Tremendous Trott eliminates the rest in Olympic omnium

Laura Trott and Sarah Hammer in women's omnium, London 2012 Olympic Games, track day 5

The crowd in the velodrome tonight were treated to another spectacle from Britain's Laura Trott, winning the omnium elimination race. Her tactics and exceptional race craft whipped them up in to a frenzy that saw 6,000 people chanting her name as she came in to the final lap.

Chanting was replaced by a roar as she sprinted away from Sarah Hammer (USA) in the back straight opening up half a dozen bike lengths with just a few turns of the pedal, winning with ease.

Trott may well be the best bike racer in the whole of the British squad. Her tactics, positioning and bunch riding defy belief as she surges through gaps that don't exist time and time again. And not once did she put any other rider in danger.

The elimination race is perfectly suited to her abilities as the ‘last one out' system every second lap sees the bunch ride together and surge across the line each time a rider is eliminated. It's all about positioning

At the London world cup in February Trott put on a show that almost made a mockery of the field. For the second half of the race she sat at the back and sprinted past everyone in the final metres. Each time it looked like she wasn't going to make it, each time she did.

It had the crowd on their feet. She didn't, however, use the tactic here, instead spending more time on the front, the safest place to be. The few times she was stuck at the back she rode through the middle of the bunch to get out of trouble. Each time sending the crowd wild.

On the last lap it was her against Hammer, but there was no contest as the 20-year-old Briton accelerated away down the back straight with ease.

The two now lead the omnium on 12 points after three events. Trott also won the flying lap, beating French sprinter Clara Sanchez by just 0.001 second. She was, however, marked out of the points race and so couldn't gain a lap as nine other riders did.

Trott's strongest event, the 500m time trial is the last one on the six event program that concludes tomorrow. In the individual pursuit there should be little between her, Hammer, Annette Edmondson (Australia) and Tara Whitten (Canada) making scratch race crucial.

London 2012: Live text coverage of cycling events

August 5: Track cycling day four

August 4: Track cycling day three

August 3: Track cycling day two

August 2: Track cycling day one

August 1: Men's and women's time trials

July 28: Men's road race

July 29: Women's road race

London 2012: Latest news

Comment: Hindes's purposeful crash - fair or foul?

New format for team pursuit explained

Pendleton and Varnish out of team sprint

'Hot pants' key to Pendleton and Hoy sprint

Britain's sprinters looking to continue GB medal haul

Wiggins: Tour was perfect Olympic TT preparation

Olympic time trial round-up

Pendleton warms up for London 2012

Cancellara in, Evans out of time trial

CW eyewitness: Remember the name

Cavendish finds solace in commitment of his team mates

London 2012: Team info

Men's road race start list

Women's road race start list

Men's time trial start list

Women's time trial start list

Team GB rider profiles

Great Britain track team confirmed

Bronzini leads Italian Olympic cycling team

British Olympic men's road race team announced

Armitstead and Cooke lead GB women's road cycling team

London 2012: Event guides

Mountain bike event guide on www.mbr.co.uk

Olympic Games men's time trial: Who will win?

Olympic Games women's time trial: Who will win?

Olympic time trial routes announced

Olympic Games women's road race: Who will win?

Olympic Games men's road race: Who will win?

Download detailed Olympic road race route map

London 2012 cycling schedule

London 2012: Reports

Bronze for Clancy while Pendleton marches on

Pendleton sets new Olympic record to qualify ahead of Meares

Trott, King and Rowsell keep gold medals coming

Kenny lights up a stuttering men's sprint competition

Track day two: Pendleton and team pursuiters deliver more gold

Track cycling day one: Hoy leads team sprinters to gold

Wiggins wins gold in men's time trial, bronze for Froome

Armstrong defends Olympic title in women's time trial

Cycling events medal table

Women's road race: Armitstead wins silver as Vos strikes gold

Men's road race: Vinokourov wins as Cavendish misses out

London 2012: Photos

Track day four evening session by Andy Jones

Track day four evening session by Graham Watson

Track day four morning session by Andy Jones

Track day four morning session by Phil O'Connor

Track day three evening session by Andy Jones

Track day three evening session by Phil O'Connor

Track day three morning session by Andy Jones

Track day two by Phil O'Connor

Track day two by Graham Watson

Track day one by Andy Jones

Track day one by Phil O'ConnorTrack day one by Graham Watson

Men's time trial by Graham Watson

Women's time trial by Graham Watson

Pendleton track training

Women's road race by Andy Jones

Women's road race by Graham Watson

Men's road race by Andy Jones

Men's road race by Phil O'Connor

Men's road race by Graham Watson

Team GB road race training on Box Hill (July 26)

London 2012: Podcasts

Cycling Weekly podcasts on Soundcloud

London 2012: TV schedule

London 2012 BBC TV cycling coverage schedule

London 2012 Eurosport cycling coverage schedule

Related links

CW's dummies' guide to track racing

World's best BMXers in London 2012 test event

Olympic road race test event: Report card

Cavendish wins London-Surrey Cycle Classic

London-Surrey Cycle Classic photo gallery

Olympic road race route officially revealed

London 2012 tickets on sale from March

 

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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.