Alina Lysenko‘s amazing run of form continued on the second evening of Track Champions League action in Apeldoorn, with Harrie Lavreysen and Matthew Richardson sharing the spoils in the men’s competition.
Lysenko, riding as an Individual Neutral Athlete, became the first rider in TCL history to win five events in a row, with victory once again in both the sprint and keirin.
They tried everything to stop her in the keirin final. Ellesse Andrews didn’t like her position near the back of the line, claiming the front of the race, towing Mathilde Gros behind her. With Lysenko back in fourth, Gros tried going early. When Lysenko made her move, Steffie van der Peet jumped on her wheel and hoped for glory in the home straight.
But it was all to no avail. At the line, it was Lysenko by a bike length once again. And it was never really in doubt.
The series now goes to London for its customary double-header at the 2012 OIympic track at Lee Valley. Lysenko arrives with a 29 point lead – in a competition with only 20 points for an event win. She could conceivably have it all sewn up with a full evening to go.
It was another disappointing night for Emma Finucane. Several times now, we have seen riders make naive mistakes in the unfamiliar setting of a three-up. This time, with Finucane watching Alla Biletska behind her, Miriam Vece found herself out front with too big a lead to ignore – so she kicked before the first lap was finished, and held on to knock out the Welsh world champion in the first round.
And Finucane again failed to make the keirin final, unable to get past Vece and Daniela Gaxiola as they tussled for second behind Gros. Her TCL isn’t over by any means: she sits fifth in the overall standings, after her strong performance in Paris, but she will be glad to be leaving Apeldoorn.
In the men’s sprint competition, having avoided each other the night before, we got a double helping of the Harrie Lavreysen-Matthew Richardson rivalry. The Dutchman read his Australian British opponent beautifully in the sprint final, defending the front and neutralising Richo’s inevitable attack at the bell. Richardson found himself stuck on the hip into corner three, and sat up into the home straight.
But he wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. In the keirin final, Lavreysen was drawn at the back. He followed Leigh Hoffman to the front with two laps remaining, maybe earlier than he would have wanted? – so he slotted in behind the Australian, into a gap ahead of his British rival. But Richardson attacked into the final lap, getting around Lavreysen into corner one, and powering on to an impressive win.
Lavreysen will take a lead of just five points to Lee Valley – but Richardson will look forward to having the noisy London crowd on his side for the first time.
