The podium eluded the Kiwi riders on day three, but there were some strong performances as the Cycling New Zealand squad move to the next round of the series in Malaysia this weekend.
The men’s pairing of Keegan Hornblow and George Jackson produced a strong performance to finish fifth in the challenging two-person madison over a gruelling 50km comprising 200 laps.
The New Zealanders managed to lap the field twice to pick up 40 bonus points and scored on three of the final four sprints to finish on 55 points.
They were just seven points from the podium in an impressive ride. The Netherlands won the title from France and Great Britain.
Ally Wollaston, the 2024 world champion, had to settle for ninth place in the women’s four-discipline omnium competition.
Wollaston was 18th in the scratch race, second in the tempo race and eighth in the elimination before moving up to ninth overall following the final points race in the event, only nine points off the top five.
The event was won impressively by Japanese rider Tsuyaka Uchino.
Sprint star Ellesse Andrews, working her way back to form after a long layoff, was edged out in the semifinals of the women’s keirin competition after winning her opening heat and the second round.
Andrews managed fifth in an extraordinarily close semifinal, finishing just 0.6sec behind the winner after setting the pace in a powerful sprint, going on to place third in the 7th-12th ride.
Earlier, New Zealand sprinter Sam Dakin missed out on the match race phase of the men’s sprint, after clocking 10.266sec in an impressive qualifying session.
The competition moves to the third round of the world cup at the impressive Nilai Velodrom Nasional Malaysia starting on Friday.
- Allied Media
