New Zealand's world champion Ellesse Andrews (left) in the keirin final at the opening round of the UCI Champions League in Mallorca. Photo / UCI/SWPix
New Zealand's world champion Ellesse Andrews (left) in the keirin final at the opening round of the UCI Champions League in Mallorca. Photo / UCI/SWPix
World champion and Te Awamutu Sports Cycling Club alumna Ellesse Andrews, 23, adorned her rainbow stripes in style with victory in the opening night of the UCI Track Champions League in Mallorca, Spain.
Andrews won the keirin final in impressive fashion in her first outing in the UCI league, whichis an invited exhibition series in Mallorca, Berlin, Paris and London.
The keirin world champion won her qualifying race and impressed in the final, moving from mid-pack with two laps to go, and hitting the front with one lap remaining. She held off the challenge from Colombia’s Martha Bayona to score the win in her debut in the League.
Earlier, she made the semifinals in the sprint competition, in her first experience in the three-up sprint format, and lies in third place overall in the overall sprint competition.