Jennifer Valente (USA) defended her Omnium title on the Paris Olympics, crushing the competitors with an completely dominant show throughout all 4 occasions.
The 29-year-old, world champion prior to now two years in addition to the reigning Olympic champion, eased to victory within the opening scratch race, stamped her authority within the tempo race, and was the final girl standing within the elimination race. Within the ultimate factors race issues opened up for a second when eight riders stole a lap half-way via, however Valente virtually instantly hit again with a lap of her personal, which successfully sealed the deal.
She calmly negotiated the closing laps to complete the occasion on 144 factors, 13 away from Poland’s Daria Pikulik, who was in tears as she realised she’d received a silver medal. Bronze went to an equally thrilled Ally Wollaston, who like Pikulik rode an aggressive factors race and was rewarded handsomely.
Britain’s Neah Evans additionally went out and raced it audaciously however had left herself with far an excessive amount of to do after a disappointing begin to the day. The 34-year-old crashed on the ultimate lap of the scratch race after which launched an extended solo assault within the tempo race that got here to nothing.
After being the eighth rider out within the elimination race, she wanted laps and miracles within the factors race, and whereas she did take one lap and got here near stealing one other on the finish, she completed the occasion down in fifteenth place on 52 factors.
Belgium’s Lotte Kopecky rode a robust elimination race and produced a late cost within the factors race however the double laps gained by Pikulik and Wollaston put the medals out of attain.
Valente in management from begin to end
The fashionable Omnium contains 4 occasions, all raced on the identical day, and Valente set out her stall from the beginning within the scratch race, primarily a bunch race with factors awarded on the end line on the finish of 30 laps. It was ca calm race, with France’s Valentine Fortin the one huge attacker, however to no avail. As he tempo ramped up going into the ultimate lap, Evans regarded to maneuver up however discovered herself sandwiched between Kopecky and Germany’s Franziska Brausse. The house tightened, bikes touched, and she or he was despatched to the deck.
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In the meantime, Valente was winding up her dash for the road to take the utmost 40 factors forward of Maggie Coles-Lyster and Georgia Baker (Australia).
The second race was the tempo race, the place factors are awarded each lap and 20 might be gained for lapping the sector. Eire’s Lara Gillespie stole an early march with a lap and would end the race on prime, however Valente was the one who was actually in cost. As Gillespie obtained again on, she attacked to kind a three-woman transfer with Baker and Pikulik. The trio labored collectively and, with lap-gain factors solely counting for the tempo race and never the general, they had been comfortable to actively keep away from lapping the sector to be able to dangle in entrance and hoover all the factors up every lap.
Valente was first throughout the end line to take her whole on the half-way mark to 78, with Baker on 70 and Coles-Lester on 60.
These three can be the ultimate trio standing within the elimination race, the place the final rider each different lap is hooked from the race. Pikulik was truly wrongfully taken out, inflicting a second of chaos because the officers neutralised the race to let her again in. Coles-Lyster had a reprieve when the officers couldn’t decide that she was final with eight left in it, and she or he fended off Kopecky to make it to the ultimate three earlier than bowing out subsequent. That left Valente and Baker, and if it wasn’t already clear sufficient, Valente surged away from the Australian to take the victory and a stronghold on the occasion.
Nonetheless, so much can change within the factors race, 80 laps of the observe with factors on provide each 10 laps, the distinction being the riders take their current total points-hauls in and play with them through the race. Valente added 5 factors to her assortment within the first dash, however after 4 sprints the race opened up, with Evans making it right into a four-woman assault with Pikulik that was quickly joined by one other quartet that includes Kopecky and Wollaston. The eight of them managed to come back round however as they had been doing so Valente launched a canny assault of her personal, linking up with Denmark’s Amalie Dideriksen to finish a fast lap achieve as the remainder of the bunch regathered itself.
Wollaston quickly went after it once more and gained one other lap on her personal to maneuver into silver medal place, however Pikulik quickly adopted swimsuit to interchange her, in one other assault triggered by Kopecky. However Valente was already within the strongest of positions and easily needed to maintain a watchful eye and an upright bike within the ultimate 10 laps.
Evans launched one other assault and whereas she couldn’t achieve a lap crossed the end line first, gathering the double factors on provide and successfully cementing the rostrum positions simply earlier than the remainder of the sector hit the road. Silver for the enterprising Pikulik and Wollaston, whereas Baker rode a quiet race and slipped to fifth, and Coles-Lyster toiled however slipped to ninth.
However the day belonged to Valente, who was in a league of her personal.
