Cycling: Pursuit teams issue warnings to rivals

Ethan Mitchell, Sam Webster, pictured during the Delhi Games, and Simon van Velthooven set the fastest ever time for a New Zealand team sprint combination. Photo / Brett Phibbs

New Zealand's team pursuit cyclists issued a loud Olympic warning shot with world class winning performances on the opening night of the Oceania Track Championships in Invercargill.

The women's trio of Alison Shanks, Lauren Ellis and Jaime Nielsen produced the fastest time in the world at sea level of 3:19.759, smashing the record they set in the morning by a further four seconds.

Their time was only 19/100ths of a second - a blink of the eye - outside the world record set by the USA at altitude in Mexico.

"We were conservative on schedule early because we were up against a strong Australian team and had to secure the win first. I thought the girls were really on schedule for a top time and so I let them go over the last kilometre,'' said coach Dayle Cheatley.

"The best thing is that our second team also produced a world class time and so we have six girls all capable of producing quality performances at the highest level.''

Minutes later the men's quartet of Marc Ryan, Sam Bewley, Aaron Gate and Jesse Sergent shattered their previous best by more than two seconds in winning the 4000m men's team pursuit final in a time of 3:55.295.

The men produced a superbly judged ride, unleashing in the final kilometre.

"We had initially looked at going 3:58 but saw the girls had gone a lot quicker so we re-thought our goals,'' said Bewley. "It gives us a lot of confidence going into the World Cup in Cali. We have been around the 3:58 mark for a few years so this is a big breakthrough.''

It marked a stunning night at the super-quick ILT Velodrome helped with a warm evening in the city.

The records kept tumbling with Southland-based Natasha Hansen and Otago's Katie Schofield rewriting one of the oldest records, when they won the women's team sprint final.

They clocked 34.401 to win the final over Australia's Rikki Belder and Tennille Falappi (35.768) to claim the record, previously set in 2007 by Fiona Carswell and Jocelyn Rastrick of 34.632.

Waimate's Dylan Kennett set the first record of the night when he won the under-19 3000m individual pursuit clocking 3:20.435 to beat Australia's Tirian McManus. Kennett, who won a silver medal in the omnium at the recent world junior championships, was 5/100s of a second inside the 2009 record of Canterbury's Michael Vink.

The men's team sprint trio of Ethan Mitchell, Sam Webster and Simon van Velthooven set the fastest ever time for a New Zealand combination in their morning qualifying ride. They topped qualifiers in 44.074 which eclipsed their previous best of 44.118s set at the Cali World Cup last year.

Mitchell jumped superbly in the final with Webster slightly back but Van Velthooven was four lengths off the back and while he produced a strong return to win the race, it no doubt cost a further record. They won in 44.468 from the Australian trio of Dan Ellis, Jason Niblett and Peter Lewis who clocked 44.870.

Results:

Men:

Elite, team sprint gold medal: New Zealand (Ethan Mitchell, Sam Webster, Simon Van Velthooven) 44.468, 1; Australia (Dan Ellis, Jason Niblett, Peter Lewis) 44.870, 2.

Bronze medal: Australia (Alex Bird, Andrew Taylor, James Glasspool) 38.018, 3; New Zealand (Matt Archibald, Eddie Dawkins, James Vercoe) 40.190, 4.

4000m team pursuit: gold medal: New Zealand (Sam Bewley, Jesse Sergent, Aaron Gate, Marc Ryan) 3:55.295, 1 (NZ Record); Australia (Scott Law, Jackson Law, Edward Bissaker, Peter Loft) no time.

Bronze medal: New Zealand (Wes Gough, Myron Simpson, Pete Latham, Cam Karwowski) won by overtaking.

Under-19:

3000m individual pursuit, gold medal ride: Dylan Kennett (NZL) 3:20.435, 1 (NZ record); Tirian McManus (AUS) 3:23.282, 2.

Bronze medal ride: Hayden McCormick (NZL) 3:23.595, 3; Joshua Harrison (AUS) 3:25.023, 4.

Women:

Elite Team Sprint gold medal: New Zealand (Katie Schofield, Natasha Hansen) 34.401, 1 (NZ record); Australia (Rikki Belder, Tennille Falappi) 35.768, 2.

Bronze medal: Australia (Maddison Law, Cassandra Kell) 36.158, 3; New Zealand (Stephanie McKenzie, Vanessa Quinn) 36.210, 4.

Elite 3000m team pursuit, gold medal: New Zealand (Rushlee Buchanan, Alison Shanks, Lauren Ellis) 3:19.759, 1 (NZ Record); Australia (Ashlee Ankudinoff, Amy Cure, Kate Bates) 3:29.211, 2.

Bronze medal: New Zealand (Rushlee Buchanan, Kaytee Boyd, Gemma Dudley) 3:24.449, 3; New Zealand U19 (Georgina Wilson, Racquel Sheath, Georgia Williams) 3:33.612 4.

Under-19
Team Sprint gold medal: New Zealand (Kate Dunlevey, Paige Paterson) 36.862, 1; Australia (Allee Proud, Rebecca Dunn) 36.960, 2.