The Huub-Wattbike team smashed the Manchester velodrome’s team-pursuit record and set a new championship record on the way to retaining their national title.
The quartet of John Archibald, Jonathan Wale, Dan Bigham and Will Perrett set a time of 3.54.0 having already caught the team inspired four to set a new fastest time for the Manchester velodrome.
Perrett said: “The first ride we were just going for the qualifying playing safe. In the final the points race had taken a little out of my legs but with the crowd and the chance of a national title we smashed that one.”
It capped a very successful weekend when Archibald also claimed his second successive individual pursuit title and Jonathan Wale was crowned national champion in the kilo.
Archibald said: “All of us as a group enjoy turning up and competing at Nationals we all come from a place where winning a national title could well be the pinnacle of what you achieve.”
While the noise of the crowd in Manchester was the loudest it had been all weekend when Huub caught the Inspired team, the efforts of Anna Shackley in the women’s points race came a close second.
Shackley, riding for team Breeze had been off the front for much of the final 3km of the race, threatening to catch the back of the bunch and gain a lap. In the end, she remained there right until the line and because of the double points for the final sprint leapfrogged her way to the top of the standings.
Her fellow British Cycling academy rider Rhys Britton (Team Inspired) also had a good weekend. He took his second individual national title in the scratch race today following hot on the heels of the points race title he claimed on Saturday.
Other national champions crowned on the final day of racing included the women’s team sprint pairing of Millie Tanner and Blaine Ridge Davies (Slingshot) and Scotswoman Lauren Bell (Black Line) who won the women’s 500m TT title.
Joe Truman also put a marker down for the World Championship by taking the keirin title to add to the team sprint title he helped claim on Friday.
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