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Great Britain women win team pursuit bronze at Track World Cup

Great Britain women's team pursuit in the 2015 European Track Championships
Image: Great Britain women's won bronze in the team pursuit despite being down to three riders

Great Britain's women's pursuit team claimed an unlikely bronze on the opening day of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Cali, Colombia, but Sir Bradley Wiggins and the rest of the men's pursuit team missed out on a medal.

The women's squad of Katie Archibald, Joanna Rowsell Shand, Elinor Barker and Ciara Horne were only third quickest in the first round and consequently failed to qualify for the gold-medal final.

And it then looked like they would not beat China to bronze when Barker was unable to compete in the third-place play-off due to illness.

However, Archibald, Rowsell Shand and Horne produced a superb performance to win by less than two tenths of a second. Canada defeated the United States in the gold-medal final.

Laura Trott rode in qualifying but was then rested for the omnium, which takes place on Saturday and Sunday.

Horne said: "It was a really good team effort throughout the day. We have really, really battled in that final and we are delighted with the bronze."

The men's team of Wiggins, Andy Tennant, Owain Doull, Steven Burke and Jon Dibben missed out on a place in the medal finals after being only fifth fastest in the first round.

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They then faced Germany for fifth place overall and caught their opponents to seal victory. Russia beat Switzerland to the gold medal.

Both British teams missed out medals in the team sprint. The men's trio of Jason Kenny, Philip Hindes and Lewis Oliva qualified fifth fastest, while the women's pairing of Katy Marchant and Victoria Williamson could only qualify ninth fastest.

Germany took the men's gold medal, while China won the women's.

The first of the season's three Track Cycling World Cups continues on Saturday and concludes on Sunday.

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