British student Charlie Tanfield celebrates individual pursuit gold at the UCI World Cup in Minsk ©UCI

British student Charlie Tanfield won gold for Team KGF in the men’s individual pursuit at the Tissot International Cycling Union Track Cycling World Cup in Minsk today. 

In the first of eight finals on the second night of competition in the Minsk Arena, 21-year-old Tanfield, who is studying mechanical engineering, clocked 4min 12.253sec to finish more than seven seconds faster than silver medallist Ivo Oliviera of Portugal.

Alexander Evtushenko of Team LOK defeated Germany’s Justin Wolf for the bronze medal.

Germany’s Pauline Grabosch defeated Lithuania’s hugely experienced double world champion Simona Krupekaite to win the women’s sprint title, with Nicky Degrendelle of Belgium winning the bronze medal race.

 The United States women’s team, fastest qualifiers for the team pursuit, duly followed through for the gold medal ahead of Italy and Canada.

The United States, fastest qualifiers for the women;s team pursuit, made no mistake in claiming gold at the UCI World Cup in Minsk ©UCI
The United States, fastest qualifiers for the women;s team pursuit, made no mistake in claiming gold at the UCI World Cup in Minsk ©UCI

The men’s team sprint title also went to the fastest qualifiers, Beat Cycling Club from The Netherlands, who recorded 43.397sec to defeat Poland, who clocked 44.116.

Tanfield’s fellow Briton Elinor Barker, riding for the GB team, took silver in the women’s omnium and scratch race, where golds went respectively to Kirsten Wild of The Netherlands and Aline Seitz of Switzerland.

Amy Pieters of The Netherlands took bronze in the scratch race, and third place in the omnium went to Jennifer Valente of the United States.

The Hong Kong and Chinese pairing of Chun Wing Leung and King Lok Cheung won the men’s Madison ahead of Roy Pieters and Wim Stroetinga of The Netherlands, with bronze going to the Portuguese brothers Rui and Ivo Oliveira.