KEY POINTS:
New Zealand's solitary gold at the track cycling world championships may have been snared in a non-Olympic event but BikeNZ remains buoyant about its medal chances in Beijing.
Hayden Godfrey provided the perfect ending to New Zealand's campaign in Manchester, England, today when he won the gruelling omnium, a series of five sprint and endurance events.
He became the first New Zealand male track rider to earn a world championships rainbow jersey since Greg Henderson won the scratch race four years ago in Melbourne.
The omnium, which features a sprint, scratch race, individual pursuit, points race and 1km trial, was reintroduced to the world championships programme last year when Godfrey was injured and unable to compete.
A year's wait was rewarded today as he recorded a win in the scratch race, one third, two fourths and a seventh placing.
He won with 19 points ahead of Australian silver medallist Leigh Howard on 28 and Aliaksandr Lisonski, of Belarus, on 35.
Godfrey provided New Zealand's only podium finish at the championships but BikeNZ team manager Craig Adair re-emphasised the squad were following a carefully considered plan to peak for the start of the track programme at the Olympics on August 15.
Great Britain deliberately focused on their home event and duly dominated with an unprecedented nine gold medals.
New Zealand were happy to take a back seat, however, likewise Australia, a traditional powerhouse in the velodrome.
Australia did not win a gold during the five-day programme but can be expected to mount a much sterner challenge in Beijing.
Adair is bullish about New Zealand's squad also making an impact.
"We're not peaking yet. This is a slow build to Beijing," he said today.
"The English specifically targeted this because it's their home town. They're going to taper off now and come back again. We don't believe that's the way to go.
"We're not doing having a break, we're continuing on."
Apart from Godfrey, Adair was delighted with the performance of Hayden Roulston in the individual pursuit and the team pursuit quartet of Roulston, San Bewley, Marc Ryan and Westley Gough, who clocked a New Zealand record time of four minutes 00.8333 seconds in qualifying.
Roulston was fourth in the individual pursuit behind English world champion Bradley Wiggins while the team pursuit also finished fourth.
Adair expects significant improvement come Beijing.
"Hayden was one second behind Bradley Wiggins in qualifying - and he's hardly done any track work.
"Bradley has had wind tunnel testing, he's been peaking for this event, he's got all the latest bike stuff. We haven't touched that stuff yet," Adair said.
"We've got four-five seconds left in us yet."
Godfrey echoed Adair's optimism.
"There's an absolutely awesome programme going on at the moment," he said.
"The team pursuit are right there. They need a little more time, lots of the guys are young.
"Other events like the madison, you need a bit of luck there. Everyone's got the legs."
While a world championships in Olympic year routinely finalise team selection, cycling's process is more convoluted and New Zealand will not have their team confirmed until the end of April.
"No one is assured of anything, so everyone is still on their toes," Adair said.
The sport's governing body UCI is still to designate exactly how many spots are available to countries although Adair said the team pursuit, both individual pursuits - Roulston and Alison Shanks - plus the madison combination of Roulston and Henderson - were assured.
Catherine Cheatley is a possibility in the points race although a 21st placing in Manchester did not help her cause.
The New Zealanders return home on Wednesday and maintain training ahead of a final selection trial in Invercargill on Anzac weekend.
- NZPA
