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Last Updated: 2 Apr 2018 - 8:45:17 PM |
BRONZE MEDALS FOR COLLARD AND DAVIS
By Shane Stokes & press release
4 Aug 2008,
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Following Simon Coughlan’s excellent gold medal in the 3km pursuit (30-34 age group) last Thursday, two more Irish riders took medals in the European Masters Track Championships in Manchester on Saturday. Orwell Dundrum Town Centre rider Aideen Collard (Orwell) scooped bronze in the 2km Pursuit (30-39 age cat) while Hugh Davis (Usher) did the same in the Points Race for riders aged 60 to 64.
Collard was fourth in the qualifiers, her 2.45.172 less than half a second off the time of World Masters Pursuit bronze medalist Nicky Peters. However she got the better of her rival in the final, coming back from a deficit of almost a second at the halfway point to hit the line over two seconds ahead. In her first competitive pursuit over the distance, her 2.45.089 is set to be a new Irish record once ratified.
Paralympic world pursuit champion Sarah Storey set a new Masters World Record in the qualifying round, then caught the former UK Mountain Bike Champion, Michelle Bergstrand in their ride-off for the gold medal.
Hugh Davis also shone, his total in the points race putting him just one point off the totals of gold medallist Geoff Cooke and runner-up Geoff Brandt.
Other Irish riders also performed strongly; the best of the rest was Will Byrne (Kilcullen), who was fourth in the 35-39 age group Points race.
PRESS RELEASE:
Aideen Collard & Hugh Davis win Bronze Medals at European Masters Track Championships
The European Masters Track Championships in Manchester ended on a high on Saturday with the Irish bagging two more medals. Aideen Collard (Orwell) won bronze in the 2km Pursuit (30-39 age cat) and Hugh Davis (Usher) took bronze in the Points Race (60-64 age cat), adding to Simon Coughlan’s (Domamon Dynamos) excellent gold medal win in the 3km Pursuit (30-34 age cat) last Thursday.
In her first competitive 2km Pursuit, Aideen Collard was up against stiff competition including gold medalist, Sarah Storey (Paralympic World Pursuit Champion) who set a new Masters World Record in the qualifying round before catching silver medalist and former UK Mountain Bike Champion, Michelle Bergstrand in the final. Collard posted fourth fastest in the qualifying round in a time of 2.45.172, less than half a second slower than World Masters Pursuit bronze medalist, Nicky Peters at 2.44.817 and just over 3 seconds off Bergstrand’s qualifying time of 4.41.408 for the gold/silver ride-off. In a nail-biting final ride-off for bronze against Peters, Collard got off to a better start and despite being almost a second down at the half way mark, rode consistently strongly throughout the race to win by more than 2 seconds in a faster time of 2.45.089 (and new Irish female best time subject to ratification).
Hugh Davis also rode an excellent Points Race to grab another bronze finishing only 1 point off sprint legend and gold medalist, Geoff Cooke and silver medalist Geoff Brandt. The other Irish riders put in some great performances, especially Will Byrne (Kilcullen) coming 4th in the Points race (35-39 age cat). This was a fantastic showing from the Irish considering Ireland is still awaiting a velodrome.
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