Czechia and Italy were the nations with the most titles won on the second day of competition at the Under-23 and Under-19 European Track Championships, being held in Anadia, Portugal. The two countries won three gold medals each in a total of nine events that saw winners today.
Italy imposed itself in three endurance disciplines, winning the two team pursuit races and one elimination race, all in the junior category. In the junior women’s team pursuit, Italy won against Germany, while Poland closed the podium. In the same discipline and category, but in the men’s sector, the Italians triumphed, followed by the Germans and the British.
The other transalpine victory came in elimination of men’s under-19, a race marked by numerous crashes, which had to be stopped several times. Matteo Fiorin won, followed by the British Jed Smithson and by Zak Erzen, from Slovenia. João Marques was one of the participants and one of the crashed, achieving the 12th position.
The Czechs also won three gold medals. The first Czech representative to hear the anthem was Matej Hytych, in the 1 km time trial, with 1’03”076. The second was German Kenneth Meng, with 1’03”302. Spanish Beñat Garaiar closed the podium, with 1’03”364.
Czech Petra Sevcikova imposed herself in the under-23 elimination, thanks to a far attack that allowed her to double the peloton. The remaining riders could only fight for the remaining medals, which went to British Ella Barnwell, who won silver, and Portuguese Daniela Campos, who took bronze.
Today’s third pure medal for Czechia was won by Barbora Nemcova, in the elimination discipline for junior women. In this race she was accompanied on the podium by Ukrainian Anna Kolyzhuk, second runner-up, and British Awen Roberts. Laura Simão was the first to be eliminated, finishing in 16th position.
Great Britain celebrated two under-23 titles. William Tidball was the strongest in the scratch, climbing the podium flanked by Austria’s Tim Wafler, second, and Ukraine’s Kyrylo Tsarenko, third. Portuguese Rodrigo Caixas, very active throughout the race, was seventh.
The second British win was in the closing race of Friday’s programme, the under-23 team sprint. Great Britain’s victory came in a heated duel with Germany, with the British winning by just six thousandths of a second. Italy took third place.
Germany came out on top in the women’s under-23 team sprint, in a competition in which only two countries took part. Poland was second.
