Two-time Olympic gold medallist Joanna Rowsell Shand has announced her retirement from professional cycling at the age of 28.

Rowsell Shand won two Olympic gold medals as part of the women's team pursuit squad in London in 2012 and in Rio in 2016, as well as taking five World Championship titles between 2008 and 2014.

In an announcement on her website, Rowsell Shand described her decision to retire as "the hardest I've ever had to make, but now is the time to move on."

"I want to thank the amazing team at British Cycling; from the world class team behind the team who work tirelessly to ensure we have the best preparation for events, to the very first youth coaches who talent spotted me back when I was 15," Rowsell Shand continued.

"I couldn’t have done it without you! Thank you to all my team mates past and present, the cycling clubs and teams I have been a part of, my brilliant sponsors, the amazing fans for their fantastic encouragement, and to my family for their incredible support throughout my career."

As for the future, Rowsell Shand says that she will be setting up her own coaching company, as well as training for this summer's Etape du Tour, which at 178km will be her "longest bike ride ever".

Laura Trott, Katie Archibald, Joanna Rowsell-Shand and Elinor Barker won the women's team pursuit in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, seeing off a strong challenge from Team USA.

After both teams had already beaten the previous world record in the earlier rounds, a fast time was expected when it came to the gold winning ride.

"We knew a world record was on the cards but it almost felt unreal," said Trott not long after the finish.

"I looked up and was like 'no' even though we had already broken the record in training. I didn’t believe we were going to do a world record. I actually said to Kate, 'that was was possibly the easiest world record we’ve ever got'," she added.

Despite how the winning ride felt at the time, the British quartet have not had the easiest of Olympic cycles since London 2012.

“We had two years with the [world] title and two years without the title," Trott continued. "Those two years without it drove us to today. Those horrible years working for it really paid off.

"I’ve never been in a team that feels so seamless. You could tell everyone was giving 100% to get across that finish line," said the 24-year-old.

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Trott's teammate Archibald was still waiting for the reality of being Olympic Champion to hit home.

"[I'm] not totally sure what the right way to act is because you can’t believe this is all happening," she said of their victory.

"I expect we will sit down, calm down, and everything will start to hurt then it will sink in. For a long time during preparation I was expecting to live this story that I had seen on the television and you always put yourself in another character’s role but now I realise that’s actually your story," Archibald said.

Your guide to the team pursuit

Rowsell-Shand, no stranger to Olympic success, spoke of the team's tactics for the final, saying: “It is a bike race, so you have to ride to your own strategy. We aimed to ride the race at our own pace the whole way. Not sure how that worked out, but we came out with a gold, so that is all that matters."

The fourth member of the quartet summed up some of the sacrifices the team had had to make to be on top form for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, which had clearly all paid off.

“This is worth it. It pays off. This is for every time we didn’t go out, every time we ordered fish instead of pizza,” said Barker, who at just 21-years-old should feature in a fair few Olympics in the future.

Britain’s women’s team pursuiters delivered the goods in their final match against the USA, slashing two seconds off the world record - their third in three races - to take gold and defend their title at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

A close final had been expected after the two countries set times within one tenth of a second of each other in their round one races, but the British had clearly been holding something back. The race was close for the first kilometre, but the technique and horsepower in the British quartet soon started to show.

They slowly built up a lead through the second and third kilometres, and under pressure the Americans lost a rider before they’d completed 12 laps. At that point the race was as good as over.

Although the American team, the reigning world champions, clearly had the power they had always looked like they were on the limit.

A few gaps started to open up and, despite losing Joanna Rowsell-Shand, the Brits had all but won with two laps to go.

After a big turn Laura Trott let a gap open up in the final lap, but a last effort brought her over the line to deliver Britain’s third gold on the track in Rio.

>>> The all-time list of Britain’s most successful Olympic cyclists

After Sir Bradley Wiggins became Britain’s most decorated Olympian last night, Trott became Britain’s most successful female Olympian with three gold medals.

The tally puts her ahead of Dame Kelly Holmes, Victoria Pendleton and her TP teammate Rowsell-Shand. Trott is still just 24 years of age, and has chance of adding to that total in the omnium.

“You try not to think about that, but on the start line that was something I wanted to chase,” Trott admitted afterwards.

>>> Rio 2016 Olympic Games: Latest news, reports and info

“I definitely [thought the record was on], but I didn’t think we’d do it three times over. But Paul Manning set 4.10 for us way back when it became four kilometres.”

Result

Rio 2016 Olympic Games, women's team pursuit finals

4000m (16 laps)

1. Great Britain 4:10.236 [gold medal]

2. United States 4:12.454 [silver medal]

3. Canada 4:14.627 [bronze medal]

4. New Zealand 4:18.459

5. Australia 4:21.232

6. Italy 4:28.368

7. China

Britain’s women’s team pursuit quartet set a new world record to qualify fastest with a 4.13.260 minute ride at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Thursday.

The ride put them ahead of world champions USA with a one-second buffer, while the Australians - who suffered a serious crash in training just days ago - were in third almost six seconds slower.

The British quartet of Elinor Barker, Laura Trott, Joanna Rowsell-Shand and Katie Archibald rode a technically clean four kilometres while the Americans, who are likely to be their main rivals for the title, looked fast but ragged.

>>> Rio 2016 Olympic Games: Latest news, reports and info

World champions USA will be closer to the Brits in tomorrow’s rounds if they can clean up their changes and perhaps start a little slower. They were almost 1.5 seconds up on the Brits after less than a kilometre, but their speed dropped off rapidly when they lost a rider in the final kilometre.

The world record, set in not particularly fast conditions on a brand new track, came just minutes after the British team sprint trio set an Olympic record to qualify fastest in their event.

A 4.13 minute ride is three seconds faster than Great Britain’s best, set in London in March.

Round one and then the medal finals will take place on Friday.

All you need to know about the team pursuit

Women's team pursuit qualifying result

1. Great Britain 4-13.260 [World record, Olympic record]

2. USA 4-14.286

3. Australia 4-19.059

4. Canada 4-19.599

5. New Zealand 4-20.061

6. China 4-25.246

7. Italy 4-25.543

8. Poland 4-28.988

9. Germany 4-30.068 [did not qualify]

Laura Trott, Joanna Rowsell-Shand, Becky James and Katy Marchant were among the cyclists to pick up their kit for the Olympic Games this week, as they prepare to set off for Rio de Janeiro.

The riders undertook a personal shopping experience through the swathes of different items of apparel on offer at the NEC in Birmingham before posing for some creative photographs.

Trott posed on a bicycle made up of rolled-up clothes and shoes, while sprinters James and Marchant lay among some of their kit grinning at the camera.

The kit, designed by Adidas and Stella McCartney, was revealed in April, sporting a Union Jack and a unique coat of arms.

Not all of the cyclists in the Team GB squad were present to collect their kit on Wednesday, with Sir Bradley Wiggins and the men's endurance team on a training camp and Mark Cavendish still competing at the Tour de France.

Trott will be looking to win her third Olympic gold in Rio, having won the team pursuit (with Rowsell-Shand) and omnium titles in London, while James, who missed 2012 through injury, will hope to build on her keirin bronze from the 2016 World Championships.

Sir Bradley Wiggins, Laura Trott and Joanna Rowsell Shand headline the Great Britain squad for the first round of the UCI Track World Cup in Cali, Colombia, this weekend.

Ten of the 17 riders named in the squad returned from the recent European Track Championships with a medal, as Britain topped the standings in Grenchen, Switzerland.

Wiggins retains his place in the team pursuit squad that won gold in Grenchen, with Owain Doull, Andy Tennant, Jon Dibben and Steven Burke alongside him, while Trott, Rowsell Shand, Ciara Horne, Katie Archibald and Elinor Barker make up the women's endurance team.

Both the men's and women's sprint squads failed to impress at the Europeans, with the riders coming home empty handed. With just 10 months to go before the Olympic Games, the likes of Jason Kenny, Philip Hindes and Jess Varnish will be looking to up their games in Cali.

Great Britain squad for UCI Track World Cup in Cali

Men's endurance: Steven Burke, Jon Dibben, Owain Doull, Andy Tennant, Sir Bradley Wiggins

Men's sprint: Matt Crampton, Philip Hindes, Jason Kenny, Lewis Oliva

Women's endurance: Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker, Ciara Horne, Joanna Rowsell Shand, Laura Trott

Women's sprint: Katy Marchant, Jess Varnish, Vicky Williamson

Great Britain's team pursuiters continued their dominant display at the European Track Championships in Grenchen, Swizterland, on Thursday with both the men's and women's teams coming away with gold.

Sir Bradley Wiggins punched the air with delight after he, Andy Tennant, Jon Dibben and Owain Doull roundly beat the Swiss quartet to take the European title.

In the process, they set a fast time of 3-55.243 over the four kilometres to send out a warning shot to their Olympic rivals that they are already in great form as the Rio 2016 Games rapidly approach.

Switzerland settled for silver, with Denmark having earlier beaten a ragged-performing France to take the bronze medal.

Laura Trott, Joanna Rowsell Shand, Katie Archibald and Elinor Barker scored GB's first gold of the championships earlier in the evening by obliterating the Russian team, catching them at around the half-way point.

The British team then continued on despite the catch to set a quick time of 4-17.010. Belarus beat Poland to claim women's team pursuit bronze.

Both British squads look to be at their best and functioning as well-drilled units. The tactic of riders taking longer turns on the front, and then dropping a rider to finish with three appears to be working.

Also noteworthy is that both men's and women's teams swapped riders in and out of their line-ups through the qualification and rounds, showing that they do not have a lack of talent at their disposal.

>>> Hoy: British track riders can score morale points at European Championships

It will be interesting to see how the teams perform against stiffer international opposition - notably from Australia and New Zealand - during the forthcoming UCI Track World Cup rounds and World Championships.

There was little joy for Britain's team sprinters, however, as both the men's and women's squads placed fifth in qualifying to miss out on riding in the medal finals.

Great Britain dominated the opening team pursuit qualifying rounds at the European Track Championship in Grenchen, Switzerland, on Wednesday. Both GB's male and female quartets clocked the fastest times by a clear margin over their nearest rivals.

Sir Bradley Wiggins, Steven Burke, Owain Doull and Andy Tennant set a time of 3-57.277 to average 60.688 km/h and go comfortably under the four-minute mark. The team will face Russia in the championship's first proper day of competition tomorrow (Thursday) as they seek to gain a place in the gold medal final.

Switzerland were the only other team to post a sub-four-minute time, going second fastest with 3-59.026. France were third with 4-00.735.

"We didn't really know what to expect coming in because we've been doing a lot of training into it," Doull commented to British Cycling.

"That was the aim to do something around that time and have a nice smooth consistent ride. Yeah pretty successful."

>>> Where to watch the European Track Championships

It's the first clear indication that Wiggins has slotted into the GB line-up with ease, complementing Burke, Doull and Tennant. At this point, the performance looks on target for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

Also on target were the British women's quartet of Laura Trott, Elinor Barker, Ciara Horne and Joanna Rowsell Shand, who were clearly in a league of their own.

The squad posted a time of 4-21.089, some nine and a half seconds quicker than second-placed Russia. Italy qualified third fastest.

>> Hoy: British track riders can score morale points at European Championships

GB's women will face Poland on Thursday in the first round, which also includes the team sprint, men's scratch race and women's point race.

The 2015 European Track Championships run until Sunday, October 18.

Dame Sarah Storey and Joanna Rowsell are just two of over 100 of the UK's best female riders to be taking part in the Tour de Yorkshire's women's race on May 2 in York.

The pair, who both race for Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International, are joined by fellow Great Britain track rider Katie Archibald.

With the race open to Elite down to Cat. 3 riders, the mix of participants will give some younger riders the chance to race alongside Olympians and Paralympians like Storey and Rowsell.

Riders will complete four laps of a 20km circuit around the city of York starting at 11am, just hours before the men’s race finishes in the same location. The race will start at 10.30 am, instead of the original 11am start.

Matrix Fitness feature two riders from Yorkshire in their lineup, with Jessie Walker and Penny Rowson set to race, while Grace Garner and Nicola Juniper will ride for the Giordana Triton Team.

Cycling Weekly will also be represented at the race, with Louise Mahe riding for Ikon-Mazda.

Erick Rowsell (Madison Genesis) and Dani King (Wiggle Honda) were worthy winners at the Tour of the Reservoir two-day in Northumberland, but for differing reasons.

For King, her win in stage one and subsequently the overall victory was her first after five months out following a crash which left her with a collapsed lung and broken ribs.

And for Erick Rowsell his victory came after appalling weather conditions failed to stop his Madison Genesis team-mates from successfully defending his day one lead.

For Rowsell, 24 and from Shrewsbury, his victory on Saturday came after he was part of a six-rider break, but attacked alone with just a few miles left and time trialled his way to victory.

Meanwhile, in the women’s race, Saturday saw King take a jubilant victory ahead of Katie Archibald (Pearl Izumi).

The following day, and the weather had taken a turn for the worse. The women’s race began in heavy rain and a chilling wind, which by the end had turned to snow and left many riders suffering from extreme cold.

Emulating her brother the previous day, Joanna Rowsell (Pearl Izumi) took the win, while King did enough to hold on to her lead and secure the overall win. But she was left close to hypothermia and unable to speak as she headed to a podium full of riders adorned with foil capes and fleeces as they tried to get some feeling back in their bodies.

Such was the weather that the course for the men’s race was shortened and switched to avoid areas covered by snow, slush and standing water. Instead of the planned 112-mile race on a circuit to the south of Derwent Water, they tackled a 72-mile course using six laps of the anti-clockwise circuit around the reservoir.

The cold did nothing to deter attacks, but despite several strong attempts to get clear Rowsell’s Madison Genesis team-mates marshalled every attack and chased down the breaks to get their man to the finish with his leader’s jersey intact.

Marcin Bialoblocki (One Pro Cycling) took the stage win, but Rowsell had enough time in the tank to secure the overall victory and boost his Elite Road Series tally.

“I’m very happy,” said stage two winner Bialoblocki. “My form was very good and I was a bit unlucky at the start of the season, but the boys in the team have done a great job for me, they’re fantastic and helped me win.”

“It was a tough stage with the weather,” said overall Tour of the Reservoir winner Erick Rowsell. “But we managed to keep the GC which was the main thing, and to pick up second on the stage was great too.”

British Cycling technical director Shane Sutton admits he is disappointed with Joanna Rowsell’s performance at the UCI Track World Championships.

Rowsell went into the competition as the reigning team and individual pursuit champion, but came away from Paris with only a silver medal in the team pursuit.

Sutton told Sky Sports News HQ that several members of the squad seemed to lack the ‘hunger’ to win at the Worlds, and said Rowsell performed below her normal standards.

“I’m not going to hide behind the fact that we didn’t perform on the medal table as well as we would have liked, but there were a lot of good individual performances,” Sutton said.

“Time has moved on and going in I stated I was looking for attitude and progression and no disrespect to Jo, but Jo Rowsell wasn’t on her game at this World Championships.

“I’m about to go and meet Jo now and she didn’t perform at the level she would normally set herself to perform. That’s disappointing from her point of view and ours so we are going to discuss that.”

After the championships, Sutton said there is no need to worry about Britain’s Olympic medal chances just yet, but failure to win a single gold for the first time since 2001 is surely a cause for concern.

“We just need to galvanise and it is a hunger-meter,” he said. “Where is the hunger in these guys? We need to know where it’s at for them and if you’re not hungry enough then there is no point in turning up. We have got to get that back.”

Rowsell told Cycling Weekly in Paris that she wasn't at the peak of her form, saying she peaked too soon on a training camp.

“This winter has not gone as well as last winter,” she said. “I've sort of been playing catch-up a bit. We had a training camp in Tenerife before Christmas and then in Majorca after Christmas.

“Both went brilliantly and if anything I think I peaked in Majorca. I was setting PBs left right and centre, getting up Sa Calobra four minutes quicker than in previous years.

“You can't get it right every time. Since then I've been struggling to hang on to that form.”

Joanna Rowsell has revealed she is interested in attacking the women’s Hour Record after the 2016 Olympics.

The double world champion told skysports.com that seeing her friend Dame Sarah Storey preparing for her attempt has roused her interest, and believes her pursuiting skills could transfer to a sustained hour-long effort.

But the 26-year-old insisted any attempt will not happen until after the Olympic Games, where she hopes to retain her team pursuit gold medal next year.

“It’s something that definitely interests me,” she said. “Definitely not before Rio, because up until then it’s all about going fast over 4km - simple as that. Post-Rio, it’s definitely something that interests me.”

>>> Five things we learned from Jack Bobridge’s Hour Record attempt

She added: “The sort of athlete that I am, if I train in that sort of area, I can be good at those sort of efforts. So never say never.”

Rowsell will be watching Storey’s attempt at the Revolution Series meeting on February 28, but having seen both Jack Bobridge and Rohan Dennis try for the record in recent weeks the Cheam cyclist is left with mixed feelings on the event.

“After I had seen Jack Bobridge’s one, I was like, ‘No, I’m never doing that’,” she said. “But Rohan Dennis looked like he could have done another hour. He looked fine after doing his. That looked easy.”

Great Britain's ever-reliable women's team pursuit squad led the way in the opening session of the London Track World Cup meeting today.

The quartet, comprised of reigning world champions in the discipline Katie Archibald, Laura Trott, Elinor Barker and birthday girl Joanna Rowsell produced a measured ride to set the fastest time in 4-23.406, a hundredth of a second faster than Australia. Largely riding one lap turns, they only went ahead of the Aussies' time with 225m of their four-kilometre ride remaining.

They will face USA in tonight's semi-final, who qualified fourth, nine seconds slower.

Their male counterparts posted a 4-02.373 to finish second, 1.8 seconds behind a rampant Australian team, who set a 4-00.577. The British quartet (which comprised Steven Burke, Ed Clancy, Owain Doull and man one Andy Tennant) will face Denmark in tonight's semi, with the winners progressing to the gold medal ride.

Britain's men's team sprint squad made an early exit from competition, as they finished seventh. Sprint coach Justin Grace admitted afterwards that the trio of Philip Hindes, Jason Kenny and Callum Skinner were hindered by illness that has swept through the entire British squad in the past month.

Jess Varnish - who still appeared to be struggling from illness - and Vicky Williamson missed out on progressing to the medal rides as they battled to fifth place in women's team sprint qualifying, seventh-tenths behind quickest team China.

Jannie Milena Salcedo (Colombia) took victory in the women's scratch after gaining a lap on the field alongside runner-up Lauren Stephens (USA). Laura Trott did not start the race as planned, opting to focus on the team pursuit finals and this weekend's omnium.

Track World Cup London, day one, day session
Women's Team Pursuit qualifying
1. Great Britain 4-23.406

2. Australia 4-23.498

3. Canada 4-28.208

4. USA 4-32.523

5. China 4-32.685

Men's Team Sprint qualifying
1. Germany 43.700

2. Team Jayco-AIS 43.832

3. New Zealand 43.839

4. France 43.907

5. Russia 44.360

Other

7. Great Britain 44.511

Men's Team Pursuit qualifying
1. Australia 4-00.577

2. Great Britain 4-02.373

3. Denmark 4-02.399

4. New Zealand 4-03.773

5. Netherlands 4-04.438

Women's Scratch final
1. Jannie Milena Salcedo (Colombia)

2. Lauren Stephens (USA)

3. Katarzyna Pawlowska (Pol) -1 lap

4. Laurie Berthon (Fra) -1 lap

5. Evgeniya Romanyuta (Rus) -1 lap

Women's Team Sprint qualifying
1. China 32.956

2. Germany 33.022

3. Jayco-AIS 33.130

4. Russia 33.336

5. Great Britain 33.622

Medals are not important to Shane Sutton this weekend at the London track World Cup – he’s just interested in his riders claiming vital Olympic qualification points.

In an interview with the Guardian’s William Fotheringham, Sutton put Great Britain’s relative failings in February’s World Championships down to an extended hangover from the success of the 2012 Olympics.

And as his riders prepare to return to the Lee Valley Velodrome for this weekend’s meet, British Cycling’s technical director admits he has to manage expectations for the weekend.

“The riders will want success in front of their home crowd but ultimately it’s about Olympic qualification, so it’s about securing points and if wins come on the back of that then fantastic,” Sutton said.

“Everyone is going to be living off what happened in London [in 2012] and the public will expect, but that’s part and parcel of elite sport. We were a force in London, and we want to be a force in Rio, but this is part of the pathway to get there.

“A lot of people are in heavy work still and this isn’t something we can taper for, given we want to go and have a successful Worlds. We can’t be at our optimum. There’s a lot of people doubting us after what happened in Colombia, but we can see a trend and we will be competitive across the board.”

Joanna Rowsell, double gold medalist at the Cali World Championships, is the only change to the British squad for London, having withdrawn from the last round of the World Cup to focus on her training.

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Great Britain's technical director says the 34-year-old's return to the team pursuit set-up can galvanise the entire track squad.

Individual Pursuit World Champion Joanna Rowsell has withdrawn from the first round of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup to focus on her longer term form.

Rowsell was due to travel with the rest of the Great Britain team to Mexico for the first round of the World Cup series, which starts on Friday, November 7, but has opted to stay and train in Britain.

The second round of the series takes place in London next month, where Rowsell is hoping to be performing at the "highest level".

British Cycling said: "Great Britain's Joanna Rowsell has withdrawn from the first round of the 2014/15 UCI Track Cycling World Cup series in Guadalajara to focus on conditioning training with the longer-term aim of performing at the highest level at the London round of the world cup series."

Rowsell's withdrawal means coach Chris Newton will have to alter his Women's Team pursuit line-up of Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker, Joanna Rowsell and Laura Trott that beat Russia in October's Track European Championship final.

Fellow team pursuiter Laura Trott faces a tough weekend of racing in Mexico with both the women's omnium and team pursuit taking place on Saturday, November 8.

Here's the revised Great Britain Team for the first round of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup:

Men's sprint: Matt Crampton, Phil Hindes, Jason Kenny, Callum Skinner.

Women's sprint: Danni Khan, Jess Varnish, Vicky Williamson.

Men's endurance: Steve Burke, Mark Christian, Ed Clancy, Jon Dibben, Andy Tennant.

Women's endurance: Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker, Ciara Horne, Laura Trott.

Wiggle-Honda will ride on at the inaugural Friends Life Women's Tour despite being hit by illness.

Olympic team pursuit champion Joanna Rowsell pulled out of the team's six-rider squad on Sunday, and double world road race champion Giorgia Bronzini admitted in Tuesday evening's press conference that she is also ill.

In a team press release, British time trial champion Rowsell said: “I have been ill with flu and having followed the doctor’s advice I have been withdrawn from the race.

“I am obviously very disappointed not to be riding as I had been really looking forward to being part of the event in it’s first year.”

Meanwhile Italian rider Bronzini, who took 17 of the team's 22 victories in their maiden 2013 season, declared that she is not feeling 100 per cent fit at the pre-race media call in Kettering.

“I'm excited to be here. My shape is not the best at the moment, as you can tell from my voice,” she said.

“But I'm here with my team, and we will try to put strongest team here. Our objective is to put one girl – maybe [Kiwi rider] Linda Villlumsen - in the GC and try to win some stages.”

Asked if Rowsell's non-participation would hurt the team, Bronzini added: “One British girl more would be nice for us. For sure she'd be excited to ride, but anyway she is sick.”

Australian Peta Mullens was the late replacement for Rowsell, while former German champion Charlotte Becker filled the slot vacated by British youngster Elinor Barker, who was initially named among Wiggle's six starters. It's unknown whether or not Barker's non-participation was down to illness.

Laura Trott and Dani King are scheduled to take today's stage one start in Oundle.

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Wiggle-Honda’s British track stars are set to begin their road season in earnest over the next few weeks and, unsurprisingly, the Women’s Tour is a huge target for the British registered team. The riders’ programmes were set at a recent team training camp in Northern Italy, where the entire team came together for the first time this year.

Whilst none of the Brits are likely to be involved in weekend’s Tour of Flanders, Laura Trott, Dani King, Amy Roberts and Elinor Barker are all scheduled to start the 113km, GP Dottingines in the Netherlands on Monday.

All four will then ride the five day Energiewacht Tour, before Joanna Rowsell returns for the last European World Cup race of the Spring at la Flèche Wallonne. The double track World Champion will be joined by Laura Trott and Dani King to test themselves against the fearsome slopes of the Mur de Huy on April 23rd.

Team manager, Rochelle Gilmore, believes the three Olympic track stars have what it takes to succeed in Belgium. “They’re explosive and I imagine it [the Mur de Huy] will be about the three minute mark, which is what they do,” she told told Cycling Weekly.

“They can go really deep, certainly a lot deeper than a lot of the pure road riders, because they race at high intensities. Jo did really well last year in Flèche, so I think that she and Laura both have pretty high expectations at Flèche.”

All roads then lead to the Women’s Tour in May, where all five British riders on the team have the chance to ride. “It really is a big ambition for us being a British team and also for Laura, having a stage in her home town. We’d like to win it definitely. We didn’t design the course and we can’t say that it’s perfect for us, but it has to be an ambition of ours, no matter what.”

The Women’s Tour begins in Oundle, Northamptonshire on May 7th, finishing on the 11th in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Two weeks ago Joanna Rowsell was lying in bed with a chest infection missing crucial training sessions with her teammates on the Manchester track. Tonight she won her second world title in 24 hours.

Rowsell rode a brilliant pursuit to set a personal best in testing conditions and beat five time winner Sarah Hammer (USA) by over a second.

"I can’t believe that ride. That’s a new personal best for me on pretty much an outdoor track, with a five spoke wheel," Rowsell said after coming off the track.

"I can’t believe I’ve done it, I can’t believe I went that quick."

Rowsell, who is used to going out fast because of her 'man one' training for the team pursuit did just that and was almost a second up after two laps. A lead she held, albeit with the odd fluctuation, to the finish line.

"My start's my strength. It isn't the conventional way of pursuiting, but if I can use my strength, get some time in the bank early on and then hang on... that's what I do in the team pursuit."

Video: Joanna Rowsell wins gold in the women's individual pursuit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbWxgA61BJQ&list=TL4IAzs3k6DuIpF23B7jvRubv4TF8sPq_T

>>Result of the women's individual pursuit

Rowsell's win brought Britain's medal tally up to three and leaves them in with a chance of achieving Shane Sutton's aim of six from the Olympic events. There's a possible medal to come in the women's sprint, but not from the expected rider.

Defending champion Becky James was dumped out of the sprint by her best friend, training partner and team sprint teammate Jess Varnish after getting her tactics all wrong. "I’ve no idea why we decided to go for those tactics." James admitted after winning the 5-8th place final ahead of Australia's Anna Meares and Stephanie Morton.

"People who’ve seen me race in the past know I'm a fast racer from the start and I take things on. This was basically track standing in the back straight with a lap-and-a-half to go, and it’s just not me. I don’t know why I decided to try it here."

"I was really upset. We talked about the tactics but I should have known, why try something new? I’m pretty clued up when it comes to tactics I just don’t know why I changed it today."

Varnish will ride against Junhong Lin of China in the semi finals on Saturday.

Colombia gets it's champion

The men's points race ensured the success of the championships by producing a home win in the shape of Edwin Avila. The diminutive Colombian hails from Cali and his presence in the race ensure almost all the 7,000 seats inside the arena were taken for the evening session.

Winner of the title in Apeldoorn, 2011, Avila wasted little time in getting the crowd whipped up in to a frenzy by taking laps. But he wasn't the only one up for the race as the action started from the moment the gun sounded and never let off through the 160 laps.

The Colombian wasn't assured of the win until the very end as first Eloy Teruel (SPA) and then Thomas Scully (NZL) took the lead in the final 20 laps. But Avila came fighting back with a third lap gain and sent the crowd in to hysterics.

All he had to do in the final sprint was to stay on Scully's wheel. Keeping in custom with the rest of the action packed race the two battled it out right to the line. Scully pipped him to second place, but with just one point difference between second and third (Ivan Savitckii was 50m off the front on his own) the rainbow jersey was safely on the shoulders of the local rider.

Minutes later every member of the crowd was on their feet singing the Colombian national anthem.

Video: Men's points race

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwFl5DnK1Hw&list=TLasEe8jwYvgxRTeEjHOL--P9R3JdfJdkD

>> Result of the men's points race

François Pervis won his second gold of the championships with a blistering ride in the kilo. The Frenchman set a track record of 59.385 seconds to defend his title and beat Germany's Joachim Eilers who minutes before had become the first man to ride a sub one minute kilo at a world championships.

New Zealand's Simon Van Velthooven was third, taking a second sprint medal for the Kiwis. Britain's Kian Emadi was a disappointing 12th, with a time of 1 minute 2.220 seconds.

Video: François Pervis wins the men's kilometre time trial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy1o9UuIIoQ&list=TL_apRbtpaO3cJXFZWRANp1eXMCcsjiLZO

>>Result of the men's kilometre time trial

GB win first gold as women's team pursuit squad battle through

Great Britain fastest in women's team pursuit

Great Britain endure disappointing opening day at track world championships

Photo gallery: 2014 Track World Championships, day one

Images from the opening day of the 2014 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Cali, Colombia

World titles expected of British track team in Cali

Could the 2014 track worlds be rained off?

Great Britain's women's team pursuit quartet qualified fastest at the world championships in Cali this morning and will ride in the gold medal final later today.

The team of Laura Trott, Joanna Rowsell, Elinor Barker and Katie Archibald finished in a time of 4:28.597 minutes. The time is 12 seconds outside of their world record, and is the first time they have ridden the four kilometre distance in international competition and not broken the world record.

But a fast ride was never on the cards in today's conditions. The wind started to pick up as team pursuit qualifying started forcing all teams to ride open front wheels (typically five spokes) with disc rears - as the men did the day before. Neither is the track particulalry favourable to pursuiting as the long straights and tight bankings make it hard for the riders to maintain a constant speed.

The Brits were two seconds faster than second place Canada and looked as if they were riding to a comfortable schedule. Australia qualified third and will race Poland for the bronze medal.

This is the first senior world championships where the women have covered the four kilometre distance. Great Britain has won this title for the last three years, and have only been beaten once, by Australia in 2010, since the inaugural event in 2008.

Ireland's Ryan Mullen produced a personal best in the men's individual pursuit qualifying to get through to the bronze medal ride. The 19-year-old An Post rider rode a 4-22.419 minute ride to place fourth.

Britain's Owain Doull finished in 15th place with a 4-28.193. Jason Kenny narrowly avoided a crash in his keirin round one race before going on to win it and progress safely through to the next round. Matt Crampton had to get through via the repechage while Kian Emadi didn't make it through.

Great Britain endure disappointing opening day at track world championships

World titles expected of British track team in Cali

Could the 2014 track worlds be rained off?

Great Britain team for Track World Championships announced

Mixture of youth, experience and five defending world champions will go to Colombia

Sir Chris Hoy in the British camp in Cali

JOANNA ROWSELL

Date of birth: 05/12/1988

From: Cheam

Disciplines: Road; track endurance (individual pursuit, team pursuit)

Team: Wiggle Honda

Previous teams: Olympic Academy (100% ME) Global Racing (2007)

Twitter: @JoannaRowsell

Joanna Rowsell career profile

Like many of the current young riders who have progressed through British Cycling's development programme, Joanna Rowsell is an excellent road and track rider.

Rowsell originally started cycling in 2003 when she was spotted by the British Cycling talent team. Originally intending just to get out of a maths lesson, Rowsell soon discovered that she had enormous potential.

Junior pursuit titles on the track in 2005 and 2006 augured well for her progression and she also began to shine on the road, taking 3rd in the national road race in only her second full season as an amateur.

2008 was Rowsell's finest season to date, taking a World Championship title in the team pursuit in only her second full season as a senior rider. Rowsell had not even competed in a World Cup event before the Worlds but showed her versatility to readily adapt to a higher level of competition.

Rowsell continued her run of good results, taking four gold medals in the 2008/9 track World Cup and two overall World Cup titles. She then defended her team pursuit title with Wendy Houvenaghel and Lizzie Armitstead and has a glittering career ahead of her.

In February 2012, Rowsell, Trott and King set a new world record in the women's team pursuit on their way to winning the event at the London round of the 2011-12 Track World Cup. The trio then promptly set a new world record at the Track World Championships in April.

In the London 2012 Games, Rowsell, Trott and King scorched the track to win gold and set a succession of new world records in the team pursuit.

2013 saw Rowsell form part of the European Championship winning team pursuit team, as well as being awarded an MBE.

Joanna Rowsell results

2014

Track world championships; team pursuit

Track world championships; individual pursuit

Commonwealth Games; individual pursuit

Track World Cup, London: team pursuit

2013

Track World Cup, Manchester; team pursuit

Track World Cup, Manchester; individual pursuit

National champion; time trial

European track championships; team pursuit

2012

Track World Cup, London; team pursuit

Track World Cup, London; individual pursuit

Track World Championships; team pursuit

Olympic champion; team pursuit WR

2011

Track World Cup, Manchester, team pursuit

National champion, individual pursuit

National champion, team pursuit

European champion, team pursuit

2009

World champion, team pursuit

Track World Cup, team pursuit overall

Track World Cup, individual pursuit overall

Track World Cup, Copenhagen, team pursuit

Track World Cup, Manchester, team pursuit

2008

World champion, team pursuit

Track World Cup, Manchester, team pursuit gold

Track World Cup, Melbourne, individual pursuit gold

Track World Cup, Melbourne, team pursuit gold

2006

British national women's road race series

Joanna Rowsell photos

Click on the thumbnails of Joanna Rowsell below to open a larger image in a new window.

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