Cycling: NZ strikes double bronze at world champs

Team New Zealand compete in the Men's Team Pursuit Qualifying. Photo / Quinn Rooney.

All that glitters is not gold, as the New Zealand team found out with two bronze medals on the opening night of the world cycling track championships in Melbourne last night.

The men's team pursuit quartet of Marc Ryan, Sam Bewley, Aaron Gate and Westley Gough rode a well-judged race to claim bronze over Russia, after being behind by 1.5 seconds at the halfway mark in the 4000m event.

The men's sprint team needed some fortune to win the second bronze. The trio of Ethan Mitchell, Sam Webster and Eddie Dawkins had ridden a significant personal best of 43.742 to be fifth fastest behind the four superpowers of France, Germany, Australia and Great Britain.

But Britain and Germany were disqualified for infractions at the changeovers elevating the Kiwis to the bronze medal ride, where they edged out Japan.

Last night's was New Zealand's third medal in the team pursuit at the world championships and the third bronze for Gough and Ryan, who were in the pursuit combinations that won bronze medals in 2009 and 2010.

"We got our pace judgement much better, that was a really good ride," said Ryan.

"To think we have so much depth with Pete Latham on the sidelines who could have easily ridden and Jesse Sergent still to come back into the squad."

The quartet dropped behind by 1.5 seconds at the 2000m mark but gradually put the pressure on after a Russian rider was dropped to zoom home in 3:57.592.

The men's team sprint were delighted with their qualifying effort in 43.742, their first time under the 44-second barrier.

They were almost into their recovery mode when given the news of their elevation and produced almost a mirror image ride of 43.812 to edge out the Japanese by 8/100ths of a second.

Hosts Australia came from behind to pip France by 1/1000th of a second to win gold.

"We have been challenging that 44-second mark for a while so to beat it twice in one night is great," said Dawkins. "We've reduced our best time by nearly a second in two years and now we are less than half a second from the gold medal."

Earlier the brave Olympic bid by sprinters Katie Schofield and Natasha Hansen came unhinged at the start of their time trial. Schofield slipped out of the starting block and nearly fell. Although she recovered well, the chances of a world-class time had gone. Hansen produced a stunning second lap for a 34.278 effort, their second best time, to finish 10th.

The BikeNZ squad produced a rider for the future when 18-year-old Alex Frame from Christchurch finished an outstanding fourth in the men's 15km scratch race, won by Team Sky sprinter Ben Swift.

Frame, brought into the training camp last month, made the most of his chances and was elevated to the team for experience, and he produced a race of intelligence and integrity.

Two medals on the opening night was an outstanding start for the BikeNZ team. Further medal chances today are the women's team pursuit, Simon van Velthooven in the men's kilo time trial and Shane Archbold in the first day of the omnium.

Results:

Women's team sprint, qualifying: Germany 32.680, 1 (world record); Australia 32.752, 2; China 32.937, 3; Great Britain 32.941, 4. Also: New Zealand (K Schofield, N Hansen) 34.278, 10.

Gold medal ride: Germany 32.549, 1 (world record); Australia 32.597, 2. Bronze medal ride: china 32.870, 3; Great Britain 33.160, 4.

Men's team sprint, qualifying: France 43.247, 1; Australia 43.512, 2; New Zealand 43,742, 3; Japan 44.039, 4. Note: Germany and Great Britain disqualified.

Gold medal ride: Australia 43.266, 1; France 43.267, 2. Bronze medal ride: New Zealand Japan.

Men's 4000m team pursuit qualifying: Great Britain 3:54.485, 1; Australia 3:54.654, 2; New Zealand 3:59.156, 3; Russian 3:59.290, 4.

Gold medal ride: Great Britain 3:53.295, 1 (world record); Australia 3:53.401, 2. Bronze medal ride: New Zealand 3:57.592, 3; Russian 3:59.237, 4

Men's 15km scratch race: Ben Swift (GBR) 1, Nolan Hoffman (RSA) 2, Win Stroetinga (NED) 3. Also: Alex Frame (NZL) 4.