TRACK CYCLING

World Champion sprint stars come out to play

By Cycling New Zealand

After stellar racing last night, the star sprinters all rose to the top in keirin qualifying on the third morning of the Skoda Track Cycling National Championships at the Avantidrome in Cambridge.

Defending champion Sam Webster, who won the individual sprint last night, was safely through along with his fellow Commonwealth Games medallists Eddie Dawkins, Simon van Velthooven and Matt Archibald.



Sam Webster (in blue) looks to attack during qualifying in the men’s keirin. Credit: Dianne Manson.

There were no major surprises with rising development riders Zac Williams (Auckland) and Jeremy Presbury (Southland) also qualifying through to the semifinals to be run tonight.
It was a similar situation in the women where defending champion Steph Mckenzie (Southland) and her fellow Cycling New Zealand high performance squad riders Katie Schofield and Natasha Hansen each won their first round and look set to fight out for the major honours tonight.

Taupo’s Lewis Eccles, who recently competed in his first UCI World Cup, topped qualifiers in the under-19 sprint in a brilliant 10.810s.

He was upset in the first round of elimination racing by Auckland’s Laurence Kerby but secured a place to the quarterfinals after winning his repechage. This pitted him in a rematch against Kerby where he made no mistake to venture into the semifinals tonight.

Outstanding Canterbury prospect Olivia Podmore topped qualifiers in the under-19 sprint in 11.729s, the only rider under the 12 second barrier, ahead of promising Southland rider Emma Cumming.

World champions Emma Foy (Northland) and her pilot Laura Fairweather (Southland) topped the qualifying in the Para-Cycling tandem 3000m individual pursuit in 3:31.105 ahead of Phillipa Gray and pilot Kylie Young who clocked 3:39.449.

Waikato’s Daniel Sharp, former international Para-Swimmer, continues to impress in his conversion to para-Cycling, teaming with Sean Finning in the tandem 4000m individual pursuit qualifying in 4:41.197.

Tonight’s session features under-19 sprint, elite keirin along with women’s scratch race and men’s points race.