It was a day of mixed emotions for the home team at the Glasgow World Championships in both the men’s and women’s junior road races on Saturday.
The home team started the day as outright favourites for the junior women’s title. However, thanks to a blistering long range attack from France’s Julie Bego they were forced to settle for second place and a silver medal for Cat Ferguson.
Led by Emma Trott - sister of multiple Olympic champion Laura Kenny - the British team were aiming to secure the rainbow jersey for Ferguson who came into the race as the group’s lead rider.
Ferguson has rapidly developed a name for herself as a rising star in women’s cycling and has previously won the junior Tour of Flanders, Trofeo Alfredo Binda and a stage in the recent Bizkaikoloreak Nations Cup stage race to further underline her credentials.
Speaking to the media after the race, Ferguson explained that the initial frustration at missing out on the rainbow bands had worn off and that she was proud of the team’s achievement.
"If you told me at the start of the season I'd come second here I'd be so happy,” she said. “So far my season's gone really well - I took a couple of wins in the Nations Cups. GB came here looking for the gold medal and the jersey, whether it was me winning or one of my teammates. So it's a little bit frustrating with the silver but it's not the end of the world.
“I definitely felt a bit of pressure as I've won two Nations Cups on quite a similar course to this as well, so I felt like I was the favourite coming in. But equally, pressure gives you adrenaline, it helps you. So as a first year I felt less pressure because I knew I had a whole other year."
