Jennifer Valente hits bronze to close out UCI Track World Championships
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This article originally appeared on Velo News
USA Cycling’s Jennifer Valente closed out the 2022 UCI Track World Championships on Sunday with bronze in the women’s points race.
With third, the medal is Valente’s 17th world championship medal in her track racing career.
"That race was tough," Valente said. “It's the end of the week, and everyone is trying for one last chance at the podium.”
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The 100-lap points was the last women’s event, so action was tight from the beginning. Valente scored points early in the race, placing in the first two sprints. Danish rider Julie Leth attacked the field, and Valente and Belgian rider Lotte Kopecky both began to chase, bridging to the front group in under two laps.
Leth took the sprint at 10 laps remaining and then took the lap. Nevah Evans, Valente, and Kopecky realized their podium hopes and reacted three laps to go.
In the end, Evans won the event, with Leth in silver, and Valente in third.
"Keeping an eye on Silvia and Lotte near the end was hard because they're both incredibly strong,” he said. “The point spread was incredibly tight for most of the race, with 10 points separating first to ninth, I think. I'm happy to end this event with another medal."
Valente won all three of USA Cycling’s medals on the boards in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines in France during the 2022 track worlds, with another bronze in the elimination and gold in the omnium.
Results
1. Nevah Evans (GBR) - 60 pts.
2. Julie Leth (DEN) - 53 pts.
3. Jennifer Valente (USA) - 51 pts.
In other racing action for USA Cycling:
Gavin Hoover (Manhattan Beach, Calif.; L39ion of Los Angeles) took on the men's elimination, where he placed 12.
The duo of Eddy Huntsman (Newport Beach, Calif.; ButcherBox Pro Cycling) and Peter Moore (Saint Paul, Minn.; Giant Dijon Track Team) partnered up to sling each other around the track in the men's madison, and Kayla Hankins (Phoenix, Ariz.) toed the line for the women's keirin.
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