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Track World Cup Round 3 - CDM
Manchester Velodrome, UK, April 9-11, 2004
Day 1 - April 9
Aussies dominate day one; McGee stakes his claim in the IP
By Gina Gershon in Manchester
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Australian riders dominated day one of the track World Cup in Manchester but not without some resistance from their British rivals. Brad McGee, Mark Renshaw, Shane Kelly Katherine Bates shone for Australia, while Craig MacLean and Victoria Pendleton carved up the sprint events on behalf of Great Britian.
McGee took time out from his preparations during a busy European road schedule to stake his claim for a place in the individual pursuit at the Athens Olympics, where he hopes to better his bronze medal from four years ago.
The FdJeux.com rider comfortably won the event in 4minutes 19.692seconds ahead of Spain's Sergi Escobar Roure, who posted a time of 4:26.690. British rider Paul Manning won the ride-off for bronze against Russian Alexander Serov. McGee will have just three weeks between the end of the Tour de France to the start of the Olympics.
"I won't be considering it a break," McGee said. "You get in such a rhythm on the Tour, you just can't stop, otherwise you lose every sensation."
McGee will also compete in Saturday's team pursuit, but friend David Millar, who was planning to make his track debut for Great Britain in the same event, will not be there. Millar's professional outfit, Cofidis, withdrew all their riders from competition until further notice while the team clarifies their position in a doping investigation. Several riders and the team physio have been placed under investigation by French authorities over alleged drug offences. Millar has not been placed under investigation himself.
Renshaw won a keenly fought men's 15km scratch race, which began with Spain's Miguel Alzamora Riera taking off from the gun and almost lapped the field. But a seven-man breakaway including Renshaw and eventual silver and bronze medallists - Frenchman Franck Perque and Rob Hayles of Great Britain - quickly assumed control. Having been in the original break, reigning world champion Franco Marvulli, of Switzerland, fell off the pace to finish 14th, one lap down.
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Kelly, who is hoping to ride the 1,000m time trial and keirin in Athens, did not contest the kilo but came up with a win in the keirin ahead of Malaysia's Josiah Ng and Frenchman Florian Rousseau.
MacLean was convincing in the kilo tonight, winning in a scorching time of 1:01.689 ahead of Dutchman Theo Bos (1:02.675) and Soren Lausberg of France (1:02.822). Great Britain hopes to qualify for two places in the event in Athens but MacLean is one of four riders vying for those two potential spots, along with defending Olympic champion Jason Queally, Chris Hoy and Jamie Staff.
But tonight was MacLean's turn to press his credentials for one of those places by posting a time in competition and he was thrilled with the result.
"I expected to go about a second slower than that so I'm really surprised, especially in April and I've not been in the best of form so I'm really happy with that," MacLean said. "The crowd got behind me and gave me a bit of a lift so it was good."
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Pendleton looked unbeatable throughout the minor rounds before winning the contest for gold and silver in the sprint against Irina Yanovych of the Ukraine, who was beaten in straight heats. Germany's Susan Panzer won the bronze medal ride-off over American Jennie Reed, also in two heats.
Pendleton said: "My legs felt good. It's the first series of sprints I've been through where I've really felt confident that my legs are ready for the job in hand."
She added: "Before this competition I had a week or so taper and it's really worked for me, having a bit of rest time. I thought I was getting unfit but it seems to have worked."
Australia's Katherine Bates took the honours in the 20km points race, beating German Hanka Kupfernagel and Belem Guerrero Mendez of Mexico.
Photography
Images by Nick Rosenthal/www.fatnick.com
- Ooh! One rider almost clips wheels in the men's keirin.
- The tough get going in the men's keirin.
- Eventual winner Shane Kelly (Aus) hits the front in the keirin.
- More than a few faces of strain.
- Shane Kelly (Aus) gets his arms a pumpin'.
- Action from the early rounds of the women's sprint.
- The men's kilo podium - (L to R) Theo Bos (Ned, 2nd), Craig MacLean (GBr, 1st) and Soren Lausberg (Ger, 3rd).
- Susan Panzer (Ger) on her way to winning one of the sprint heats; Panzer finished third overall behind Victoria Pendleton (GBr).
- One ice-cool Russki.
- The men's keirin podium - (L to R) Josiah Ng (Mal, 2nd), Shane Kelly (Aus, 1st) and Florian Rousseau (Fra, 3rd).
- The men's scratch race gets underway.
- Belem Guerrero Mendez (Mex) finished third in the women's points race.
- Hola! Nice legs!
- If looks could kill...
- A photogenic Victoria Pendleton, winner of the women's sprint.
- The women's sprint podium - (L to R) Irina Yanovych (Ukr, 2nd), Victoria Pendleton (GBr, 1st) and Susan Panzer (Ger).
- A German rider gives it some gas.
- Mark Renshaw (Aus) takes a look up ahead in the men's scratch race.
- Robert Hayles (GBr) in full flight; Hayles finished third in the men's scratch race.
- Victoria Pendleton (GBr) on her way through the pain barrier.
- An attentive bunch in the men's scratch race.
- One of the earlier rounds of the women's sprint.
- Riding high on the banking.
- The business end of the bike race in the men's scratch race.
- You lookin' at me?
- The men's scratch race podium - (L to R) Franck Perque (Fra, 2nd), Mark Renshaw (Aus, 1st) and Robert Hayles (GBr, 3rd).
- Eventual scratch race winner Mark Renshaw (top R) starts to make his way to the front.
- Franck Perque (Fra) leads the bunch in the men's scratch race.
- What's half a wheel between friends? Well, a ticket to the next round, actually.
- The women's points race gets underway.
- Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) takes a flyer in the women's points race.
- Katherine Bates (Aus) way out in front in the women's points race.
- Bradley McGee (Aus) stamps his authority in the men's 4k individual pursuit.
- Victoria Pendleton (GBr) made light work of this rider from Mexico to advance to the final of the women's sprint.
- Paul Manning (GBr) about to lap Alexander Serov (Rus) to take the bronze medal in the individual pursuit.
- Brad McGee (Aus) puts down the hammer in the men's IP to take the gold medal and cement his spot in the team for Athens.
- Brad McGee's position on the bike is nothing short of perfect.
- Brad McGee's time of 4'19.696 was almost seven seconds quicker than silver medallist Sergi Escobar Roure (Spa).
- Sergi Escobar Roure (Spa) gave it everything in the men's individual pursuit, but Bradley McGee was a class above the rest.
- The women's points race podium - (L to R) Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger, 2nd), Katherine Bates (Aus, 1st) and Belem Guerrero Mendez (Mex, 3rd).
- Legs of steel set in stone.
- Women's sprint action.
- No love lost here.
- The men's IP podium - (L to R) Sergi Escobar Roure (Spa, 2nd), Bradley McGee (Aus, 1st) and Paul Manning (GBr, 3rd).
- Action from the men's IP.
- More men's IP action.
- This is what happens when you start to blow...
- ... and this is what happens when you don't.
Results
Men's 15km Scratch Race 1 Mark Renshaw (Aus) 2 Franck Perque (Fra) 3 Robert Hayles (GBr) Women's 20km Points Race 1 Katherine Bates (Aus) 38 pts 2 Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) 31 3 Belem Guerrero Mendez (Mex) 29 Men's 4,000m Individual Pursuit 1 Bradley McGee (Aus) 4:19.696 2 Sergi Escobar Roure (Spa) 4:26.690 3 Paul Manning (GBr) 4:42.869 [lapped A Serov (Rus)] Men's 1,000m Time Trial 1 Craig MacLean (GBr) 1:01.689 2 Theo Bos (Ned) 1:02.675 3 Soren Lausberg (Ger) 1:02.822 Men's Keirin 1 Shane Kelly (Aus) 2 Josiah Ng (Mal) 3 Florian Rousseau (Fra) Women's Sprint Gold medal playoff Victoria Pendleton (GBr) bt Irina Yanovych (Ukr) 2-0 Bronze medal playoff Susan Panzer (Ger) bt Jennie Reed (USA) 2-0
