Britain's Elinor Barker celebrates on the podium after winning the women' scratch competition of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Alik Keplicz/AFP/Getty Images)
French team Gregory Bauge, Quentin Lafargue, Sebastien Vigier and Michael D'Almeida react at the podium after winning silver in the men's team sprint(Image credit: Alik Keplicz/AFP/Getty Images)
France's team competes during the team sprint competition of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Matthijs Buchli, Roy van den Berg, Harrie Lavreysen and Jeffrey Hoogland of the Netherlands pose for a selfie after they win gold in the Men's team sprint final (Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Gregory Bauge, Sebastien Vigier and Quentin Lafargue of France (Silver Medal), Matthijs Buchli, Roy van den Berg, Harrie Lavreysen and Jeffrey Hoogland of the Netherlands (Gold Medal) and Alexander Sharapov, Denis Dmitriev and Pavel Yakushevskiy of Russia (Bronze) pose on the podium for the Men's team sprint final on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Jeffrey Hoogland of the Netherlands celebrates winning the gold medal in the Men's team sprint final(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Netherlands' team celebrate after winning the men's team sprint final at the UCI Track Cycling World Championship (Image credit: Alik Keplicz/AFP/Getty Images)
Netherlands' team compete to win gold during the men's team sprint final at the UCI Track Cycling World Championship(Image credit: Alik Keplicz/AFP/Getty Images)
French team compete to win silver during the men's team sprint final at the UCI Track Cycling World Championship(Image credit: Alik Keplicz/AFP/Getty Images)
Australia's Kaarle McCulloch and Stephanie Morton react at the podium after winning gold in the women's team sprint final at the UCI Track Cycling World Championship(Image credit: Alik Keplicz/AFP/Getty Images)
Elinor Barker (Great Britain) wins the world title in the scratch race(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Martina Fidanza of Italy shows the damage from a fall in the Women's scratch 10k on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships (Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Martina Fidanza of Italy is injured after a group fall in the Women's scratch 10k on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Kirsten Wild of the Netherlands (silver Medal), Elinor Barker of Great Britain with the gold medal and Jolien D'Hoore of Belgium (Bronze Medal) celebrate on the podium for the Women's scratch 10k(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Kirsten Wild of the Netherlands leads on her way to second place in the Women's scratch 10k on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Britain's Elinor Barker reacts after winning the women scratch competition of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Britain's Elinor Barker competes with the Netherlands' Kirsten Wild during the women scratch competition of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Britain's Elinor Barker (L) leads in front of the Netherlands' Kirsten Wild (2ndL) during the women' scratch competition of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships (Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
The Netherlands' Kirsten Wild (L) competes during the women' scratch competition of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Athletes compete during the women' scratch competition of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships (Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Eddie Dawkins od New Zealand looks on after he competes in the Men's team sprint qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Timo Bichler, Stefan Botticher and Maximilian Dornbach of Germany compete in the Men's team sprint qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships (Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Gregory Bauge, Sebastien Vigier and Quentin Lafargue of France compete in the Men's team sprint qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Roy van den Berg, Harrie Lavreysen and Jeffrey Hoogland of the Netherlands compete in the Men's team sprint qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Ryan Owens, Philip Hindes, Jason Kenny of Great Britain compete in the Men's team sprint qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Cameron Scott of Australia looks on after he competes in the men's pursuit qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships (Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Ethan Hayter, Edward Clancy, Oliver Wood and Kian Emadi of Great Britain or Team GB compete in the men's pursuit qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Letizia Paternoster, Martina Alzini, Elisa Balsamo and Vittoria Guazzini of Italy compete in the Women's team pursuit qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships (Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Daria Pikulik, Nikol Płosaj, Justyna Kaczkowska and Lucja Pietrzak of Poland compete in the Women's team pursuit qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Annette Edmondson, Ashlee Ankudinoff, Georgia Baker and Amy Cure of Australia compete in the Women's Team Pursuit qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Wang Xiaofei, Huang Zhilin, Liu Jiali and Ma Menglu of China compete in the Women's Team Pursuit qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Yumi Kajihara of Japan competes in the Women's Team Pursuit qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Yumi Kajihara, Kie Furuyama, Kisato Nakamura and Miho Yoshikawa of Japan compete in the Women's Team Pursuit qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Lotte Kopecky, Shari Bossuyt, Jolien D'hoore and Annelies Dom of Belgium compete in the Women's Team Pursuit qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Jennifer Valente, Christina Birch, Kimberly Geist and Emma White of the USA compete in the Women's team pursuit qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Ashton Lambie of USA competes in the men's pursuit qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in the BGZ BNP Paribas Velodrome Arena (Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Gavin Hoover, Ashton Lambie, Colby Lange and Eric Young of USA compete in the men's pursuit qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Gavin Hoover, Ashton Lambie, Colby Lange and Eric Young of USA compete in the men's pursuit qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships (Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Derek Gee, Michael Foley, Adam Jamieson and Jay Lamoureux of Canada compete in the men's pursuit qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships (Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Adrian Kaiser, Szymon Krawczyk, Bartosz Rudyk and Szymon Sajnok of Poland compete in the men's pursuit qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships (Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Ethan Hayter, Edward Clancy, Oliver Wood and Kian Emadi of Great Britain or Team GB compete in the men's pursuit qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships (Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Ethan Hayter, Edward Clancy, Oliver Wood and Kian Emadi of Great Britain or Team GB compete in the men's pursuit qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Amy Cure of Australia competes in the women's pursuit qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Bryony Botha, Holly Edmondston, Kirstie James and Rushlee Buchanan of New Zealand compete in the Women's team pursuit qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships (Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Charlotte Becker, Franziska Brausse, Lisa Brennauer and Lisa Klein of Germany compete in the Women's team pursuit qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Ellie Dickinson of Great Britain competes in the Women's team pursuit qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker, Ellie Dickinson and Laura Kenny compete in the Women's team pursuit qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Jennifer Valente, Christina Birch, Kimberly Geist and Emma White of the USA compete in the Women's team pursuit qualifying on day one of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships(Image credit: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Elinor Barker secured the first rainbow jersey for Great Britain at the UCI Track World Championships in Poland on Wednesday, taking gold in the Scratch Race ahead of Dutchwoman Kirsten Wild and Belgium’s Jolien D’hoore.
"This feels so good," Barker said after the race. "It feels amazing."
It wasn't a smooth event as a crash marred the final lap of the event. The incident apparently didn't affect Barker's final sprint, however, with the winner saying she was only vaguely aware of the crash when it happened.
"I didn't know the crash happened until after, to be honest," Barker said. "Well, I knew that something had happened. I heard a bit of a bang, but you don’t really hear much when that happens behind you, so I didn’t know it happened until I came around a lap later to set up for my sprint. I hope everyone is OK and I think everyone got up."
Gold for Netherlands and Australia in Team Sprint
The Dutch men and Australian women each brought home gold in the Team Sprints, with the Dutch men beating France in the gold medal race and the Australian women taking down the Russian Federation for the rainbow jersey.
The Dutch team of Roy Van Den Berg, Harrie Lavreysen and Jeffrey Hoogland set the best qualifying time of 0:42.574 and then beat Great Britain in the first round to go on to the finals. In the gold medal race, the beat the French trio of Gregory Bauge, Sebastien Vigier and Quentin Lafargue with a time of 0:41.923 to 0:42.889. In the race for bronze, Russia beat Germany 0:43.115 to 0:43.294.
In the women's Team Sprint, the Australian duo of Kaarle McCulloch and Stephanie Morton set the top qualifying time of 0:32.492 and then beat Russians Daria Shmeleva and Anastasiia Voinova for gold. The Australians handled China easily in the first round and then rode a 0:32.255 in the gold medal round to Russia's 0:32.591. In the race for bronze, Germany rode 0:32.789 to Mexico's 0:33.455 to claim the final podium spot.
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Australians top Team Pursuit qualifying
The Australian men and women came out firing in Poland on Wednesday, with both teams setting the top marks in the qualifying round.
The men's quartet of Samuel Welsford, Kelland O'brien, Leigh Howard and Cameron Scott rode 3:52.152 to top the ranking heading into Thursday's elimination rounds. Great Britain's Ethan Hayter, Edward Clancy, Kian Emadi and Oliver Wood were second with 3:53.879. The Danish quartet of Lasse Norman Hansen, Julius Johansen, Rasmus Pedersen and Casper Von Folsach were third with 3:54.141.
Disaster struck the Italian men's team of Liam Bertazzo, Filippo Ganna, Francesco Lamon and Davide Plebani when Lamon crashed on the second lap, leading the remaining three to carry on to 10th best. The French quartet of Benjamin Thomas, Florian Maitre, Bryan Coquard and Aurelien Costeplane got off to a fast start but exploded in the final laps and slipped to 16th.
The Australian men again set the fastest time in the first round, beating New Zealand with 3:51.529, while the British men, taking on Denmark in the first round, were just a tick slower at 3:51.635 to the Danes' 3:55.602. Canada set the third-best time of the first round, beating Poland with a time of 3:54.670. The Australians will take on Great Britain in Thursday's gold medal round, while the Canadians will face Denmark for bronze.
The Australian team of Annette Edmondson, Ashlee Ankudinoff, Georgia Baker and Amy Cure blazed around the Polish track with a time of 4:14.915 to top the women's qualifying round, beating the British squad of Laura Kenny, Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker and Eleanor Dickinson in 4:15.618. The Kiwi quartet of Rushlee Buchanan, Bryony Botha, Holly Edmondston and Kirstie James are third at 4:19.065. The defending champions from the US, represented by Jennifer Valente, Christina Birch, Kimberly Geist and Emma White, were seventh at 4:25.384.
Australia will now face Italy in the first round on Thursday, with Great Britain taking on New Zealand, the United States facing Germany and Canada taking on Belgium.