The team missed out on medals and have a clear signal of where they are placed in terms of their focus on the major targets next year – the world championships and Rio Olympics.
Head coach Dayle Cheatley said there were positives as well as some strong learnings from the three-day meet in Cali.
The team came with the topline sprint combination and a development group for the endurance racing.
“We were not expecting top-of-the-podium performances here in Cali,” Cheatley said. “For us it is the start of the international season and we came here with half of the team development riders.
“We were up against the Europeans who were more advanced after the European Championships two weeks ago.”
Cheatley said that execution was the main failing at the competition.
“We did not execute well in the men’s team sprint and women’s team pursuit. At this level errors in execution leave you down the field.”
However Cheatley said he was impressed with Gate’s performances today, finishing eighth in the omnium with another outstanding effort in the final points race.
“Given Aaron had three team pursuits on the first day and still has work to do on the short timed events, he is starting to ride very well.”
He was also pleased that they were able to blood a number of development riders which is important looking forward.
In the final day of racing, both Eddie Dawkins and Sam Webster qualified in the men’s sprint. Dawkins was 11th fastest in 10.003 and Webster 20th in 10.095, with the competition lit up by Jeffrey Hoogland from the Netherlands who led the way in 9.789s.
Dawkins won his first round but went out in the second round repechage while Webster lost to Great Britain foe Jason Kenny, the rider he beat for the gold medal at last year’s Commonwealth Games.
In other rids Natasha Hansen went out in the first round repechage of the keirin, Holly Edmondston finished 21st in the omnium while Cam Karwowski and Luke Mudgway combined to finish seventh in the Madison.
The team return home tomorrow to prepare for the next round of the Track World Cup on home turf in Cambridge in December.
Day 3 results:
Sprint qualifying: Jeffrey Hoogland (NED) 9.789, 1; Matt Glaetzer (AUS) 9.815, 2; Max Niederlap (GER) 9.900, 3. Also: Eddie Dawkins (NZL) 10.003, 11; Sam Webster (NZL) 10.095, 20. Round 1: Jason Kenny (GBR) bt Webster; Dawkins bt Chao Xu (CHN). Round 2: Glaetzer bt Dawkins. Repechage (winner only to progress): Fabian Zapata (COL) 1, Dawkins 2, Lewis Olivia (GBR) 3.
Omnium, day 2: 1000m time trial: Adrian Teklinski (POL) 1:02.673, 1; Sam Welsford (AUS) 1:02.977, 2; Tim Veldt (NED) 1:02.977, 3. Also: Aaron Gate (NZL) 1:05.556, 17. Flying lap: Welsford 12.878, 1; Elia Viviani (ITA) 12.080, 2; Sang-Hoon Park (KOR) 13.160, 3. Also: Gate 13.577, 17. Points: Ignacio Prado (MEX) 68 points, 1; Aaron Gate (NZL) 44, 2; Viktor Manakov (RUS) 38, 3.
Overall: Manakov 182 points, 1; Roger Kluge (GER) 178, 2; Elia Viviani (ITA) 173, 3. Also: Gate 154, 8.
Women Keirin, first round: Kristina Vogel (GER) 1, Anastasiia Voinova (RUS) 2, Caty Marchant (GGBR) 3. Also: Natasha Hansen (NZL) 5. Repechage heat 4 (1 to progress) Tianshi Zhong (CHN) 1, Marchant 2, Hyejin (KOR) 3, Hansen 4.
Women omnium, 500m time trial, heat 4: Mei Hsiao (TPE) 35.025, 1; Laurie Berthon (FRA) 35.264, 2; Laura Trott (GBR) 35.469, 3. Also: Holly Edmondston (NZL) 37.012, 19. Flying Lap: Berthon 13.985, 1; Trott 14.127, 2; Marlies Garcia (CUB) 14.139, 3. Also: Edmondston 15.031, 23. Points: Jasmin Glaeser (CAN) 53 points, 1; Sarah Hammer (USA) 41, 2; Laura Trott 28, 3.
Final: Trott 213, 1; Berthon 180, 2; Hammer 163, 3. Also: Edmondston 41, 22,
Men’s Madison: Germany 1, Spain 2, Switzerland 3. Also: New Zealand (Cam Karwowski, Luke Mudgway) 7.
Details: www.cyclinnewzealand.nz
CAPTION: Sam Webster lines up during the sprint qualification at the UCI Track World Cup in Cali today.
Photo courtesy Guy Swarbrick