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

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 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.

Valente fastest in Scratch Race

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.

Netherlands unbeatable in Team Sprint

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.