Christchurch’s Jason Allen went within a wheel from qualifying for the medal ride-off on the opening session of the UCI World Cup cycling meet in Melbourne yesterday.
Allen is part of a development squad sent by BikeNZ to the second World Cup meet, with their Olympians still building up towards next year’s world championships following a break after Beijing.
National track coach Tim Carswell said the world class meet in Melbourne was an excellent opportunity to blood the next group of young riders, with a squad of 15 competing.
“To have a meet of this quality so close was a great opportunity for us,” Carswell said.
“This World Cup is not just a development tool though. I am looking to see who can really show us that they are ready to make the next step. I’d like to think that one or two of this group could be in the team for London in 2012.”
Allen went close with a 4:26.436 effort in finishing fifth fastest qualifier in the individual pursuit, pipped out of the medal ride tonight by half a second.
The men’s sprint team had a problem at the start but recovered well to finish eighth fastest in the qualifying. The holder of lead-off rider Eddie Dawkins could not lift the bike to get his pedal in the correct position, with a kiwi team member having to rush out to correct it.
“It was a bit of a mess and Eddie had no time to settle before the start. That really was a shame as Eddie was up for a big one and that sets up the sprint.”
South Canterbury’s Lauren Ellis set a personal best of 3:48.59 to be ninth fastest in qualifying in the women’s pursuit while Natasha Hansen (Christchurch) was 11th overall in the sprint.
There are three kiwis contesting finals tonight with Penny Day (Christchurch) and Malindi MacLean (Auckland) both through after qualifying to the women’s scratch race final tonight.
South Canterbury’s highly promising Jason Christie will take part in the men’s points race.
New Zealand results, day 1 qualifying, UCI World Cup:
Men individual pursuit: Jason Allen (NZL) 4:26.36, 5th.
Team sprint: NZL (Eddie Dawkins, Adam Stewart, Simon Van Velthooven) 46/66, 8th.
Women individual pursuit: Lauren Ellis (NZL) 3:48.259, 9th.
Natasha Hansen (NZL) 11.859, 11th.
Scratch race, qualifying 1: Penny Day 5th. Qualifying 2: Malindi MacLean 6th – both to final. |
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