Aberdeen’s Neil Fachie stole the show on the final day of competition at the UCI Para-cycling track world championships in Apeldoorn, Holland.
World champions Fachie and Pete Mitchell were unbeaten from the opening B sprint tandems 200m time trial to the gold medal finals against Australia, showing tactical maturity and raw power that was impossible to match.
Fachie and Mitchell came close to a sub 10 second 200m time trial qualifier, three tenths of a second faster than nearest challengers Spain.
After dispatching Greece 2-0 in the quarter finals, Britain were set to face Germany’s Kruse and Nimke in the semi-finals but illness curtailed the German threat, giving Fachie and Mitchell a bye to the final, where they met second fastest qualifiers Porto Lareo and Villanueva Trinidad.
In the first heat Spain tried to set a high pace early on but at a lap and a half to go, a savage acceleration from the British pair left the Spaniards with no reply.
Spain tried every tactic in the book in the second heat in an attempt to ruffle the feathers of the British pair but once the sprint opened up, once again, Fachie and Mitchell were untouchable.
“We got a bye in the semi which was nice but I’d rather race to be honest,” said Fachie, who has the degenerative eye condition retinitis pigmentosa.
“I’m just delighted to get another one.”
Pilot Mitchell added: “It went according to plan – the guys we raced were experienced so any mistakes we made would have been capitalised on.
“Fortunately we rode solid races which allowed us to make the most of our good qualifying.”
It was the same story for 2014 world champion Sophie Thornhill, who, partnered by Helen Scott, dominated the women’s B sprint event. Like Fachie and Mitchell, the British women did not lose a heat throughout the contest, beating Australia’s Brandie O’Connor and Brianna Hargrave 2-0 to take gold.
Crystal Lane added C4-5 scratch bronze to her silver from the 500m time trial on Thursday in a frenetic race, her effort helping Great Britain top the medal table with nine medals – seven gold, one silver and bronze.
The final British medal came with a bronze for Crystal Lane in a blistering women’s C4-5 scratch race.