Cycling: Auckland rider just out of the medals

Auckland rider Adam Coker finished fourth in the 10km scratch race at the first session of the junior world track championships in Los Angeles yesterday.

Coker and five other riders had lapped the field with 10 laps remaining, but then became inter-mingled in the main bunch.

Within five laps of the start an initial break of five riders left the main bunch and a few laps later Coker, an 18-year-old part-time civil engineering student, had joined them.

"I couldn't remember everybody who was in the break and once we caught the bunch it was confusing," Coker said.

"I had a good place with three laps remaining, but thought I'd gone to the front a bit too early. Then I let too many riders pass me."

Although he made up several places in the final 250m, Coker just failed to catch the Moldova rider, who claimed the bronze medal.

In other events, Matt Haydock (Auckland) was the sixth-fastest qualifier for the men's 3000m individual pursuit with a time of 3m 27.574s.

North Shore's Josh England set a personal best time for the kilometre time trial when he was clocked at 67.158s while finishing seventh.