Track Worlds: Valente holds off Van der Duin to win Scratch Race in Glasgow

Jennifer Valente (USA) beats Maike van der Duin (Netherlands) to win the world title in the women's Scratch Race at 2023 World Championships
Jennifer Valente (USA) beats Maike van der Duin (Netherlands) to win the world title in the women's Scratch Race at 2023 World Championships (Image credit: Getty Images)

The first three elite world titles were awarded on Thursday at the unified Cycling World Championships, being held at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow, Scotland, with another three awarded on the second day of racing on Friday in the women's 500m TT, women's Scratch Race and the men's Team Sprint.

Hinze wins another gold in Glasgow

Emma Hinze of Germany wins 500M TT

Emma Hinze of Germany wins 500M TT (Image credit: SWPix)

Emma Hinze of Germany secured her second world title of the week after winning the Team Sprint on Thursday; she added to her tally of gold medals in the women's 500m TT on the second day of racing at the combined world championships with a winning time of 0:00:32.820.

Hinze qualified with the fastest time and proved her dominance on the track, winning her eighth career world title and her first in the 500m TT.

Shanju Bao of China was one of the first riders to complete her time trial posting a fast time of 0:00:33.378; however, she was then bumped down the standings as the faster riders rounded the track.

In the end, it was Kristina Clonan (Australia) who took the silver medal with a time of 0:00:32.956. Lea Sophie Friedrich (Germany) claimed the bronze medal with a time of  0:00:33.134.

Sophie Capewell (Great Britain) slotted into fourth and Pauline Sophie Grabosch (Germany) in fifth, as Bao finished in sixth.

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500M TT (w)
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Emma Hinze (Germany) 0:00:32.820
2Kristina Clonan (Australia) 0:00:32.956
3Lea Sophie Friedrich (Germany) 0:00:33.134
4Sophie Capewell (Great Britain) 0:00:33.256
5Pauline Sophie Grabosch (Germany) 0:00:33.296
6Shanju Bao (China) 0:00:33.378
7Yufang Guo (China) 0:00:33.410
8Yulu Jiang (China) 0:00:33.460

Valente fastest in Scratch Race

Jennifer Valente (USA) beats Maike van der Duin (Netherlands) to win the world title in the women's Scratch Race at 2023 World Championships

Jennifer Valente (USA) beats Maike van der Duin (Netherlands) to win the world title in the women's Scratch Race at 2023 World Championships (Image credit: Getty Images)

Jennifer Valente (USA) dominated the final lap of the women's Scratch Race, winning the gold medal just ahead of her main last-lap rival Maike van der Duin (Netherlands), while Michaela Drummond (New Zealand) finished with the bronze.

"I couldn't see her, but always very aware of her, and you always kind of think what you would do, and if I were her, I would be trying to take a run. So, I went, knowing someone was always going to be there pushing on the outside." Valente said of Van der Duin.

"It's the very beginning of the competition, and a lot of racing to go, so it's exciting [to win the world title], but I'm trying to refocus now for the rest of the races."

The women's field race was 10km across 40 laps of the track in the final of the Scratch Race. There were two significant surges, the first from Katrijn de Clercq (Belgium) and then Eukene Larrarte (Spain). 

However, they were both reeled in for the final four laps before Valente launched her winning sprint with one lap to go and claim her sixth career world title on the track.

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Scratch Race (w)
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Jennifer Valente (United States Of America)
2Maike van der Duin (Netherlands)
3Michaela Drummond (New Zealand)
4Martina Fidanza (Italy)
5Clara Copponi (France)
6Tsuyaka Uchino (Japan)
7 Daria Pikulik (Poland)
8Maggie Coles-Lyster (Canada)
9Anita Yvonne Stenberg (Norway)
10Olivija Baleisyte (Lithuania)
11Jessica Roberts (Great Britain)
12Emily Kay (Ireland)
13Chloe Moran (Australia)
14Jasmin Liechti (Switzerland)
15Petra Sevcikova (Czech Republic)
16Lena Charlotte Reissner (Germany)
17Maria Antonieta Gaxiola Gonzalez (Mexico)
18Katrijn de Clercq (Belgium)
19Maria Martins (Portugal)
20Sze Wing Lee (Hong Kong, China)
21Amber Jospeh (Barbados)
22 Eukene Larrarte Arteaga (Spain)
23Alžbeta Bacikova (Slovakia)
24Ebtissam Zayed Ahmen (Egypt)

Netherlands unbeatable in Team Sprint

Harrie Lavreysen of The Netherlands celebrating his victory as part of the men's Dutch team that won the Team Sprint at Glasgow Worlds 2023

Harrie Lavreysen of The Netherlands celebrating his victory as part of the men's Dutch team that won the Team Sprint at Glasgow Worlds 2023 (Image credit: SWPix)

The men's Dutch team of Harrie Lavreysen, Jeffrey Hoogland and Roy van den Berg secured the world title in the men's Team Sprint to close out the second day of track racing at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow.

The trio posted the fastest time of the evening, winning gold, in a time of 0:00:41.647, beating Austrlia's team of Matthew Glaetzer, Leigh Hoffman and Matthew Richardson, which earned the silver medal.

Bronze went to the French team of Florian Grengbo, Rayan Helal and Sebastien Vigier.

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Team Sprint (m)
Pos.Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Netherlands 0:00:41.647
Row 1 - Cell 0 Harrie Lavreysen
Row 2 - Cell 0 Jeffrey Hoogland
Row 3 - Cell 0 Roy van den Berg
2Australia 0:00:41.682
Row 5 - Cell 0 Matthew Glaetzer
Row 6 - Cell 0 Leigh Hoffman
Row 7 - Cell 0 Matthew Richardson
3France 0:00:42.583
Row 9 - Cell 0 Florian Grengbo
Row 10 - Cell 0 Rayan Helal
Row 11 - Cell 0 Sebastien Vigier
4Great Britain 0:00:42.946
Row 13 - Cell 0 Alistair Fielding
Row 14 - Cell 0 Joseph Truman
Row 15 - Cell 0 Harmish Trunball
Kirsten Frattini
Deputy Editor

Kirsten Frattini is the Deputy Editor of Cyclingnews, overseeing the global racing content plan.

Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.

She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023.

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