Cycling: Kiwis strike gold in World Cup

New Zealand's track cycling team experienced a memorable night at the World Cup meeting in Cali, Colombia, with two gold medals yesterday.

The men's pursuit team of Tim Carswell, Gary Anderson, Lee Vertongen and Greg Henderson beat Australia in the final, 20 minutes after Sarah Ulmer had claimed gold in the 3000m individual pursuit.

To cap off a big night, Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games gold medallist Glenn Thomson took bronze in a hotly contested 30km points race.

The results took New Zealand's medal haul to four after Anderson's silver medal in the individual pursuit on Saturday.

Anderson replaced Brendon Cameron in the pursuit team after they qualified fastest yesterday ahead of Australia, United States and Italy.

They went on to break the New Zealand record they set in the qualifying rounds, recording 4m 5.861s in beating Australia by more than three seconds.

Ulmer rode a personal best of 3m 33.412s in qualifying fastest for the individual pursuit, the best time in the world this year.

She then had a comfortable three seconds to spare over Olympic champion Antonella Belluti of Italy in taking the gold in 3m 34.337s, with Australian Hayna Burns third.

Thompson also proved he was right on target for the Sydney Olympics in September, finishing just behind Colombian Marlon Perez and Australian Franz Stocher in the points race.

On day one of the meeting on Saturday, Anderson rode the fastest 4000m pursuit time by a New Zealander since his bronze medal effort in Barcelona in 1992.

The time of 4m 29.735s has almost certainly clinched an individual pursuit place in Sydney.

Matt Sinton was eighth in the 1000m time trial while Anthony Peden bowed out in the last 16 of the match sprint while Fiona Ramage was eliminated in the last eight of the women's event.

Both will line up in their specialist events on the final day of the meeting today.

- NZPA