The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Clarion’s Clarke wins world team pursuit gold
Cycling - Age group championship triumph in Manchester
Fenland Clarion now has a world track champion following Lindsay Clarke’s incredible success in Manchester.
At the World Masters Championships, Lindsay, 57, along with Julie Scales, Jayne Daine and Lynne Biddulph won the team pursuit gold medal for Great Britain with victory in the final over an American line-up. The British quartet’s 5:01.58 proved too much for the USA four, who finished in 5:04.32 in the 45-49 age group.
“We’d been practising for six weeks at the Derby track and it was really good fun being part of a team,” said Lindsay, who will be competing again today (Thursday).
“We qualified second fastest to ride for gold and silver and on paper, from the times they had been setting, the Americans looked like they would beat us.
“But they were very ragged and dropped a rider early on, which is fine as you can finish with three. So we thought if we squeezed just a little more out we might have a chance.
“They caught us quickly and we could hear everyone yelling – then realised they’d actually dropped their third girl and never waited for her!
“Being the home nation there were a lot of people cheering for us and they’re still coming up to shake our hands and say congratulations,” said Lindsay, watching the action in Manchester.
“There was a great atmosphere and as we stood on the podium with the flags going up we all belted out the national anthem.”
Lindsay’s excellent form also took her to bronze in the F55+ scratch race, having just been edged out of the medals in the individual pursuit by Carol Scott.
Two years ago when the world championships were in Los Angeles, Lindsay, who has been racing since she was 16, won two silver medals in the 55+ points and scratch races.
Husband Steve, also a Clarion rider competing this week, said Lindsay’s medal is very well deserved. “She’s been training hard and really enjoys the team pursuit,” he said.
“The final was so exciting to watch, such a memorable race, the whole crowd went ballistic! In the course of three quarters of a minute it went from thinking they were going to be beaten to being world champions.”