UCI Track Champions League: 'I’m not afraid' – Sprinter Emma Hinze on the London last chance saloon
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Published 02/12/2021 at 22:20 GMT
With the Tel Aviv round of the UCI Track Champions League cancelled due to Covid, London provides the last chance for anyone to overhaul sprint star Emma Hinze in the women's competition. She knows her rivals will all be gunning for her but, despite that, she promises she's scared of no-one. “I’m not afraid,” she says. “I know there are some really good women [racing], but I’m not afraid.”
Hinze on rivals: 'I’m not afraid'
Emma Hinze, who leads the sprint competition going into the final two rounds of the inaugural Track Champions League, expects the racing to be full-on in London.
With the Tel Aviv round, due to take place next weekend, now cancelled due to Covid, it leaves no room for error in the series deciders on Friday and Saturday.
“Everyone knows it’s the last two races, and we only have those two chances,” says Hinze.
With a much shorter gap between the Lithuania round and London, the German rider says she has found it more challenging than in the run-up to last weekend’s racing.
“It’s been stressful because I’ve only been home for two days… I trained on Monday and Tuesday, then we flew on Wednesday. I tried to recover but the time was really short, so I really hope I will be fit tomorrow.”
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Despite feeling less prepared than previously, the 24 year-old is confident of hanging onto the leader’s jersey through both sessions at the Lee Valley Velodrome.
“I’m not afraid,” she says. “I know there are some really good women [racing], but I’m not afraid.”
As to who might be able to beat her, the only name Hinze offers is that of the only rider to beat her last weekend: her team-mate, compatriot and friend, Lea Sophie Friedrich.
With the sprint competition taking a lot out of her, Hinze was, she says, content “with second place in the keirin.” She’s certainly not prepared to let Friedrich have any freebies, however, adding that “of course, when I’m at the starting line I would like to win the race.”
Hinze is looking forward to showing the London fans, renowned as some of the most enthusiastic in track cycling, what she can do as one of the top athletes in her field.
“I’ve been here two or three times for World Championships and World Cups,” she says. “I was still young, so I wasn’t that good, but I like the track and I have good memories of the crowd, who were really, really loud and cheering the riders on which I really liked.”
As much as she’s enjoyed the racing, and as further proof that the riders have given it their all in this series, Hinze is looking forward to having a break from racing once the Track Champions League is over on Saturday night.
“I think I will need some rest after,” she concludes.
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The UCI Track Champions League returns for round three on December 3 and you can watch all of the action live on the Eurosport app, eurosport.co.uk and discovery+. Find out more about the "mind-blowing" new era for track cycling.
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