TRACK | Rainbows lined in silver in New Zealand

Photo - Guy Swarbrick

Australia’s world champion men’s and women’s pursuit teams secured the silver medals on a scintillating first day of the TISSOT UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Cambridge, New Zealand. The women were edged by New Zealand in one of the fastest female team pursuits in history, while the men were stunned by Switzerland.

Women's Team Pursuit

Georgia Baker, Annette Edmondson, Ashlee Ankudinoff and Alexandra Manly produced the second-best time in qualifying, clocking 4mins 16.098secs, just over one and a half seconds behind the Kiwis.

Maeve Plouffe replaced Baker in their first-round ride against Canada, which they won (4:14.295) to secure a place in the gold medal ride.

With Baker returning to the quartet in place of Manly for the final, the quartet soared to an Australian record time of 4mins 12.460secs, which eclipsed the 2015 mark (4:13.683) set by Ankudinoff, Edmondson, Melissa Hoskins and Amy Cure, a world record which also secured them the World title. 

However, the scorching time was not enough to claim gold, with New Zealand recording an astounding time (4:10.705) which was only half a second outside the world record.

“We executed our race plan to a tee so we can’t really be too disappointed,” Ashlee Ankudinoff said. “At the end of the day, we were just beaten by a better team and New Zealand did a very quick time.”

The women's team unveiled a new strategy which involves the front riders making their turn in the straight, rather than the traditional bend change.  Ankudinoff believes their new strategy is proving effective.

“So far so good. We’ll continue to do that. We’re still quite a way out from the Olympics so we’ll keep doing it and hopefully, we’ll improve.”

Photo - Guy Swarbrick

Men's Team Pursuit

Reigning world champions and record holders Sam Welsford, Leigh Howard, Kelland O’Brien and Alexander Porter were fastest in men’s team pursuit qualifying in a time of 3mins 50.903secs.

Cameron Scott replaced Howard in their first-round heat, with the team producing a slightly improved time (3:50.273). 

Switzerland showed their mettle by clocking the only sub 3:50 time of the day and then hung tough to stop the clock in the final at 3mins 50.359secs. Porter was the third Australian to cross the line (3:52.412) to secure the silver. 

“We had a quick chat and we’ve got to hold our heads up high,” Leigh Howard said. “This is all a dress rehearsal for us for the Olympics and we’re trying out new things, things we haven’t really tried before.

“When you try new things it’s obviously risky…and unfortunately it didn’t pay off for us today.”​

Women's Team Sprint - Photo - Guy Swarbrick

Team Sprint

Reigning world Stephanie Morton teamed with Podium Potential Academy rider Caitlin Ward to narrowly miss out on a medal in the women’s team sprint. The pair lost to Russian trade team Gazprom-Rusvelo in the bronze medal ride after earlier setting the third-fastest time in qualifying.

Nathan Hart, and Podium Potential Academy duo Thomas Cornish and Matthew Richardson fell short of the men’s team sprint medal races after recording the seventh-best qualifying time.​​

Follow the action at trackworldcup.nz  or tissottiming.com