Britain top medal table at European Track Cycling Championships ahead of Paris 2024
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Britain's Josie Knight celebrates winning gold after competing in the Women's Individual Pursuit finals race at the Omnisport indoor arena in Apeldoorn.
PHOTO: AFP
APELDOORN – Britain’s track cyclists sounded a warning ahead of the Olympics, as Josie Knight claimed the nation’s sixth gold on the final day of racing at the European Championships on Jan 14.
The 26-year-old won the individual pursuit title with teammate Anna Morris taking the bronze behind Germany’s Franziska Brausse, as Britain topped the medal standings with six golds, six silvers and two bronzes.
The 14-medal haul is their highest at the European Championships and it augurs well ahead of the July 26-Aug 11 Paris Games.
Germany were second with three golds, three silvers and three bronzes, with hosts Netherlands (3-1-2) third.
“I’m over the moon to be honest. It’s my first gold medal of the championships, but it’s also my first international championship title as an individual and that’s really, really special,” said Knight, part of Britain’s team pursuit squad.
“It’s really special to win on my own for once.”
While Britain topped the medal table, flying Dutchman Harrie Lavreysen ended as the competition’s standout performer. He capped a sensational few days on home boards in Apeldoorn by winning the men’s keirin gold, adding to the golds he won in individual and team sprints.
Germany’s Lea Friedrich won the women’s keirin title, edging out Britain’s Emma Finucane, who ended the championships with three medals including gold in the sprint to add to the one she took at the 2023 world championships.
Finucane said: “I feel like the momentum has really carried on throughout the week. This is a record-breaking Europeans and I can really feel that and it’s exciting because we’re in 2024 and the Olympics are approaching, so I feel like this is really good momentum for GB.
“We’ll just carry on throughout the year and see what happens, but it’s been really special that I can play a part in that.”
Britain have topped the track cycling medal table at the last four Olympics.
Meanwhile, the 2024 men’s road cycling season gets under way at the Tour Down Under this week in another preview ahead of Paris.
Belgian Remco Evenepoel and Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel are the favourites to succeed Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz as Olympic champion. This summer’s 273km road race will take in all the major sights of Paris and could be won or lost on the climb to Montmartre.
Van der Poel also looks favourite for the classics and monuments after a stunning year that delivered the world title as well as victory in the Paris-Roubaix.
But the 28-year-old will be expected to keep his temper in check after spitting at fans in a cyclo-cross event in December. REUTERS, AFP
