Canada ends first stop of 2014 Track Cycling World Cup season with three medals

(Manchester, GBR – November 3, 2013) Canadian track cyclists Laura Brown of Vancouver and Gillian Carleton of Victoria both won medals at the 2014 UCI Track Cycling World Cup on Sunday in Manchester, GBR.

Brown took the top spot of the women’s Points race, her career first individual World Cup victory, while Gillian Carleton won the silver medal in the women’s omnium, posting her career best in the event at the international level.

With the two medals earned on Sunday, Canada ends the opening World Cup with three medals, one gold and two silver medals.

Laura Brown of Vancouver, BC won the fourth sprint to earn five points, and added two more points in the fifth and seventh sprints to set her apart of the group of five riders that lapped the peloton, each earning 20 points. Brown finished the 80 laps, 20-km race with 29 points, three ahead of American rider Elizabeth Newell, and Hong Kong’s Wan Yiu Jamie Wong, each earning 26 points.

The gold medal for Brown represents her career best results, and puts her at the top of the Points race World Cup standings, with the coveted white jersey as the World Cup leader.

“I felt fortunate to have had the opportunity to race the Points race as the Team Pursuit was my priority,” said Laura Brown after the race. “Being my first World Cup Points race, I am over the moon to have won as I really didn’t know what to expect. Our coach Craig Griffin gave me a few ideas beforehand on how to approach the race and I managed to execute his instructions pretty well. At the end of the day I just went up there and raced my bike. Another factor was the pure energy I took from the great crowd here in Manchester. That was an amazing experience.”

In the six-race, two-day women’s omnium event, Gillian Carleton of Victoria, BC powered her way to the second place of this opening world cup of the 2014 season. Carleton started on the right note, winning the flying lap race.

After the first three events, Carleton, the reigning Canadian Champion in the event, was sitting in the driver seat atop the standings. On the second day of competition, Carleton managed to post great results in the individual pursuit and the time trial, with first and third respectively, but lost valuable points with a ninth place in the scratch race.

Carleton finishes second with 24 points, only behind Laura Trott at 19 points, the reigning Olympic Champion from Great Britain, who finished her Omnium in spectacular fashion with four straight Top3 results, including two first place results.

Both Carleton and Brown was also part of the silver-medal winning Women’s team pursuit squad that raced on Friday.

“Today was a great final day for team Canada. Gillian really showed her class and strength in the Omnium, winning the Individual Pursuit and placing 3rd in the 500m TT to secure second place. Her result is a testament to the hard work she has been putting in on the road and track,” said Craig Griffin, coach of the Canadian Team in Manchester. “Laura’s win in the Points race was fantastic. She read the race well and proved to be one of the strongest when it counted. It’s a great way to kick off the World Cup season.”

Hugo Barrette, of Cap-aux-Meules, QC, the only man representing Canada at the event, finished 13th in the Keirin, and 18th in the sprint event.

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To watch race on YouTube ucichannel: “RE-RUN Track World Cup Round 1 – Manchester, England” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYic-3Blu4o&feature=em-subs_digest