Laura Kenny pulls out of Track World Championships omnium

Katie Archibald will step up to ride the women's omnium for Great Britain at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships as Kenny suffers a loss in form

Laura Kenny, Great Britain Cycling Team 2019. Picture by sw.pix.com
(Image credit: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

Laura Kenny has pulled out of the women's omnium today, citing the loss of form that saw her struggle through the team pursuit rounds yesterday.

"I am absolutely gutted to announce that I won’t be riding in the omnium at the World Championships today," she announced on her Instagram feed this morning

"I haven’t been feeling right all week for reasons we’re not sure of, but we do know my performances in the team pursuit over the last two days have been well off where I have been in training over the last two weeks."

>>>> Australia dominate in team pursuits

The British women were beaten by Australia by just two tenths of a second last night and the disappointment was clear to see. The team rode a fast time, but had been going faster in training at Manchester the week before.

Kenny had to ride shorter turns on the front and said that she felt like she had let the team down.

"I would have given the omnium my best shot," Kenny, the two-time Olympic omnium champion went on to say.

"I really wanted to do it but with the depth of the squad it was decided that it was better that I didn’t compete and give someone else the opportunity." Katie Archibald will ride the omnium in her place.

Archibald, who is due to defend her Madison world title with Neah Evans on Saturday, will ride the four-round event that starts this afternoon with a scratch race.

Soon after her brother John makes his Worlds debut in the individual pursuit where he is a strong medal hope following a phenomenal winter when he twice broke the British national record and helped HUUB Wattbike win the team pursuit at the World Cup in London.

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Simon Richardson
Magazine editor

Editor of Cycling Weekly magazine, Simon has been working at the title since 2001. He fell in love with cycling 1989 when watching the Tour de France on Channel 4, started racing in 1995 and in 2000 he spent one season racing in Belgium. During his time at CW (and Cycle Sport magazine) he has written product reviews, fitness features, pro interviews, race coverage and news. He has covered the Tour de France more times than he can remember along with two Olympic Games and many other international and UK domestic races. He became the 130-year-old magazine's 13th editor in 2015.