Cycling: Big guns battle in keirin

Simon van Velthooven. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The big guns moved safely through to the semifinals of the keirin at the track cycling national championships in Cambridge today.

Simon van Velthooven, who won bronze in the keirin at the London Olympics, dominated his heat and was joined in tonight's semifinals by the world championship-winning trio of Sam Webster, Ethan Mitchell and Eddie Dawkins along with BikeNZ teammate Matt Archibald.

The others to join them after another enterprising session at the new Avantidrome were Mid South Canterbury's Daniel Rafferty and the Southland pair of Ben Stewart and Jeremy Presbury.

The four winners of the repechage races to join them in the semifinals were Zac Williams (Auckland), Greg Potter (Auckland), Karl Watson (Southland) and Fabian Wybrow (Southland).

The leading trio of women's sprinters also progressed comfortably in the keirin, including heat winner Natasha Hansen (Southland), the 500mm time trial champion Katie Schofield (Otago) and last night's sprint winner Stephanie Mckenzie (Southland).

Joining them in tonight's final is Racquel Sheath (Waikato BOP) and Christchurch sisters Elizabeth and Victoria Steel.

Tonight features the semifinals and finals of the under-19 sprints, the semifinals and final of the keirin, the under-19 points race, the elite women's scratch race and elite men's points race.

The championship concludes tomorrow.