CYCLING

Vantage Window & Doors Track Cycling Championships - Day 3 Wrap

By Sports Media NZ

Olympic representative Olivia Podmore got to celebrate a tough week in style at the Vantage Windows and Doors National Track Championships in Invercargill.
 
The Cantabrian was struck down with a serious stomach illness in the days before the championships started and had to be quarantined in her hotel room, but overcame the adversity to take out the women’s keirin final on Saturday night.
 
“I’m so excited, I’ve worked so hard. To come down with a stomach bug on Sunday and not think I was even going to be able to race today, I’m so happy that I could get out there and get the job done,” Podmore said.
 
“I’ve been so lucky to have my family come down and surprise me, they’ve been a huge help looking after me. Having my family in the stands means so much to me, said the Christchurch rider who is now based in Cycling New Zealand’s high performance centre in Cambridge.
 
Southland rider Natasha Hansen, who had beaten Podmore in the final of the women’s sprint, won silver medal with Tess Young (Waikato/Bay of Plenty) taking bronze.
 
Auckland’s Sam Webster backed up from his victory in the men’s sprint to take out the keirin honours with a dominant ride from the front, while Jordan Castle (West Coast North Island) showed his future prospects to earn the silver and Samuel Dakin (Auckland) the bronze, with favourite Eddie Dawkins missing out on the final.
 
Southland’s Kirstie James gave the hometown crowd something to get excited about when she shuffled her way out of the pack on the final lap to win the women’s 10km scratch race.
 

Jamie Nielsen mounted a brave attack with 1000m to go, but couldn’t hold off the powerful finish of James, with Rushlee Buchanan coming through for the silver medal and Nielsen just holding on for bronze.
 
Waikato Bay of Plenty’s Jackson Ogle continued a powerful showing at this event, adding the under 19 men’s sprint title to the keirin and 1000m time trial titles he won earlier in the week.
 
Ogle won two-up in the gold medal final against Thomas Garbett (West Coast North Island), with a third ride required before Ewan Syme (Southland) came from a ride down to beat Harry Waine (Auckland) for bronze.
 
Tasman’s Shaane Fulton claimed the under 19 women’s sprint in two rides from Southland’s Nicole Marshall, with Britney Greene winning bronze in three rides from her Canterbury teammate Jessie Banks.
 
Corbin Strong (Southland) powered away on the final lap of the under 19 men’s 20km points race to claim the double points on offer and lift from third place to the gold medal, with Aaron Wyllie (Auckland) taking silver and Samuel Miller (Southland) bronze.
 
Dylan Kennett (Waikato/Bay of Plenty), winner of the individual pursuit on Thursday, showed blistering speed over the final two laps to leave the men’s 30km points race field in his wake, with Nick Kergozou (Southland) second and Campbell Stewart (West Coast North Island) third.
 
Four days of excellent track cycling at the SIT Velodrome concludes on Sunday with team sprints, team pursuits and the Madison.
 
Day 3 results:
Elite, Women 10km scratch: Kirstie James (SLD) 1, Rushlee Buchanan (WBP) 2, and Jaime Nielsen (WBP) 3
Men 30km Points: Dylan Kennett (WBP) 1, Nick Kergozou (SLD) 2, Campbell Stewart (WCN) 3
Women keirin: Olivia Podmore (CTB) 1, Natasha Hansen (SLD) 2, Tess Young (WBP, Hub) 3
Men Keirin: Sam Webster (AKL) 1, Jordan Castle (WCN) 2, and Samuel Dakin (AKL, WBP hub) 3
 
Under-19, Women sprint qualifying: Shaane Fulton (TAS) 11.845, 1; Britney Greene (CTB) 12.229, 2; Jessie Banks (CTB) 12.400, 3; and Nicole Marshall (SLD) 12.458, 4.
Gold medal ride: Fulton bt Marshall 2-0; Bronze medal ride: Green bt Banks 2-1.
 
Men sprint qualifying: Jackson Ogle (WBP) 10.518, 1; Thomas Garbett (WCN) 10.847, 2; Harry Waine (AKL) 10.950, 3; Ewan Syme (SLD) 11.101, 4; Nepia Ruwhia (SLD) 11.237, 5; Mitchell Morris (SLD) 11.391, 6; Bailey Ford (TAS) 11.420, 7; Callum Caughey (TAS) 11.656, 8.
Gold medal ride: Ogle bt Garbett 2-0. Bronze medal ride: Syme bt Waine 2-1.
 
Women 15km Points (provisional): Libby Arbuckle (WCN) 1, Kate Smith (CTB) 2, Ellesse Andrews (WBP) 3
 
Men 20km Points: Corbin Strong (SLD, Hub) 1, Aaron Wylie (AKL) 2, and Samuel Miller (SLD, Hub) 3
 
 
Details:www.elitetracknationals.nz