Cycling: Brauß races to gold - Hinze ends track cycling world championship with silver

Franziska Brausse looked anxiously at the scoreboard, then threw up her arms in celebration.

Cycling: Brauß races to gold - Hinze ends track cycling world championship with silver

Franziska Brausse looked anxiously at the scoreboard, then threw up her arms in celebration. In the third attempt, it finally worked for the 23-year-old from Eningen. After bronze in 2020 and silver in 2021, she managed to win the 3,000-meter individual pursuit in a highly exciting final on the Olympic track in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.

"To be at the top alone at a world championship, to take over the title from Lisa Brennauer, is special for me," said the four-man Olympic champion from Tokyo and didn't really know how to classify the success: "It's almost nicer to be with the Winning the team because you're on the podium with the girls and you can be happy as a team."

Brauße's first major victory in the individual discipline

Brauße provided the highlight from a German point of view, while sprint ace Emma Hinze trudged off the track with a red face after missing the gold chance. Silver in the 500-meter time trial was initially a disappointment for the series world champion who had been spoiled by success. She was duped by the only 20-year-old French Marie-Divine Kouamé to the cheers of the 5000 spectators. After her second place, Hinze announced her exit from the World Championships, and she will no longer compete in the keirin on Sunday.

At least Brausse ensured a happy ending, but the final against New Zealand's Bryony Botha was not without tremors. After a little more than a kilometer, the German had already gained more than a second, but the lead was dwindling more and more. Suddenly Botha was even ahead. "I had problems staying up to speed at the back. It got tight there. I heard a bit of what the announcer said. (...) I knew then that I had to give everything," said Brausse. In the end it was a sprint to the finish line, "just full throttle".

It should do. Brausse won in 3:19.427 minutes, just ahead of Botha (3:19.869). European Champion Mieke Kröger, on the other hand, missed out on bronze in the small final against Brit Josie Knight. For Brausse it is the first major success in the individual discipline. Previously, she had already won gold in Tokyo with the foursome, as well as two European titles and World Cup gold in 2021. In France, the foursome only managed sixth place after a change in personnel.

Hinze no longer competes in the keirin

For Hinze, the title fights ended with silver. A day after the 25-year-old was dethroned as the sprint world champion, it was not enough to win gold over 500 meters in 33.051 seconds. Hinze was the second driver after Anna Meares to miss all four short-term titles (sprint, keirin, 500 meters and team sprint). "When you're first in qualifying, it's a bit of a shame. I just thought I could drive even faster. When it wasn't like that, I was disappointed," said Hinze.

For Hinze it was the third medal at this World Championships. She had previously won gold in the team sprint and bronze in the sprint on the Olympic track in Paris 2024. She will no longer start in the Keirin on Sunday: "I don't think it's going to do me any good. I wanted to drive again. I notice that my body has given me a sign and I just have to accept it. It's no use to me if I can only walk backwards afterwards."

Lea Sophie Friedrich, Pauline Grabosch and Alessa-Catriona Pröpster, on the other hand, missed the final in 9th, 10th and 15th place. Friedrich, who was second in the sprint on Friday, had won the world championship title over 500 meters in the past two years.

NEXT NEWS