UCI Track World Cup: New Zealand dominates opening day with Team Pursuit victories

The host nation New Zealand dominated the opening night of the UCI Track World Cup in Cambridge, winning three of the four team events, with the men's team pursuit setting the second fastest time in history to beat Canada in the final.

The New Zealand men's team sprint squad claimed their first World Cup victory in over a year with two rides under 43 seconds while the New Zealand women's team pursuit prevailed over Canada in the final. The only other final contested on Friday went to the Holy Brother trade team from China, who took out the women's team sprint beating over France.

Team Pursuit

The men's team pursuit squad set a time of 3:50.159 to beat Canada. Regan Gough, Campbell Stewart, Jordan Kerby and Nicholas Kergozou came within four-tenths of a second of breaking the world record of 3:49.804 set by Australia at the Commonwealth Games last year.

The New Zealand team looked in control throughout their rides on Friday, setting the fastest time in qualifying before setting a new national record of 3:51.722, with Tom Sexton riding in the place of Kergozou. The record would stand for only a matter of hours however until the final.

New Zealand's women's team pursuit squad of Rushlee Buchanan, Racquel Sheath, Kirstie James and Bryony Botha beat their own national record on their way to gold in front of a vocal home crowd, stopping the clock in 4:16.028.

The previous record of 4:17.560 set in October last year in Paris at the opening World Cup was lowered by more than a second and a half. Having earlier set the fastest time in qualifying, they started the gold medal ride as slight underdogs after Canada broke the All Comers Record in the first round. They were trailing by 0.2 seconds at the one-kilometre mark but the quartet powered away in the second kilometre opening half a second advantage. With the crowd behind them, they pulled away further to the delight of the crowd, beating Canada by more than a second.

The hotly contested ride for bronze saw Italy emerge on top on in 4:18.069 ahead of the Subway New Zealand Track Trade Team.

Men's Team Sprint

Ethan Mitchell, Sam Webster and Eddie Dawkins capped a stunning opening night for the home nation, winning gold for New Zealand in the men's team sprint.

A fraction off setting a new national record in the first round, Webster, Dawkins and Mitchell were slightly slower in a tough gold medal ride against the Australian team of Nathan Hart, Jacob Schmid and Thomas Clarke, but produced a consistent performance to win their first World Cup event since 2017. They clocked a time of 43.121 seconds.

The French trio of Gregory Bauge, Sebastien Vigier and Michael D'Almeida wrapped up the bronze medal with a tight win over China.

The Holy Brother trade team from China won the women's team sprint gold over France. Song Chaorui and Bao Shanju have won by just over two 10ths of a second from Sandie Clair and Mathilde Gros, taking it in a time of 33.460 seconds.

Polish duo Marlena Karwacka and Urszula Los took the bronze medal over the Subway New Zealand Trade Team riders Olivia Podmore and Tahlay Christie. The Kiwi pair had advanced to the bronze medal race after the New Zealand Elite squad pair, Emma Cumming and Natasha Hansen, were relegated due to an incorrect change.

Full Results