Morning heats set-up for evening face off

Triple junior world champion Sam Webster will lead the kiwi sprint hopes after the second morning of heats at the Oceania Cycling Championships in Invercargill. He is one of six New Zealanders through to the quarterfinals of the elite men’s sprint at the ILT Velodrome.

The major upset came when national champion Eddie Dawkins edged out by G-Race rider Andrew Williams (Auckland) in the eighth finals. After a cat-and-mouse game, Williams managed to hold off the urgent finish by Dawkins in a photo finish.

Dawkins, the local hero in Invercargill, had earlier set the second fastest qualifying time of 10.546, less than 5/100ths of a second outside the national record in cool conditions. He was later pushed to second place in the repecharge to miss out on the chase for medals, although he will have an opportunity in his favoured Kilo Time Trial which is on tonight’s programme along with the sprint finals.

Auckland’s Adam Stewart, the other member of the G-Race squad, dispatched classy Australian James Glasspool in his first round clash while Otago’s Matthew Archbold progressed after New Zealand representative Simon Van Velthooven was relegated. Van Velthooven (Palmerston North), the hero in last night’s gold medal winning team sprint, was relegated for an irregular movement on his opponent. He recovered to win his repecharge to progress along with Southland’s Sean Fox.

Australian champion Daniel Ellis, who topped qualifiers in the men’s sprint, cruised into the last eight along with compatriot Mitchell Bullen.

Australian Matthew Glaetzer topped qualifiers in the under-19 men’s sprint in 10.822, just outside Dawkins’ track record while Canterbury’s Natasha Hansen and Auckland’s Kate Mullarkey are the only New Zealanders into the finals of the elite women’s keirin against four Australians.

Australians will also decide the gold in the under-19 3000m individual pursuit with top qualifier Alexander Edmonson taking on compatriot Jackson Law in the final.

Results