The experienced Bryony Botha got the Cycling New Zealand campaign off to a medal winning start on the opening day of competition at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Glasgow.
The 25-year-old claimed a bronze medal in the women’s 3000m individual pursuit after overcoming Great Britain’s Neah Evans and a vocal home crowd at the Sir Chris Velodrome.
Botha, who won the silver medal last year, was third fastest in qualifying in 3:20.327, just 0.2s off forcing a spot in the final.
Evans started fast in the bronze ride, opening a two second gap, but Botha’s plan, engineered p4erfectly by coach Paul Manning, saw the kiwi claw back the deficit with a blistering 1:06 final kilometre to win by more than a second.
World record holder Chloe Dygert (USA) defended her title in the final.
“I was initially a bit gutted with the first ride but when I look back on it, I actually executed the ride quite well,” said Bryony Botha. “On reflection I am quite happy with it.
“The medal ride was a bit of a waiting game after she went out hard. I knew I would be able to pull it back by the end because is my strong point is the last part of the race.
“I feel happy with that and hopefully it can inspire the other members of the team to do the same and really leave it all out there on the track.”
The women’s team sprint broke the national record twice to make a significant climb up the world rankings, finishing fifth.
The trio of Rebecca Petch, Shaane Fulton and Ellesse Andrews clocked 47.158s in qualifying, fifth fastest, but breaking the New Zealand record set at the Commonwealth Games by nearly half a second.
They lowered that mark again to 47.067s in the first round but were edged by Netherlands to finish fifth.
The New Zealand team sprint was ranked 15th in 2023 coming into the championships, with the performances a huge boost to their development towards the Paris Olympics.
“The girls have secured really important Olympic ranking point,” said coach Nick Flyger. “It was great experience for the team and we know where we can build further.”
The men’s team pursuit had a strong start to their campaign, qualifying second fastest behind Denmark in 3:49.113s.
The quartet of Nick Kergozou, Tom Sexton, Campbell Stewart, and Aaron Gate produced a consistent performance, throughout the opening 100m in 1:02 before reeling off each subsequent kilometres in 55s.
“The performance was in line with what we saw in training but to put it down on the track is the challenge,” said coach Adrian Hegyvary.
“Ï thought it was good. You could see a number of teams had potential and then it came apart so that is often the difference here.
“What pleased me most was the execution on race day. The guys were calm. It is a hectic event and we are still missing some gear stuck in transit – so to travel through that well is good to see. That is the mentality you need at an Olympics as well.
“Tomorrow against the Italians will be interesting as they only flew in two days ago from a road tour so I think we will see more from them. So we won’t be sitting on our laurels.
“We will just focus on our execution and tidy up some small things to do a little better. The key is to focus on process and do what we know works for us.”
The endurance programme would up with George Jackson placing 11th in the men’s 15km scratch race, won by Great Britain’s William Tidball in the sprint finish.
Tomorrow’s track programme comprises qualification for the women’s team pursuit, Rebecca Petch in the 500m time trial, the second round for the men’s team pursuit and women’s scratch race.
MOUNTAIN BIKE DOWNHILL DAY 1
The New Zealand junior women dominated qualifying over the long and testing surrounds of the downhill track at Fort William with three riders in the top-10.
Hutt Valley professional Erice van Leuven, who rides for the Commencal Les Ores team, stomped her way to fastest qualifier by nearly six seconds, with Mount Maunganui’s Poppy Lane third fastest and national junior champion Sacha Earnest 10th fastest.
Van Leuven, who won the UCI World Cup in Switzerland earlier this season, clocked 5:17.024 to top qualifiers over the exhausting 2.9km course, the longest on the international circuit.
Lane was third fastest in 5:26.321 with Earnest 10th in 5:36.629 with the finals tomorrow over the track that has not always been the kindest for kiwi gravity riders.
All the New Zealand junior men qualified for tomorrow’s finals, led by Luke Wayman who was 23rd fastest and fellow Cantabrian Angus Ferguson 26th, with Arrowtown’s Joshua Bonnar and fellow Kiwi DH rider Tyler Muirhead (Wanaka) qualifying.
New Zealand downhill coach Louis Hamilton said he was pleased with the qualifying efforts with the Fort William course more forgiving than usual.
“It is a beast of a track but it seemed to have dried out and after the elite practice some racing lines appeared. Also there was not much wind especially in the wide open early part of the run.
“Overall the girls especially had some really good runs. There are a few things to tidy but overall it is good so far.”
The junior downhill competitors race their finals tomorrow, with the men and women elite facing qualifying.
Credit: SW Pix