UCI Cycling World Championships 2023: GB begin with two gold and two bronze medals

UCI Cycling World Championships 2023
Location: Glasgow and other parts of Scotland
Dates: 3rd to 13th of August
Available Viewing Options: Live coverage available on BBC TV, iPlayer, and 200 hours of live streams on BBC’s online platforms

The Cycling World Championships in Glasgow had an exhilarating start with Team Great Britain bagging two gold, one silver, and two bronze medals on the inaugural day.

In the men’s scratch race, William Tidball from Britain emerged victorious, flawlessly timing his sprint to clinch the gold. This marked the first day of races on the track.

Earlier, Britain had acquired both gold and bronze in the women’s B 1km time trial. However, in the women’s elite team sprint, Germany narrowly beat Great Britain to secure gold, with both teams setting new world records in the final round.

An exciting end to the first day of racing

Tidball delivered a stunning performance in Thursday’s final race on the Sir Chris Hoy velodrome, narrowly defeating Japan’s Kazushige Kuboki in a thrilling finish, with Tuur Dens from the Netherlands securing the bronze.

Tidball is the first Briton to win the world championship in the men’s scratch race since Ben Swift’s triumph in Melbourne in 2012.

Despite initially seeming to lose his chance when Switzerland’s Alex Vogel broke away from the peloton with just four laps remaining, the 23-year-old former European under-23 champion masterfully latched onto Dens’ wheel on the final lap. He managed to overtake Vogel within the last 200 metres and sprinted past the Dutch rider to victory.

Britain secures gold and bronze in women’s B time trial

The championship’s first medals for Britain were won in the women’s B 1km time trial by Sophie Unwin and her pilot Jenny Holl who claimed gold, and Lizzi Jordan and Amy Cole who secured bronze.

Although Unwin and Holl were more than a second behind Jessica Gallagher and Caitlin Ward of Australia with one lap remaining, they managed to beat the Australians by a slim 0.060 seconds margin, securing first place.

The British duo, who won bronze in the same event the previous year and are reigning category B individual pursuit champions, had the fastest qualification time and, in a thrilling finish, edged past Gallagher and Ward, who had previously defeated Unwin at the 1km time trial at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Jordan and Cole outperformed their fellow Britons Lora Fachie and Corrine Hall to secure the fourth place.

Thrilling times in sprint final for Germany and GB

Britain was marginally beaten by Germany in the women’s elite sprint, the second-to-last event of the day, even though they achieved the world’s second fastest time.

Unfortunately for Emma Finucane, Sophie Capewell, and Lauren Bell of Britain, defending champions Germany – Lea Friedrich, Pauline Grabosch and Emma Hinze – had already clocked the fastest time, beating them by 0.075 seconds. The victorious trio’s time was 0.119 seconds faster than their own previous world record set in 2022. They have consistently won the team sprint in the last three world championships.

Recap from the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome
Britain wins bronze in men’s B individual pursuit

Other highlights of Thursday’s events included Britons Steve Bate and Christopher Latham defeating fellow Britons Chris McDonald and Adam Duggleby in the men’s B individual pursuit to claim the bronze medal.

However, the day also brought disappointment for Britain’s Neah Evans, who narrowly missed bronze to New Zealand’s Bryony Botha in the women’s elite individual pursuit.

Similarly, Briton Sam Ruddock placed fourth in the men’s C1 individual pursuit, trailing China’s Weicong Liang by eight seconds in the third-place race. Another Briton, Ryan Taylor, also finished fourth, losing to Shota Kawamoto of Japan, who won the bronze in the men’s C2 individual pursuit.

In the men’s C4 individual pursuit, Ronan Grimes of the Republic of Ireland secured bronze, defeating France’s Gatien Le Rousseau in the bronze medal match.

In the men’s C5 scratch race, William Bjergfelt and Blaine Hunt of Britain finished fourth and sixth, respectively.

The day ended on a sour note for the defending champions, Great Britain, as they were disqualified from the men’s team pursuit after rider Charlie Tanfield was hospitalised due to a fall during the qualifying round.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about UCI Cycling World Championships 2023

More about UCI Cycling World Championships 2023

• UCI Cycling World Championships 2023 Official Website
• BBC Coverage of the UCI Cycling World Championships 2023
• Information on William Tidball
• Details on Germany’s Cycling Achievements
• More on Team Great Britain’s Cycling Team
• Sophie Unwin’s career highlights
• Charlie Tanfield’s cycling career