Cycling: Silver opens the doors to rich races

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Cycling New Zealand's decision to reintroduce the madison at last year's national track championships in Dunedin played a part in the stunning ride for silver by Hayden Roulston and Greg Henderson at the world championships in Stuttgart, Germany.

The silver medal was just the sixth won by New Zealanders in senior events at this level and will help the build-up to next year's Olympics.

The madison is a technical two-man relay requiring experience and bike-handling ability.

Raced over 50km at an electrifying pace, each team must have one rider on the track at all times. Riders swap places, usually every three or four laps.

Points are awarded in sprints contested every 20 laps.

Roulston and Henderson missed an early break at the worlds when Switzerland and Argentina broke clear and looked set to take gold and silver.

With 60 of the 175 laps to ride, Roulston won the sprint and surged on. The duo eventually joined the breakaway and, by covering Argentina in the final sprint, took silver.

Henderson had his first taste of victory in the event when he and Otago centre team-mate Anthony Chapman won the madison at last year's track nationals.

Roulston has been riding the event for about four years.

The silver medal capped a solid effort by the New Zealand team and will lead to invitations to rich races in Europe - ideal Olympic preparation.

Sarah Ulmer was fourth in the 3000m individual pursuit in a race where the medals could have gone to any of five riders. In one of the more amazing efforts at the championships, Dutch rider Leontien Zijlaard Van Moorsel won again.

She took the pursuit for the first time in 1990, beating New Zealander Madonna Harris for gold.

Ulmer, who withdrew from the points race to concentrate on the pursuit, finished seventh in the women's scratch race.

Henderson warmed up for the madison with a good ride for fifth in the scratch race. He finished 11th in the points race.

The new-look 4000m pursuit team surprised many by finishing sixth in an event dominated by the Australians, who smashed the world record.

Former New Zealand national coach Ron Cheatley was not surprised the good results all came in endurance events.

"We will continue to do well in these races," he said. "But we are off the pace in the more explosive events such as the sprint and the kilometre time trial."

Top riders

Medals won by New Zealanders at the senior world track championships:

Harry Kent, silver, kilometre time trial.

1990: Karen Holloway, gold, points race; Madonna Harris, silver, individual pursuit.

1999: Anthony Peden, silver, keiren; Sarah Ulmer, bronze, points race.