Golden start for Great Britain

Great Britain claimed three gold medals on the opening day of the European Track Championships in Apeldoorn in the Netherlands yesterday.

The women's team pursuit squad of Dani King, Laura Trott and Jo Rowsell started the success when they defeated Germany in the final.

The men's team of Geraint Thomas, Steven Burke, Ed Clancy and Pete Kennaugh swiftly followed suit.

Victoria Pendleton and Jess Varnish then added to the gold medal haul in the women's team sprint, bettering their silver medal performance of last year.

But there was disappointment in the men's team sprint as the trio, featuring Sir Chris Hoy, crashed out in the morning qualifiers. Jason Kenny suffered a slipped wheel at the start, possibly from a piece of timing tape on the track, and the team, which also included Matt Crampton, could only manage fifth fastest.

"[It's a] frustrating start to the championships," Hoy, who rides in the individual sprint today, wrote on his Facebook page. "On the plus side my lap was quick so all I can do is focus on tomorrow."