Cycling: Peden draws old mate

Adopted Kiwi Anthony Peden has drawn close friend and double Olympic champion Jens Fielder in the first round of the men's cycling sprint after finishing down the field when qualifying was held at the Dunc Gray Velodrome here earlier today.

Peden and Fielder train together when the former Australian trains in Germany but the friendship will be temporarily on hold when the first round begins at 7pm tonight (NZT).

Peden, primarily using the sprint to tune up for the Keirin on Thursday, recorded a time of 10.649sec to finish 15th in the field of 18.

American Marty Nothstein was the quickest qualifier with a burst of 10.166sec, heading off French duo Laurent Gane (10.243sec) and Florian Rosseau (10.277secs).

Fielder, the Olympic champion at Barcelona and Atlanta was fourth fastest with a time of 10.287secs.

New Zealand's Fiona Ramage, the first rider away in the women's sprint qualifying eventually finished 11th in the 12-member field in a time of 11.803sec.

The New Zealander has an equally imposing task tonight, drawing second fastest qualifier Russian Oxana Grichina (11.439secs).

Frenchwoman Felicia Ballanger, gold medallist in the 500m time trial on Saturday was the top qualifier in a time of 11.262sec.

- NZPA