Cycling: Bronze for team pursuit

New Zealand's endurance cyclists rode to form and secured a bronze medal after a predictable Commonwealth Games men's team pursuit qualifying session at National Cycling Centre in Manchester.

New Zealand's quartet of Greg Henderson, Lee Vertongen, Hayden Roulston and Matthew Randell needed to head off either favourites England or trans-Tasman rivals Australia to progress to the gold medal ride tonight but to settle for third place after recording a time of four minutes 07.689 seconds for the 4000-metre journey.

Organisers decided there would be no bronze medal ride-off with only five nations entered in the competition. Scotland and Wales made up the field.

New Zealand, the third team to set a time, smashed the Commonwealth Games record - eclipsing the Australia's mark of 4min 13.405secs at Kuala Lumpur four years ago.

However, their names were swiftly erased from the electronic scoreboard when England, last year's world championship silver medallists, completed the journey in 4min 04.920sec.

New Zealand then had to rely on Australia, who have crashed out in their last two major international meets, experiencing more bad luck or having on off-day time-wise for the Kiwis to make the final.

The Australians hit the deck in the 2001 world championships and the Sydney leg of the World Cup in March - but the defending Commonwealth title holders produced a slick, trouble-free ride and grabbed back the record with a scintillating 4min 03.934secs.

Meanwhile, in the women's sprint New Zealand national champion Fiona Carswell withdrew from the starting lineup today still suffering from the exertions of last night's points race.

Carswell withdrew part way through the 25km race when the heat - estimated at 30degC took its toll.

"It was just one of those things, she just didn't have a good ride, all the girls were feeling it last night," assistant team coach Tim Carswell, Fiona's partner, said.

Track Men's Sprint Minor Final 9-12th:

1 Justin Grace (NZL) 11.518 seconds, 2 Craig Maclean (Sco), 3 Alwyn Mcmath (Nir) Disqualified, 4 Anthony Peden (NZL) Did Not Start

Track Men's 4000m Individual Pursuit Semifinal:

Paul Manning (Eng) 4 minutes 21.184 seconds Q bt Hayden Godfrey (Nzl) 4min 32.974sec, Bradley Wiggins (Eng) 4min 19.168sec Q bt Peter Dawson (Aus) 4min 27.539sec, Brad Mcgee (Aus) 4min 18.194sec Q bt Hayden Roulston (nzl) 4min 28.878sec, Luke Roberts (Aus) 4min 20.086sec Q bt Kieran Page (Eng) 4min 38.771sec.


- NZPA

Full coverage:
nzherald.co.nz/manchester2002

Medal table

Commonwealth Games info and related links