Image source, Getty Images
Sophie Capewell and Emma Finucane are part of Great Britain’s women’s team sprint quartet
Great Britain won two silver medals on day one of the European Track Cycling Championships in the Netherlands.
Emma Finucane, Sophie Capewell, Lowri Thomas and Katie Marchant were narrowly edged out by Germany in the women’s team sprint finals in Apeldoorn.
Will Tidball, who aims to make his Olympic debut at Paris 2024, then won silver in the men’s elimination race.
The scratch world champion, 23, earned his first individual European medal behind Denmark’s Tobias Hansen.
Belgium’s Jules Hesters took bronze behind Tidball, who said: “It is a good start to 2024, [there’s] lots of positives to take. I am excited, it’s a big year.
“After winning the worlds last year, that was massive. If you had told me last year that I’d be getting a medal at the Euros I’d probably be happy but the fact I’m a bit disappointed shows the standard I am going for now.”
GB had eased past Ukraine in the first round of the women’s team sprint, setting the second fastest time behind Germany, who have medalled at the last three Olympics.
Marchant, an Olympic bronze medallist at Rio 2016, said: “We keep pushing the Germans to almost breaking world records, if not breaking records, every time we come up against them.
“It is really exciting. We have a long-term goal and that is Paris. We are really confident in our ability and I think, as a team, we are in a really good place.”
GB’s men’s sprint team fell short in their bronze-medal race against Poland, with the Netherlands beating France in the gold-medal race.
GB’s men’s and women’s team pursuit teams qualified for their respective gold-medal races on Thursday.