UCI Track Worlds: France wins team sprint after New Zealand relegation

Controversy clouded the first day of the UCI Track World Championships Wednesday after judges relegated the New Zealand team sprint squad's winning performance for an illegal lane change, moving the French men into the gold medals.

With a mark of 42.892, the Kiwi squad of Ethan Micthell, Sam Webster and Edward Dawkins set the fastest time in qualifying ahead of France at 43.072 and Germany at 43.136. But the team's luck ran out in the finals when the judges decision bumped it to second.

French riders Gregory Bauge, Kevin Sireau and Michael d'Almeida claimed the rainbow jerseys in the race, while Germany's Joachim Eilers, Rene Enders and Robert Foerstemann took third.

In the women's team sprint, Russia's Daria Shmeleva and Anastasia Voynova set the best qualifying time with a mark of 32.518, but the duo slipped into second place behind China's Jinjie Chong and Tianshi Zhong in the finals. The Chinese riders took home the gold with a ride of 32.034. Australia's Kaarle McCulloch and Anna Meares claimed the bronze, clocking 32.713 in the finals.

For Meares, the bronze was her 24th medal of her career, her sixth in the event. "For us this is the first time Kaarle and I have ridden since London in a different position. (I’m) so pleased with how we performed tonight,” she said. “I have a whole new level of respect for Kaarle and all second wheel riders.”

Rainbow jerseys were also awarded in the women's points race on Wednesday, with Germany's Stephanie Pohl claiming gold ahead of Minami Uwano of Japan and Kimberly Geist of the US. Pohl piled up 38 points during the race, while Uwano had 28 and Geist finished with 25. Pohl, Uwano, Geist and France's Elise Delzenne, who finished just out of the medals in fourth, all lapped the field during the event. Geist's bronze was confirmation of her return to top form after being struck by a semi-tractor trailer in 2007.

The qualifying round for the team pursuit rounded out the first day's competitions, with New Zealand once again setting the fastest time for the men, followed by Great Britain and Germany. Australia set the best women's qualifying time ahead of Great Britain and Canada.

“For the last four months, we have been riding well as a team, day in day out we all have been working hard, starting to pay off,” said Hoskins, who has reached the podium at the past three World Championships. “It is a quick track, but our focus was qualifying in a good qualifying time, and to see where we stood compared to the other teams. It's great we have come out on top today, but tomorrow we have two rounds to ride, so we are taking it one step as a time.”

The three-round team pursuit competition will continue on Thursday afternoon, when Australia will meet fourth fastest New Zealand, with the winner to ride for gold against either Canada or Great Britain on Thursday evening.

Aside from the team pursuit finals, Thursday will also see the men's scratch race, men's kierin and the women's 500m time trial decided.

Results