|
Gillespie and Griffin were in action as part of their preparation for the upcoming UCI Track World Championships in Ballerup, Denmark from the 16th to the 20th of October. The two Olympians will be joined by Lucy Bénézet Minns for the Track Championships.
In Aigle, they were joined by junior riders Philip O’Connor and Luca Holmes.
Getting the three-day race meeting off to a strong start, Gillespie claimed victory in the Women’s Elite Omnium. She won the Scratch race, finished second in the Tempo Race and the Elimination Race, and won the Points race.
Also in action on the opening day of competition were junior riders O’Connor and Holmes. O’Connor finished 11th in the Men’s Under 19 Points Race and Holmes was 10th in the Men’s Under 19 Elimination Race.
Griffin added to the Irish success. She won the Women’s Elite Scratch Race on the second day of racing. Gillespie followed this up with another victory for Ireland, this time in the Women’s Elite Elimination Race.
Holmes and O’Connor gained valuable track time and experience. On the second day they both finished ninth, Holmes in the Men’s Under 19 Scratch Race and O’Connor in the Men’s Under 19 Elimination Race.
On the third and final day of racing Gillespie added another victory to her tally. She won the Women’s Elite Points Race. She finished 10 points ahead of Alexandra Manly for Australia. Gillespie scored points in seven of the ten sprints, including winning the first three and the last.
Griffin put in a strong performance in the same race to finish in third place.
Gillespie and Griffin teamed up for the Women’s Elite Madison, an event which they will be riding together in at the World Championships. They finished second, only losing the Italian team of Martina Alzini and Martina Fidanza by one point.
O’Connor and Holmes both recorded their best result of the event when they both finished eighth. O’Connor in the Men’s Under 19 Scratch Race and Holmes in the Men’s Under 10 Points Race.
O’Connor and Holmes both recorded their best result of the event when they both finished eighth. O’Connor in the Men’s Under 19 Scratch Race and Holmes in the Men’s Under 10 Points Race.
Holmes and O'Connor also competed in the madison competition every evening, a key part of the event to introduce developing riders to the traditional 6-day format. The highlight was the pair recording their first madison finish on the second night, no mean feat in a race run off at more than 56kph.
Speaking about the results Cycling Ireland National Track Cycling Coach, Dan Henchy said: "After a short break post-Olympics, it's exciting to see Lara and Mia return to the track and performing at such a high-level. A real confidence boost ahead of the Track World Championships next month.
“Equally pleasing was the progress shown by Luca and Philip over the three days. They adapted very well to their first ride on a 200m velodrome, a great experience for two developing riders to hone their skills with the extra technical challenge of the short track."