VANTAGE ELITE AND U19 TRACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – DAY 4 MORNING
There’s plenty at stake on the final day of the Vantage national track cycling championships in Cambridge today.
There’s white-hot competition for places in the New Zealand team for the upcoming world championships, none more so that the men’s team pursuit, with that competition to be decided in the final session in the early evening.
It will pit Southland against Mid-South Canterbury in the men’s 4000m final, with both teams containing world champions and members of Cycling New Zealand’s high performance squad.
Southland topped qualifiers in 4:06.522, led by Piet Bulling, a member of the world champion team, fellow high performance riders Nick Kergozou and Cameron Karwowski and Josh Haggerty.
They were just under three seconds faster than defending champions Mid-South Canterbury led by the world champion pair of Dylan Kennett and Marc Ryan, double Olympic medallist Hayden Roulston and the experienced Jason Allen.
Canterbury, led by world champion Alex Frame, will take on Waikato Bay of Plenty for the bronze medal.
With the national women’s squad competing in a time trial as a team, the women’s title will be decided between top qualifiers Waikato-Bay of Plenty, led by scratch and points race winner Racquel Sheath, who clocked 4:38.892 and Auckland who were five seconds back. Southland will take on West Coast North Island for the bronze.
The New Zealand team of Rushlee Buchanan, Jaime Nielsen, Georgia Williams and Lauren Ellis produced an excellent 4:24.507 effort in their solo time trial.
Defending champions Natasha Hansen and Stephanie McKenzie combined to qualify top in the women’s 500m team sprint in 34.666 from Canterbury’s Olivia Podmore and Gemma Payne in 36.112.
The men’s 750m time trial will be decided between top qualifiers Southland and West Coast North Island. The Southland combination of Jeremy Presbury, Matt Archibald and Ben Stewart were timed at an excellent 45.051.
The men’s team sprint trio of Ethan Mitchell, Sam Webster and Eddie Dawkins combined for a time trial, in preparation for the world championships. They clocked an impressive 43.600 in the time trial.
In under-19 action two of the brightest young sprint hopes from Southland, Emma Cumming and Ellesse Andrews, combined to set a new championship record in 35.452s in the 500m team sprint. Southland were to the fore in the men’s 750m team sprint with Bradly Knipe, Hamish Beadle and Mitchell Morris clocked 46.97s, also under the championship record.
Day 4, results AM
Elite and U19 women 4000m team pursuit qualifying: Waikato BOP (Bryony Botha, Madison Farrant, Philippa Sutton, Racquel Sheath) 4.38.892, 2; Auckland (Helen Baillie-Strong, Nina Wollaston, Holly White, Madeleine Park) 4.43.704, 2; Southland (Kirstie James, Laura Thompson, Ellesse Andrews, Makayla Smith) 4.44.656, 3; WCNI (Michaela Drummond, Emily Shearman, Libby Arbuckle, Simone Davie) 4.54.319, 4.
Elite and U19 men 4000m team pursuit qualifying: Southland (Pieter Bulling, Nick Kergozou, Cameron Karwowski, Josh Haggerty) 4.06.522, 1; Mid South Canterbury (Hayden Roulston, Marc Ryan, Dylan Kennett, Jason Allan) 4.09.347, 2; Canterbury (Alex Frame, Max Jones, Hugo Jones, Josh Scott) 4.17.079, 3; Waikato BOP (Ryan Wills, Nathan Bunn, Cam Riches, Jared Gray) 4.20.618, 4.
Women 500m team spring qualifying: Southland (Natasha Hansen, Stephanie McKenzie) 34.666, 1; Canterbury (Olivia Podmore, Gemma Payne) 36.112, 2; Composite (Hannah Bayard, Katie Schofield) 36.595, 3; Waikato BOP (Jaymie King, Tess Young) 37.334, 4.
Men 750m team sprint qualifying: Southland (Matt Archibald, Jeremy Presbury, Ben Stewart) 45.170, 1; WCNI (Simon van Velthooven, James Cuff, Jordan Castle) 46.200, 2; Composite (Sam Dakin, Callum Saunders, Lewis Eccles) 46.450, 3.
Under-19:
Women 250m time trial: Emma Cumming (Southland) 19.898, 1; Nicole Shields (Southland) 21.324, 2; Olivia Ray (Auckland) 21.586, 3.
Men 250m time trial: Bradly Knipe (Southland) 18.509, 1; Hamish Beadle (Southland) 19.234, 2; Mitchell Morris (Southland) 19.308, 3.
Women 500m team sprint qualifying: Emma Cumming, Ellesse Andrews (Southland) 35.452, 1; Emily Shearman, Libby Arbuckle (West Coast North Island 1) 37.419, 2; Kate Smith, Olivia Reiber (Canterbury) 37.993, 3; Olivia Ray, Georgia Danford (Auckland) 38.248, 4.
Men 750m team spring qualifying: Bradly Knipe, Hamish Beadle, Mitchell Morris (Southland) 46.97, 1; Campbell Stewart, Cody Simpson, Carne Groube (West Coast North Island) 48.64, 2; Hugo Jones, Matt Trenchard, Jackson Ogle (Canterbury) 48.91, 3; Chris Maddren, Laurence Kerby, Bradley Leitch (Auckland) 49.5, 4.
Para-Cycling:
Women C1 – C5 3000m individual pursuit final: Fiona Southorn (Northland) 1, Nicole Murrary (Waikato BOP) 2.
Men C1 – C3 3000m individual pursuit final: Devon Rogers (Auckland) 4.24.403, 1.
Men C4 – C5 4000m individual pursuit final: Byron Raubenheimer (Auckland) 1, Nick Blincoe (Auckland) 2.
Men tandem 4000m individual pursuit: Mitchell Wilson, Regan Sheath, 5.04.249
Details: www.cyclingnewzealand.nz
CAPTION: Jaime Nielsen leads the women’s team pursuit in their time trial effort at the Avantidrome in Cambridge today.
Photo courtesy Dianne Manson