Cycling: Ulmer throws out challenge to rivals

By CHRIS BARCLAY

Sarah Ulmer kept her head to emerge top qualifier in a searing individual pursuit qualifying session in which the Games mark was shattered three times in succession.

Ulmer claimed a Commonwealth record, personal best and a crucial psychological advantage.

She sat without emotion in the warm-up zone as Australians Alison Wright and Katherine Bates took turns at rubbing out the four-year-old mark of compatriot Alayna Burns.

Then Ulmer, the defending champion, and gold-medal favourite, overcame a sluggish start to grab pole position for today's semifinals with a scorching ride of 3m 32.504s.

Far from being intimidated by the slick riding of Wright and Bates, the 26-year-old used the Australians as the ultimate motivational tool.

"It set off a few alarm bells. I didn't expect the times to be that fast," she admitted.

"I knew I'd have to do something special to qualify fastest, and that sort of stuff brings out the best in you. I don't think I'd have done a personal best if I didn't have to."

A grandstand finish is guaranteed in the final, with Wright, and Bates in particular, breathing down Ulmer's neck.

Bates, who won the points race on Wednesday, was only a wheel length away, clocking 3m 32.913s, and road specialist Wright was the first to top Burns' mark of 3m 40.389s with a personal best of 3m 35.605s.

The two quickest riders today go into the final and the next fastest pair battle for bronze.

Lee Vertongen narrowly missed a medal in the men's 20km scratch race when he lost out in a frantic four-man sprint at the climax of an intriguing tactical battle.

Vertongen managed to join a decisive break with eventual winner Graeme Brown, of Australia, England's Tony Gibb and Welshman Huw Pritchard.

Just before the bell lap, Brown took off.

Vertongen was caught at the tail and could not make up ground. Pritchard won the silver, Gibb the bronze.

New Zealander Greg Henderson was sixth and countryman Hayden Godfrey ninth.

Brown's win came soon after his Australian team-mates set a world record (3m 59.583s) in beating England in the team pursuit final.

- NZPA

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