GB smash women's pursuit world record

Reuters - Sun, 01 Nov 18:06:00 2009

Britain underlined their dominance of track cycling when the women's pursuit team set a world record and the men's quartet posted the second-fastest time in the Manchester round of the World Cup.

Britain's Elizabeth Armitstead, left, leads Joanna Rowsel, center, and Wendy Houvenaghel to a world record breaking gold medal in the Women's Team Pursuit in Manchetser, AP - 0

The British team of Joanna Rowsell, Wendy Houvenaghel and Lizzie Armistead (pictured) beat Germany in the 3,000 final of the first round of the World Cup in a time of three minutes and 21.875 seconds.

That beat the 3.22.415s set by Rowsell, Houvenaghel and Rebecca Romero for Britain in last year's World Championships on the same track.

The record had extra resonance as the event looks likely to be added to the Olympic programme in 2012 after the IOC and UCI agreed a provisional plan to increase the number of women's events while cutting some of the men's.

"As a team we've really come together and to pull a time out like that is really special," said Armistead, who won the points race just a few minutes before the pursuit final.

In the men's 4,000m final Britain caught Spain just after the halfway point and kept going to record a time of 3:54.395s, a time bettered only by the British quartet who won gold at the Beijing Olympics in 3:53.14s.

"We knew we were on good form and wanted to get a track record but we were just floating out there," said Geraint Thomas.

Reuters

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  1. PJ isn't off his meds. He is not restrained in a­ straitjacket at the moment and someone has given him­ computer access again.

    I didn't realize that Spam­ could be classified as a drug, but it is PJ's drug.

    From John T, on Wed 4 Nov 2:47PM

  2. I see you've stopped your medication again Peter.

    From terrytrudgian, on Tue 3 Nov 6:36PM

  3. We're invincible on the track.

    We're damn good­ on the road.

    Women's cycling almost always offers­ a better spectacle than the mens.

    Come on Eurosport,­ lets have more Women's Cycling on the telly, so we­ can get away from the EPO fuelled ego-fest that is the­ men's sport.

    From Thomas, on Mon 2 Nov 3:24AM

  4. Huge congratulations on your world record­ ladies!!
    Maybe some others can also recognise your­ fantastic effort?

    From Ian, on Sun 1 Nov 7:40PM
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