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Day 2 of Milton 2018: trade team Pedal 2 the Medal with Canada’s top result

Men's pursuit squad breaks national record two days in a row

October 26, 2018
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Fridays’ first full day of action at the Milton track cycling World Cup found Canada contesting five events, and the top Canadian performance coming from a member of trade team Pedal 2 the Medal. Evan Burtnik of P2M placed fourth in the men’s scratch race. The men’s team pursuit squad set a new national record for the second day running. Great Britain, Australia, the Netherlands, Denmark, Russia and the Ukraine all won gold on Friday.

Neither of Canada’s team pursuit outfits were able to advance into the medal rounds after first round heats on Friday morning at the Milton track World Cup.

In the women’s heats Ariane Bonhomme, Annie Foreman-Mackey, Kinley Gibson and Steph Roorda led Japan from Kilometre 1 and won while posting the best time of the first four outfits. France crashed out. World Cup champs Italy beat the Kiwis in their heat, but both teams were faster than the Canadians.

Unfortunately for Canada, both the Brits and Germans also had better times in their Heat 4 tussle, and the Canucks were out of the metals. Canada owned the fifth fastest time. Great Britain and Italy would vie for the gold, with the Brits, as with last year’s round at home in Manchester, taking the win over the Italians.

The men’s team pursuit First Round was next. In Heat 4 Canadians Michael Foley, Derek Gee, Aiden Caves and Jay Lamoureux were up against trade team Huub Wattbike Test Team, the fastest qualifiers on Thursday evening. Huub prevailed while setting the second fastest time; they faced the Danes in the gold medal match up, and the Scandinavians, second in both last season’s World Cup and World Championships, were victorious.

Although shut out of the medals, the Canadians broke the national record that they set yesterday with a time of 3:56.352.

Canada would try its luck in the women’s team sprint. In their qualifier Lauriane Genest and Amelia Walsh were one of the first duos to roll the boards without competition, stopping the clock at 34.11. But Genest and Walsh’s 12th place wouldn’t allow them to move on to the first round. World champions and World Cup holder Germany, without Kristina Vogel, would post the fourth fastest time.

Australia would go on to earn the victory.

The team sprint qualifying followed the break. In the evening came the scratch races, with no qualifying held. The Canadians competing were Allison Beveridge of Team Canada and Devaney Collier of Pedal 2 the Medal on the women’s side, and Pedal 2 the Medal’s Evan Burtnik in the men’s event. The goal of the scratch race is to be first over the line after 15-km for men and 10-km for women, and not to get lapped.

Burtnik raced as the evening session began. The Pedal 2 the Medal rider came in fourth, and Ukrainian Vitaliy Hryniv earned Milton 2018’s first gold medal. Hryniv’s top World Cup performance last season was bronze in Minsk, Belarus.

Out of Beveridge and Collier, Beveridge had the best finish in the women’s scratch race at fifth, while the Pedal 2 the Medal rider placed 13th. Russian Alexandra Goncharova was the fastest.

On Saturday Team Canada’s Walsh will start her sprint journey, Hugo Barrette will follow the derny in the keirin with Pedal 2 the Medal’s Joel Archambault and Roorda and Beveridge will hand-sling in the madison.

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