World Records Tumble

With the Olympics only five months away, the Olympic Velodrome was set alight with World Records.

All the riders were eager to show their form, at the test event, and it was Australia and Great Britain leading the way. Australia were the first team to win gold, when Melissa Hoskins went with 2km to go in the women’s scratch race. Hoskins managed to leave the rest of the field behind and take a great solo victory.

Women’s Team Sprint

Great Britain were next up and have changed their Women’s Team Sprint line-up, since the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, but they are no less a force to be reckoned with. Jess Varnish has been solely focused on training for the opening lap and it showed when she set a British record in the heats. All the pressure was put on the five time Individual Sprint champion, Victoria Pendleton, to fight back.

Track World Championships - Day 4

Anna Meares finally broke her duck, in the women’s individual sprint, and dethroned Victoria Pendleton in Apeldoorn.

Women’s Individual Pursuit

Meares has been the bridesmaid, in this event, on several occasions, despite winning six other rainbow jerseys. The Aussie met Pendleton in the semi-final, who forced it to a decider, after capitalising on Meares’ hesitancy, in the second heat. After dispatching the five-time World and Olympic Champion, she went on to meet Simona Krupeckaite, in the final. The Lithuanian was a much easier target and she was beaten in only two races. Her success, in this event, has had to come at a price; the Aussie gave up the 500m sprint, to allow her to focus the pursuit. Pendleton went on to claim the bronze, in emphatic style, after toppling Olga Panarina, in two heats.