Cycling: Archbold wins Olympic build up race

Timaru cyclist Shane Archbold has won a kermesse circuit race in Belgium as he prepares for the London Olympics.

Archbold, who will contest the omnium on the track in London, won the bunch sprint in the 118km circuit race in Herselt in northern Belgium.

His Olympic team-mate Aaron Gate (Auckland) was third in the sprint with Myron Simpson (Auckland) 13th and London-bound pursuiter Westley Gough (Waipukurau) 18th in the under-23 race.

Other New Zealanders in the race include Alex Frame (Christchurch) 27th with Gough's younger cousin Fraser Gough in 34th.

The New Zealand Olympic endurance track team will contest the Tour de Pays de Savoie starting on Thursday, a UCI 2.2 European Tour event over four days based in the French Alps.

They have come off a track training block in Switzerland and following this block of road racing, will join up for their final track preparation camp in Bordeaux next month.

Results, Herselt Kermesse, Belgium, 118km:

Shane Archbold (NZL) 2:43.15, 1; Kevin Hoovels (BEL) same time,2, Aaron Gate (NZL) same time, 3. Also other New Zealanders: Myron Simpson 13, Westley Gough 18, Alex Frame 27, Fraser Gough 34.