MATCH REPORT: Team GB Juniors leave it late to clinch Federation Cup

Great Britain clinched the Junior Federation Cup at Le Fevre for the first time with a remarkable second half comeback after trailing Poland by 7 points and Australia by 6 after 14 races.

The first race of the 2nd half saw GB concede a 6-4 to Poland, but the young Lions did not concede another heat advantage after that, as they shared 3 of their next races and scored 6-4s in three further races, before heat 26 saw GB score a vital 7-3 by Haydn Rowley and Adam Watson over Szymon Tywczynski and Damian Pelaczyk.

Great Britain celebrate. Photos by Mick Priest.

That was Poland’s last race, so they finished with 88 points. GB were on 85 and Australia were on 82 going into the final race of the day, which GB needed to avoid a maximum heat advantage for Australia to wrap up the title. The young lions held firm, as Brandon Whetton raced away to take the heat win and share the heat, giving Great Britain victory by 90 points from Poland on 88 and Australia on 87.

Senior Federation Cup

The Senior Federation Cup saw Poland emulate the GB Juniors by coming back to win after trailing Australia by 7 points after 14 heats.

The Poles shared 5 of their last 9 races as well as scoring 2 6-4s and a 7-2 meaning, with Australia having finished on 90 points, Poland needed both of their riders, Kamil Bielica and Dawid Bas to finish the last race to clinch victory.

They did just that, despite conceding a 6-4 to Great Britain, which meant they won on 92 points ahead of Australia on 90 and Great Britain on 84.

There was bad news for Great Britain, as Zac Payne, in his sixth and final race of the evening, pulled up with what could be a hamstring injury, which had threatened to rule the in-form rider out of the rest of the tour, but following some intense physiotherapy, took his place in the individual semi finals and remarkably qualified for this Saturday’s world final despite severe pain.

If anyone has the scores for both junior and senior matches, please send them through to newsroom@3318news.co.uk.