Track World Championships - Day 3

Gregory Bauge didn’t even look like he was breaking a sweat, as he eased passed Jason Kenny, to take his third consecutive Individual Sprint World Championship.

Men’s Individual Sprint

Bauge went fourth in qualifying and was drawn against fellow Frenchman Mickael Bourgain, who had set the fastest time. Bourgain put up a solid fight in the first heat, but was eventually overpowered by Bauge, on the final straight. The second heat was more of a foregone conclusion, as the elder rider ramped up the speed. In the other semi-final, Jason Kenny continued in his ascendency, as he confidently beat Sir Chris Hoy in two. Bauge went on to face Kenny in the final and despite the Brit’s best efforts the Frenchman toppled him in two. Hoy managed to salvage some pride, by taking the bronze medal, but he was forced to go to the decider.

Koichi Nakano a Cycling Legend: The Greatest Track Sprinter

Over recent years Japanese track cycling has struggled against some of the better funded nations like Australia and Great Britain. This wasn’t the case back in the ‘70s and ‘80s when Japan was the proud home of one of the top track cyclists in the sport’s history.

Koichi Nakano was born in Fukuoka, Japan in 1955 and remains the only rider to win sprint gold at the world championships 10 times in a row. He is also the only Japanese rider to have ever won gold in the sprint competition. Known as the “de laatste Keizer” (the last emperor), he was one of the most successful on the Japanese Kerin circuit, but never won a world championship as it was introduced toward the end of his reign. He was coached by Bill Long, who was one of Australia’s top cyclists and journalists.

European Track Championships - Chris Hoy Suffers Shock Defeat in Sprint

Multiple world and Olympic champion Chris Hoy had a day to forget in the Saturday morning session at the European Cycling Championships in Pruszkow on November 5th.

Hoy made it through qualifying with the only sub-10 second time in the men’s individual sprint and you would have bet your house he would take the top spot eventually. However, it all went wrong in the second round when he was pitted against the man with the slowest time from qualification 18-year-old Felix English from Ireland.

French Dominate the Sprint
The Scot was forced to change disciplines when his event was removed from the Olympic programme and since then he has dominated sprinting and won gold in Beijing two years ago. Small errors have been the bane of Hoy’s challenge in the inaugural European Championships. France’s Kevin Sireau was the man on form making it through each round with ease and beat, Great Britain’s other big hope in the sprint, Jason Kenny.