Sydney Track World Cup - CDM

Sydney, Australia, May 14 - 16, 2004

Event program and results    Women's IP

Men's Individual Pursuit

Manning's pursuit of individual gold pays dividends

By Karen Forman in Sydney

Paul Manning (Great Britain)
Photo ©: Mark Gunter

WHEN Paul Manning started cycling with a local club in the British Midlands at the age of 14, he had no way of knowing that 15 years late he would be standing on a podium in far-off Australia accepting a gold medal. Manning, who now lives and trains in Manchester, said he was just a kid like any other, riding because he loved it and probably never really racing enough as a junior to fulfil his potential.

"I was a junior national champion but I never raced regularly enough," he said. "Then, when I finished university (he studied geology) when I was 21, I started racing properly."

Four years ago, manning stood on the same podium he graced tonight and accepted a bronze medal for the Sydney Olympics teams pursuit.Tonight, wearing the World Cup individual pursuit gold around his neck with pride, he said he couldn't help but be reminded of Sydney 2000. "Standing here tonight just reminded me of then," he said. "I really enjoyed being back here. And tonight it was for a gold medal."

He said tonight had given him good practice for the world championships in Melbourne and also a chance to qualify for the Olympics in Athens. "It takes the pressure off getting top four at the world's," he said. Manning, he was third behind Australian Brad McGee at the Manchester World Cup, said he felt that his ride had been a good one, but he did not believe the field had been as strong as it could have been.

"I just seemed to hold my form tonight," he said. "I think that was the key to my success." He will focus on the teams and individual pursuit at the world's.

Results

Men's 4km Individual Pursuit Qualification
 
1 Volodymyr Dyudya (Ukraine)                         4.28.504 (53.630 km/h)
2 Paul Manning (Great Britain)                       4.28.546 (53.622 km/h)
3 Levi Heimans (Netherlands)                         4.29.298 (53.472 km/h)
4 Christian Lademann (Germany)                       4.29.940 (53.345 km/h)
5 Michael Ford (Australia)                           4.35.388 (52.290 km/h)
6 Vasil Kiryienka (Bielorussia)                      4.35.497 (52.269 km/h)
7 Neuville Jérôme (France)                           4.36.031 (52.168 km/h)
8 Alessandro Mazzolani (Italy)                       4.36.164 (52.143 km/h)
9 George Ninos (Greece)                              4.39.732 (51.478 km/h)
10 Michael Tillman (USA)                             4.43.363 (50.818 km/h)
11 Vladimir Bushanskiy (Kazakhstan)                  4.43.733 (50.752 km/h)
12 Vygantas Kaminskas (Lithuania)                    4.54.926 (48.826 km/h)

For 3rd & 4th
 
3 Levi Heimans (Netherlands)                         4.34.470 (52.465 km/h)
4 Christian Lademann (Germany)                        Caught
 
For 1st & 2nd

1 Paul Manning (Great Britain)                       4.27.936 (53.744 km/h)
2 Volodymyr Dyudya (Ukraine)                         4.33.388