BikeNZ team pursuit cyclists into World Cup finals

New Zealand are through to the gold medal rides in both men’s and women’s team pursuit at the UCI World Cup in Cali, Colombia.

The women’s team were the fastest in the heats of the 3000m team pursuit, while the men were second fastest behind world champions Australia.

Unusually the team pursuit time trials were run on the evening, with medals to be decided tomorrow night.

The women’s trio of Alison Shanks, Jaime Nielsen and Lauren Ellis clocked 3:24.005 on a windy Cali Velodrome which is roofed but open to the elements on the sides.

New Zealand will ride off against Great Britain in the final tomorrow afternoon (NZ time) with the British boasting two of their world champion squad in the line-up.

World champion silver medallists USA, with two of their three riders back, will take on Lithuania for the bronze medal with the much vaunted Australian and Canadian teams missing out.

World champions Australia were the class of the field in the men’s qualifying when they clocked 4:02.739 in the windy conditions. Their line-up included world pursuit champion Jack Bobridge and fellow world champions Rohan Dennis and Michael Hepburn in their squad.

The New Zealand quartet of Jesse Sergent, Sam Bewley, Marc Ryan and Aaron Gate were second fastest in 4:04.612, comfortably ahead of Colombia and Denmark who will fight it out for the bronze medal.

Tomorrow’s first full day of competition includes the first day of the men’s omnium, team sprint, men’s kilo time trial and finals of the team pursuit.

Results, World Cup, Cali:

Team pursuit qualifying, men: Australia 4:02.739, 1; New Zealand 4:04.612, 2; Colombia 4:06.118, 3; Denmark 4:06.794, 4.

Team pursuit qualifying, women: New Zealand 3:24.005, 1; Great Britain 3:24.849, 2; USA 3:26.027, 3; Lithuania 3:26.468, 4.