UCI Track Worlds: Australians, Kiwis top team pursuits

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The Australian women's team pursuit squad cracked the world record Thursday on their way to winning gold at the UCI Track World Championships in France, while New Zealand's men shook off their disappointing relegation in the team sprint the day before to claim team pursuit gold.

The second day of racing at the Vélodrome de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines saw the team pursuit finals, the men's scratch race and keirin and the women's 500m time trial.

The Australian team of Annette Edmondson, Ashlee Ankudinoff, Amy Cure and Melissa Hoskins set a time of 4:13.683 to beat Great Britain in the gold medal final of the team pursuit. The British team with Laura Trott, Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker and Joanna Rowsell almost went under their own 4:16.552 world record, set in 2013, but a 4:16.702 wasn't enough to keep up with the flying Aussies.

In the bronze medal final, Canadians Allison Beveridge, Jasmin Glaesser, Kirsti Lay and Steph Roorda topped New Zealand with a time of 4:17.864.

The Kiwi men's team of Pieter Bulling, Dylan Kennett, Alex Frame and Marc Ryan topped Brits Andrew Tennant, Owain Doull, Dteven Burke and Edward Clancy by six-tenths of a second in the final round to claim their rainbow jerseys, coming in at 3:54.09. In the race for bronze, Australians Miles Scotson, Alexander Edmondson, Luke Davison and Jack Bobridge beat Germany.

In the men's kierin, Frenchman Francois Pervis beat New Zealand's Edward Dawkins and Azizulhasni Awang of Malaysia in the final to take the gold medal and defend the title he won last year in Colombia. Pervis was second to Kiwi Sam Webster in his first heat, and he was second again to Dawkins in round two. But he put it all together in the final to take the rainbow jersey.

"I really had a rough winter, " Pervis said." I was not well this morning and there was a month [off the bike after ] I crashes in Cali. But I thought it's a world championship, I have to have more self-belief in my chances than normal. I tell myself when I'm like that 'I'm the fastest man in the world in the kilometer and 200 meter ride'. It is a way to comfort me.

"I did not even have sore legs tonight I'm on a cloud," Pervis added. "It's crazy I live 500 meters from here, I train here all year. I retain my title in the keirin, I was among the favorites. I win. There are no words to really describe what I feel."

In the men's scratch race, Germany's Lucas Liss topped Spain's Albert Torres Barcelo and US rider Bobby Lea for the gold medal.

Having placed third at last year's Worlds, Russia's Anastasia Voynova won the women's 500 metre time trial in 33.15, just over three-tenths of a second faster than Australian Anna Meares, who claimed her 25th Worlds medal with the silver performance. Defending champion Germany's Miriam Welte was third with a time of 33.70.

Racing continues Friday with the men's points race, the women's individual pursuit, the men's omnium, the women's sprint and the men's kilo. 

Men's Team Pursuit Round 1

Men's Team Pursuit Final

Women's Team Pursuit Round 1

Women's Team Pursuit Final

Men's Keirin Round 1

Men's Keirin Round 1 Repechage

Men's Keirin Round 2

Men's Keirin Final

Women's 500m TT

Men's Scratch Race Final