KEY POINTS:
Eddie Dawkins produced a stunning ride to claim a silver medal and lift New Zealand's medal tally to four on the final day of the track programme at the junior world cycling championships in Mexico yesterday.
The Invercargill rider clocked a remarkable time of 1m 2.499s for the 1km time trial, the fastest recorded by a New Zealander at any level of competition.
Racing on an outdoor concrete 330m track, it represented an improvement of 1.3s on his previous personal best.
Team manager William Rastrick, who is also his personal coach, rated Dawkins' performance highly.
"It was an absolutely fantastic ride and we are over the moon," Rastrick said. "It was an exceptional time which would have won the rainbow jersey at any other time but the Australian [Thomas Palmer] pulled out a totally unexpected winning time.
"Eddie is a huge prospect. Unfortunately this event is not in the Olympics or he would be a very strong candidate for Beijing, although we will be talking that through with the selectors."
He said Dawkins' time stood as a superb effort, with the advantages of the 1750m altitude at Aguascalientes countered out by the disadvantage of an outdoor concrete track.
Dawkins' medal meant the team have already matched New Zealand's previous best haul at this meeting, with the time trial and road race remaining.
Also yesterday, Christchurch's Natasha Hansen finished a creditable fifth in the final of the keirin, which was won by Russia's Victoria Baranova.
South Canterbury's Lauren Ellis crashed while sitting in third place in the points race, ending her hopes of adding to the bronze medal she won in the individual pursuit.
Other medals had been won by Ashburton's Jason Christie in the points race and Aucklander Myron Simpson in the omnium.
Rastrick said his team were a very tight unit and showed remarkable determination and courage.
- NZPA
