Wiggle Honda team pursuit quartet

Great Britain’s women’s team pursuit squad have been at the forefront of the nation’s track campaign in recent years and continued to dominate the discipline throughout 2013. Having seen Welsh teenager Elinor Barker slot seamlessly into the team since the Olympics, winning world championship gold alongside Dani King and Laura Trott in Minsk, the famous three – King, Trott and Jo Rowsell – have become a fab four as the format of the race changed to four riders over four kilometres.

Questions were asked as to what impact the rule change would have on Britain’s dominance, but the extra rider and extra kilometre have done little to halt the charge. In their first competitive team pursuit outing as a quartet, representing Wiggle Honda at the national championships, the golden girls responded to any doubters in fine style. VC St Raphael were the only other team to field a quartet in Manchester, setting a time of 5’12”, but Wiggle Honda’s four blasted to gold, and with it the world best time, in just over 4’32”. The record has since tumbled as Britain continue to get to grips with the format, but as a statement of intent, the first showing was emphatic.