Cycling: Internationals crash out of contention

By JULIE ASH

Wanganui's Jono Hamlin won the men's sprint final last night at the national track cycling championships in Manukau.

Hamlin beat Auckland's Neil Campbell in the final best of three races after the pair caused upsets earlier in the day when New Zealand representatives Anthony Peden and Justin Grace were bundled out of the event.

In the rideoff for third and fourth Daniel Beatson (Otago), who had earlier knocked out Wellington's Peden in the quarter-finals, beat Justin Grace (Auckland) 2-1.

In a best of three rides, Peden won the first race before Beatson equalled the score in the second and won the decider.

Beatson was then beaten by Auckland's Neil Campbell in the semifinal.

In the other semifinal between Wanganui's Jono Hamlin and Auckland's Grace, who was the fastest qualifier and the defending champion, Hamlin won 2-0 in the best of three series. He had more horsepower in the final straight.

In the women's sprint, defending champion Otago's Katri Laike is through to today's semifinals.

The senior men's sprint final was won by Jono Hamlin (West Coast North Island) from Neil Campbell (Auckland) and Otago's Daniel Beatson.

The 2000m scratch final for junior under-15 boys was won by Sam Steele (Canterbury) in 2min 29.31sec from Jamie Richards (West Coast North Island) with Aaron Richards (Southland) third.

The event finishes tomorrow.