Cycling: Kiesanowski takes title in points race

Canterbury's teamwork was a telling factor in getting Joanne Kiesanowski across the line first in the important elite women's points race at the national track cycling championships in Wanganui last night.

Kiesanowski finished with 25 points, taking the final sprint to rub it in the nose of local favourite Catherine Sell, who finished eight points behind in second place.

The pair are rivals for positions in the Commonwealth Games team.

The Canterbury teamwork was clearly obvious, with Kiesanowski, Kathryn Jones and Tammi Boyd forcing Sell four wide on the bend before her final sprint.

The Wanganui woman, New Zealand champion from last year and the recent World Cup representative, lacked her usual sting and it seems her long break after a crash in Manchester took its toll.

"I felt really flat tonight and because of that I didn't want to do too much work. Instead I tried to save myself for when it would be important," Sell said.

Sell took the first sprint but Kiesanowski took three of them later in the race.

Third was Waikato workhorse Melissa Holt, always near the front of the bunch. There was not a lot of real pace on throughout, in contrast to the spectacular men's race won by Greg Henderson on Thursday night.

One highlight of the night was a national record set by the Auckland men's sprint team, who recorded 47.515s in beating Otago. The previous record was 47.560s, set by Justin Grace, Nathan Seddon and Matt Sinton in 2002.

While Grace was again a member of last night's team, Seddon was a member of the beaten Otago team. Grace raced alongside Neil Campbell and Andy Williams in the Auckland team.

In other women's action, Aucklander Elizabeth Williams took revenge on Canterbury's Fiona Carswell by winning the 500m time-trial. Carswell took out the sprint on Thursday.

But Williams was frustrated because her 36.917s was still outside the Games qualifying mark of 36.00s.

- NZPA