Best of British cycling advent calendar: #16

The 2015 UCI World Track Championships were nothing short of disaster for Great Britain, coming away with just three medals - all of them silver.

Even the team pursuit squads - usually so dominant - were pipped to the gold medals, but both showed they were back on the right track when the European Track Championships rolled around in October.

The women eased to victory in their race against Russia, as did the men in their matchup with hosts Switzerland in the final in Grenchen.

Bradley Wiggins and co triumphed by two seconds in a performance that would have seen them win gold at the Worlds eight months previously.

“To record a time like that in a final, everyone’s really happy. We’re missing Ed Clancy who’s a big part of the team but we’re European Champions, so we’ve achieved a goal, so Heiko [Salzwedel – GB coach] is happy.”

Clancy has been absent from the track so far this winter after undergoing surgery on a slipped disc. The JLT-Condor rider will be hoping to return in time to regain his place on the team pursuit squad ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.