THE crowds turned out in their thousands on Tuesday evening to see world and Olympic champion Laura Trott OBE crowned queen of Redditch in the Matrix Fitness Women’s bike race series.
Trott, riding for Team Matrix Fitness in her first ever trip to Redditch, was always at the head of affairs in an elite group consisting of the cream of British women’s cycling, including Scotland’s Katie Archibald, fellow gold medallist Dani King, who eventually finished second, and the all conquering paralympian Dame Sarah Storey.
A bubbly Trott said afterwards that she had been bowled over by the reception in Redditch: “I really enjoyed it, it’s such a great circuit, and I was sorry when I saw there were only four laps to go, because I wanted it to go on for longer.
“I’ve never raced here before and it’s such a fantastic circuit, it’s less than a mile long and it means the crowd see action all the time.
“I really hope it can carry on because it’s not like other circuits as you’ve got a really sharp hill (Unicorn Hill) to climb and after going up it 15 times you can really feel it in your legs.”
Trott finished ahead of fellow Olympian and world champion Dani King (Wiggle Honda) with Nikki Juniper (Team Giordana Triton) third.
“The atmosphere was fantastic,” added Trott. “I’m only riding two of these events and I’m really pleased I rode in Redditch today, and it’s been a great start for my team too.”
Meanwhile in the men’s Pearl Izumi Tour Series, Welshman Jon Mould snatched victory from three times world track champion Morgan Kniesky right on the line, just as the Frenchman was celebrating his own victory.
A delighted Mould could only smile at the nature of the win: “I knew I was going quite well and managed to get in a breakaway in the closing stages.
“I then saw Morgan in front and managed to just nick in front of him right on the line.”
