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UCI Track Cycling World Cup - Cali - Day 3

December 18, 2010 | Cali (Columbia)

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Chris Hoy was looking good in a high quality Sprint competition on day 3 in Cali

There were two more medals for the GB Team on the final day of the Cali Track World Cup, through Victoria Pendleton and Chris Hoy, who both look to be in excellent shape as 2010 comes to a close.

MEN'S SPRINT

Chris Hoy had a good workout in the Men's Sprint, making his way all the way to the final before being beaten by Kevin Sireau of France, who went through the whole competition without losing a heat. Sireau looked great from the off, recording the fastest time in qualifying. Hoy was second fastest, just ahead of his great rival, the world champion Gregory Bauge.

Hoy's first real test was meeting team-mate Matt Crampton in the quarter finals and after Matt was relegated for an infringement in their first heat, Hoy won the second to book a aplace against Bauge in the semis. Races between these two are always close and this time it was Hoy's turn to have a bit of luck - something which deserted him somewhat of late - and he was able to beat the Frenchman in two straight rides, which will have done Hoy's confidence a power of good.

In the final, though, Sireau was just too good and Hoy was beaten in two rides. Bauge took the rbonze from Japanese rider Tsubasa Kitatsuru

MEN'S TEAM PURSUIT

New Zealand won the Men's Team Pursuit with some comfort, qualifying four seconds faster than Columbia and going on to beat the home team by almost seven seconds in the final where they produced a fine flat four minute ride. Spain took the bronze from Denmark.

WOMEN'S KEIRIN

Victoria Pendleton matched Kevin Sireau's unbeaten run through the Men's Sprint with her own 100% record in the Women's Keirin. A former world champion in this discipline, Pendleton has nonetheless generally treated the Keirin as something of a second string, but with the event now part of the Olympic programme, she is clearly keen to keep her skills in this unique discipline sharp.

Pendleton was soon into her stride dominating her opening round heat, whilst Jess varnish was a little unlucky to finish second in her heat and have to go through the repechage. Here she was only third in her heat, which was won by Kristina Vogel, the Sprint winner of the previous day. That ended Varnish's competition.

Pendleton then kept out of trouble, winning the first of two second round heats marred by crashes and disqualifications. In past world championships, Pendleton has often looked tired in the Keirin after the rigours of the Team Sprint and Match Sprint, but here she breezed through her final to claim a gold which will have done her confidence a power of good and which showed that her fitness is in good order.

WOMEN'S POINTS RACE

GB's Katie Colclough rode an excellent Points Race and was perhaps a little unlucky to miss out on a medal. A strong burst mid race saw her pick up a first and second in successive sprints and after four of the eight sprints she was leading on eight points. However, in the latter stages, although keeping well placed towards the front of the field she couldn't add to her tally and she needed to win the final sprint to claim a medal. However, it wasn't to be and the gold went to Giorgia Bronzini of Italy, with Kelly Druyts of Belgium second and Aksana Papko of Belarus third. Colclough was fifth.

Laura Trott - another Omnium under her belt and a particularly encouraging second day

WOMEN'S OMNIUM DAY 2

Sarah Hammer of the USA continued her domination of the Women's Omnium into the second day of competition, winning the individual pursuit, her fourth straight race win. Although she couldn't keep up the 100% record beyond that point, strong rides in the remaining events gave her the win by a massive margin of 15 points from Tara Whitten of Canada, who in turn pipped Sharakova of Belarus by a single point.

GB's Laura Trott enjoyed a much stronger second day, with fourth in the Pursuit, seventh in the Scratch Race and a morale-boosting win in the final event, the 500m Time Trial. Her final tally of 42 points put her in fifth place, well ahead of where she looked like finishing at the end of day 1.

She will look back at her 15th place in the Points Race, in particular, as a low point and a pointer as to where she can improve. Like Ed Clancy, she is excellent in the events against the clock. She must now develop Ed's knack of minimising losses in weaker events. With time on her side, she will improve across the board and looks set to have a great future in this exciting event, which, after some initial misgivings, seems to be capturing the imagination.