Perfect ten for Archibald with European omnium title

Katie Archibald romped to a tenth continental title with victory in the omnium at the European Track Cycling Championships, in Berlin.

Having already bagged a silver in the team pursuit and gold in the individual pursuit in the last two days, the Scot put in a commanding performance to take gold in the omnium - her tenth gold in just five years competing at the event.

Defending her title from last season and wearing the rainbow bands of the omnium world champion, Archibald entered the event as favourite and more than lived up to her billing.

Following a fifth-place finish in the scratch race she moved up to third place at the halfway stage with victory in the tempo race.

Another victory followed in the elimination race, meaning she headed into the final event – the points race – with an eight-point advantage ahead of her closest rival.

And two intermediate sprint victories, as well as second and third places in two other sprints saw her ease to a seven-point victory over the Netherlands’ Kirsten Wild.

“It felt like a bit of a cheat last year. It was post-Olympic year and I wondered if I had got away with one?” said the 23-year-old Olympic team pursuit champion.

“So I’m really happy to come back and defend the jersey.”

Elsewhere the team continued to struggle, with Sophie Capewell failing to make it past the first round of the keirin – Katy Marchant progressing via the repechages but crashed in the semi-finals.

In the men’s kilometre time trial both Callum Skinner and Joe Truman qualified for the final, in seventh and sixth place respectively.

Skinner was declared unfit to race by the event doctor so did not take to the track for the final – in which Truman clocked 1:01.816 for sixth.

In the men’s points race Mark Stewart finished 17th, while 19-year-old Eleanor Dickinson came home 12th in the scratch race.

The day’s other event saw Ollie Wood fill in for Andy Tennant, who crashed in Wednesday’s team pursuit qualifying, in the individual pursuit and register a time of 4:25.278 – enough for 16th place.

Sportsbeat 2017

Picture: SWpix.com