UCI TRACK CYCLING WORLD CUP CANADA - VANTAGE NEW ZEALAND DAY 3
Twenty-year-old Campbell Stewart gave a further glimpse of his talents with a podium placing in the omnium on day three of the UCI Track World Cup in Milton, Canada.
The Manawatu rider led the way for the Vantage New Zealand team with a bronze medal in the men’s omnium.
The former two-time junior world champion in the discipline finished a close third behind current world champion Benjamin Thomas (FRA) and Commonwealth Games points race gold medallist Mark Stewart (GBR).
The young Kiwi rider was third in the scratch race and tempo race before winning the cut-throat elimination and fourth in the points race.
“It was good racing with a number of the top omnium riders here so it was awesome to be able to get in the mix with them,” said Stewart.
“In the elimination I was able to use my strength and my sprint. Tactically it was quite a good race for me. I enjoy that match sprinting at the end, it’s my bread and butter.
“It was a tight battle in the points race. My legs dropped a bit in the end in the points race. I used what I had but it’s still early season for me. I’ve only been training on the track for a few weeks and every week has been getting better. By the time I get to worlds I will be on track and able to push it with the likes of Thomas.”
Eddie Dawkins had a strong performance in the keirin, but missed out on the final after a close battle in the semifinal where four riders where separated by 0.02 seconds.
The big kiwi was second in the first round before being edged in the semifinal and then finishing second in the ride for 7th-12 placings.
“It seems in the first round I always get paired up with Patrick Constable from Australia for the third straight competition. He came over me but I kept the rest away from us for us both to go through,” said Dawkins.
“I didn’t anticipate the jump in the semifinal and just ran out of real estate. I missed third place and a spot in the final by the width of a bike wheel.
“it’s been a long three weeks of racing to start the season, with a lot of laps. We had some really good races and some absolute nightmares. If they were all good, we would be waiting for that terrible one. You don’t want that one in 2020 so it’s good to get the flops out of the way early so we can be ready and sharp when it matters.”
In other racing, Natasha Hansen qualified eighth fastest in the women’s sprint in 10.846s, only a fraction off her best. She progressed to the quarterfinals before being knocked out by top qualifier
Tomorrow’s final day sees Sam Webster and Ethan Mitchel compete in the individual sprint, Stewart and Harry Waine in the Madison, Hansen in the keirin and Rushlee Buchanan in the Omnium.
Results:
Women sprint qualifying: Stephanie Morton (AUS) 10.514, 1; Daria Shmeleva (RUS) 10.692, 2; Emma Hinze (GER) 10.709, 3. Also: Natasha Hansen (NZL) 10.846, 8; Emma Cumming (NZL) 11.096, 26.
Elimination races, round 1: Hansen bt Cumming. Round 2: Hansen bt Tania Calvo Barbero (ESP). Quarterfinals: Morton bt Hansen 2-0, Shmeleva bt Pauline Grabosch (GER) 2-0, Hinze bt Kaarle McCulloch (AUS) 2-0, Wai Sze Lee (HGK) bt Mathilde Gros (FRA) 2-0. Semifinals: Lee bt Morton 2-0, Hinze bt Shmeleva 2-0. Gold medal: Lee bt Hinze 2-0. Bronze Medal: Morton bt Shmeleva 2-0.
Men Keirin, first round, heat 4: Patrick Constable (AUS) 1, Eddie Dawkins (NZL) 2 (2 to qualify for semifinals). Semifinal 1: Sebastien Vigier (FRA) 1, Tomas Babek (CZE) 2, Hugo Barrette (CAN) 3. Semifinal 2: Mattijs Buchli (GER) 1, Yuta Wakimoto (JPN) 2, Jason Kenny (GBR) 3. Also: Dawkins 4. Final: Kenny 1, Barrette 2, Buchli 3. Also: Dawkins 8.
Men omnium, scratch race: Mark Stewart (GBR) 1, Ben Thomas (FRA) 2, Campbell Stewart (NZL) 3. Tempo: M Stewart 28 points, 1; Lindsay de Vylder (BEL) 24, 2; C Stewart 24, 3. Elimination: C Stewart 1, Thomas 2, Albert Torres Barcelo (ESP) 3. Points: Thomas 34 points, 1; Ignacio Juarez (MEX) 27, 2; de Vylder 24, 3. Also: C Stewart 20, equal 4. Overall: Thomas 144 points, 1; Mark Stewart 134, 2; Campbell Stewart 132, 3.
Women Madison: Great Britain 36 points, 1; Denmark 19, 2; Canada 13, 3. Also: New Zealand (Ellesse Andrews, Bryony Botha) 16.
Women scratch race (10km): Alexandra Goncharova (RUS) 1, Olivija Baleisyte (LTU) 2, Jennifer Valente (USA) 3. Also: Holly Edmondston (NZL) 6.
CAPTION: Natasha Hansen battles to a first round win over Tania Calvo Barbero of Spain in the sprint at the UCI Track World Cup in Milton, Canada. Photo courtesy Guy Swarbrick