Unstoppable, unbeatable and one of the most fearsome line-ups in world sport, Great Britain’s women’s team pursuit squad were given a big fright as they clawed their way to gold in Cali.
Since Laura Trott’s introduction to the team in 2011 they have not failed to win gold, and the latest team pursuit debutant Katie Archibald looks equally at home in the setup, but as Great Britain continue to go from strength-to-strength, so too, it seems, do Canada.
The British squad have set world record after world record over the past two years, with no team in the world able to come close to matching them, but in the time since they last met competitively, Canada have clearly been working hard behind the scenes.
A stunning start saw the Canadians lead at the halfway point in the gold medal ride in Colombia and it was only when they lost a rider that they started to lose time. Even then, Elinor Barker’s decision to peel off out of turn after tiring could have proved costly for Great Britain. A disjointed trio, with Trott trailing Archibald and Rowsell, crossed the line just a second ahead of Canada.
It will serve as a wake-up call for the British squad and while they continue to rule the truck, Trott and co will not be having it all their own way.
