UCI Track World Cup: British women take Team Pursuit gold on opening day

The British women took out the first gold medal of UCI Track World Cup in Berlin on Friday, setting themselves up for a gold medal ride against Australia and then winning a tight race by less than half a second.

The British quartet of Katy Archibald, Emily Kay, Laura Kenny and Emily Nelson beat Australians Annette Edmondson, Ashlee Ankudinoff, Georgia Baker and Amy Cure for gold.

The Australian team got the best of the Britons in the qualifying round, where Australia set the fastest mark with a time of 4:19.073 to Great Britain's 4:19.683. But the Britons got the better of their rivals in round 1, beating the US with a time of 4:17.196, while the Australians moved into the gold medal heat by beating Canada in round 1 with a time of 4:19.683.

The teams were evenly matched in the final, with Great Britain crossing the line first with a time of 4:16.153 to Australia's 4:16.413. In the race for bronze, Canada took the medal by lapping Italy.

Australian men top Denmark for Team Pursuit gold

The Australian quartet of Sam Welsford, Kelland O'Brien, Alexander Porter and Leigh Howard put in a gold medal ride against Denmark to take top Team Pursuit honours in Berlin, taking out the Danes with a time of 3:51.210 to 3:54.703. In the race for bronze, Canada out-paced Huub Wattbike 3:56.339 to 3:57.094.

The Australians got off to a fast start in the day's competition, setting the quickest mark in qualifying with a time of 3:53.426 to Denmark's runner-up mark of 3:54.611. The Australians continued to dominate in round 1, again setting the fastest time in the round and knocking out Great Britain 3:53.033 to 3:55.124. Denmark qualified for the gold medal round by beating Germany 3:54.32 to 3:58.2.

Netherlands, Gazprom-Rusvelo take Team Sprint titles

The Team Sprints were also decided on Friday in Berlin, with the Dutch men and Gazprom-Rusvelo women coming away with gold after three rounds of racing. 

In the women's event, the Russian duo of Daria Shmeleva and Anastasiia Voinova set the fastest qualifying time of 32.698 to start off the day. The Gazprom-Rusvelo riders dominated Mexico in the next round to set up the final with Germany, who moved to the gold medal race by beating Great Britain 32.931 to 34.430.

In the gold medal race, the Gazprom-Rusvelo women beat the Germans 32.633 to 32.922. In the race for bronze, China beat Netherlands 33.336 to 33.395.

The Dutch men also won the qualifying round with a time of 42.980 to runner-up Great Britain's time of 43.045. Netherlands moved into the gold medal round by beating Czech Republic 42.586 to 44.384.

In the gold medal race, the Dutch trio of Nils van Thoenderdaal, Harrie Lavreysen and Jeffrey Hoogland beat Great Britain with a time of 42.467 to 42.981. In the race for bronze, Germany topped Beat Cycling 43.788 to 44.220.

UCI Track World Cup III Day 1 Results