How fast is the racetrack at the Velodrome Suisse in Grenchen? That question was often asked before the European Championships, though the fact the Rohan Dennis was able to post his hour record time here had given a strong hint.

After the first day with the Team Pursuit, there was still room for a little doubt, even if the Swiss quartet did manage to set a Swiss record. But as of Saturday evening at 7:45pm, there can be no lingering question: the Siberian spruce that covers the 250-meter track is very fast. It has been witness to one of the fastest times in the world. The Russian Anastasia Woinowa has provided the hard proof. With a time of 32.794 she improved upon the world record in the 500 meter Time Trial that the Australian Olympic Champion Anna Meares had achieved at the track at altitude in Agjuaclaientes, Mexico, by 42 thousandths of a second. The sprint World Champions Eli Ligtlee came in second place.

Ligtlee's compatriot Jeffrey Hoogland, had dominated the men’s Sprint on Friday, and had also been a member of the gold winning Team Sprint, so was not going to settle for silver in the Kilometer Time Trial. Hoogland started extremely fast, and was on course for a time well below one minute, but then his legs seemed to become very heavy. With extreme determination, he tortured himself to reach the finish line, where he was separated only by 0.219 seconds from the German Joachim Ellers, who had already won the silver medal at the Euro Championships in Guadeloupe the previous year. With a time of 1.00,350 Hoogland only just missed the world record set in Aguacalientes by François Pervis.