WomensCycling.net - Track Day 1 - Commonwealth Games

The Gold medal ride-off saw the World Sprint Champion against the Olympic Champion (in the 500m Time Trail) in a nail biting race. Anna had the lead as they roll out, but Pendleton powered through in the back straight as they approached the bell. Anna tried to come back and it had to go to a photo to make the decision. Pendleton took the first heat in 11.822 seconds at a speed of 60.903 km/h.

In the second heat the crowd went wild in support of the Australian, in her attempt to force a third heat. Pendleton took the front as Anna Meares moved round at the bell to take the win on the line in a time of 12.001 seconds to force a third heat.

The third and final heat caused the crowd to make ever more noise in their support for Anna Meares. She could not beat England’s Victoria Pendleton though. The current World champion narrowly defeated the current Olympic champion, to win gold.

Post Race Comments

"I'm really, really happy, this was my main event,” said Victoria Pendleton. “The sprint is a gamble, always very close, so I feel great about the win. I was really annoyed with myself after the second sprint."

Asked how this win compared to her win in the Worlds Victoria added “Athens was really bad for me in terms of underperforming. At the Worlds I rode the final just after the men had won the pursuit. It really inspired me to go for the win, I thought wow, I really want that too. The moral is really high in the team, it is great to come to these championships and to feel the euphoria that the Australians experience all of the time."

In reply to how important it was for the England team to get a gold medal Pendleton said “after Manchester where we scored a lot of silvers, we were very disappointed. We really knew we had to come here and win”

Pendleton had mentioned that the sprinting is currently very close at the moment between her and Anna, yet she has beaten her twice now. Victoria’s thought on this were “we are so close in terms of performance. She (Anna Meares) has beaten me twice in a row or even three times in a row. I am sure that she will beat me again sometime we are both very similar and we are raising the standard of women’s sprinting bit by bit.”

How did the almost similar position to Manchester being forced up against the boards by a Meares feel? “I am so stupid, I am sure when people watch that on TV and see what happens that they cringe. When you’re out there though you are so focused on what you are doing, you just get yourself in these situations. I am still learning, I have only been competing at this level for 4 years and I still have a lot to learn”

Pendleton is coached by Craig Maclean and managed by Shane Sutton. Had there beenany words of wisdom before the final ride. “He said, you know you can do it. This is your last ride just go out there and do it.” said Pendleton.

Do you ever see yourself switching to the road in a Sarah Ulmer fashion? “There has been some discussion around that. I would quite like to be an endurance rider on the track and compete in the Points and Scratch race. I have won that (scratch race) in World Cups before without really training specifically for the. I am not saying that I have done everything and that I want to give up sprinting but I would like to try other disciplines. I have never raced on the Road I did a couple of criteriums when I was a lot younger but nothing serious. My goals is 2008 on the track, I have many small goals before then that I want to achieve and I am just chipping away at them and now of course there is 2012 in London, I want to be there competing but not sure what I will be riding by then.”

Anna Meares said "I gave it absolutely all I had. I really wanted to come home with the gold, but white gold medal will have to do, Kerrie’s got some rose gold.”

On Victoria’s win, “she's a sensational athlete, I really want to beat her next time; that was a fantastic race for Vicky. She’s the reigning World Champion and you have to give credit where it’s due. I hope to have a crack at her again in three weeks."

Talking about the medals, the Meares sisters were on form “they are gorgeous, this chain is different from the [usual] ribbon,” said Anna. “They look like a really big necklace and I feel like someone from 'da Hood' ” Kerrie added.

Kerrie Meares spoke about taking the Bronze medal “after the second round with Anna I put everything into it. I almost heaved afterwards. I can’t complain, I just need to pick up a bit more speed and form for the World Championships”. On losing the Commonwealth crown “its’ not gone forever, I am looking forward to how much improvement I can make over the next two years in the run up to the Olympics. I know that there is improvements to make for example I am working on being more aerodynamic to gain that extra second. I’ve done my best that’s part of racing, You have to loose to become stronger. I am really looking forward to the future.”

The sisters have a busy time ahead with personal arrangements, as well as with the forthcoming World Track Championships in a couple of weeks. Anna plans to marry Mark Chadwick in May and will take some time off for her honeymoon before the European track season starts in September. Kerrie’s boyfriend is Australian team mechanic Stuart Smith. “Top notch mechanic” Anna added.

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Result

	Name		Country	Heat 1	Heat 2	Heat 3	Speed km/h
Gold	Victoria	Pendleton	ENG	11.822		11.822	60.903 km/h
Silver	Anna	Meares	AUS		12.001

In the first heat for the sprint off for Bronze, Williams lead out Kerrie Meares. At the bell Kerrie came round the outside to take the first heat in 12.457 at 57.798 km/h.

In the second heat Kerrie Meares took the front and kept a clear gap between however Williams tried to come through forcing Kerrie to dig in to take the win on the line in a time of 12.074 seconds to take Bronze.

	Name		Country	Heat 1	Heat 2	Heat 3
Bronze	Kerrie	Meares	AUS	12.457	12.074	N/Req
	Elizabeth	Williams	NZL

Elizabeth Williams commented on her Sprint Final ride: “I gave everything I had. I knew coming in to this, I was up against the current World Champion, the current Olympic Champion and Current Commonwealth Games Champion. There is no better competition, there’s not better standard anywhere. I gave everything and I can’t really complain.”

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Semi-Final

The first semi-final was a clash of the Australian Meares sisters. On the qualifying form Anna had the strongest chance of taking the win. Kerrie lead them out for the first two laps but at the bell Anna wound it up to snatch the first heat in the best of three in a time of 12.014 seconds.

The second all Australian contest saw the sisters did their trade mark cat and mouse tactics.

The first heat was restarted due to Kerrie touching the side barrier whilst trying to perform on of her trade mark track stands. Anna was given the advantage in the rerun to take the second heat in 12.430. Anna faced Victoria Pendleton in the final.

The second semi-final was a clash between the world champion Pendleton and the New Zealander Williams. In the first heat Williams lead out Pendleton, approaching the bell Williams could not match the speed of Pendleton

The second heat saw Pendleton looking very comfortable took the second sprint in a time of 12.031 seconds to take her into the Gold/Silver ride off. Williams will ride off for Bronze against Kerrie Meares in her debut appearance at the Games. The 24 year-old, who finished last in the Women’s 500m Time Trail, has another chance to battle for the bronze medal.

Name		Country	Heat 1	Heat 2	Heat 3
Victoria	Pendleton	ENG	12.251	12.031	N/Req
Elizabeth	Williams	NZL

Anna	Meares	AUS	12.014	12.43	N/Req
Kerrie	Meares	AUS

Sprint Round 1

Victoria Pendleton qualified for hte semi finals with a relatively easy win over Kate Cullen. Anna Meares beat Fiona Carswell and Kerrie Meares beat Liz Williams.

Williams won the repecharge to gain the fourth spot in the semi finals this evening.

Fiona Carswell took 5th place in the ride-off from Kate Cullen

Round 1

Heat	Rank	Name	Nation	Time Sec	Speed km/h
1	1 2	Victoria Pendleton Kate Cullen	ENG SCO	13.527	53.226
2	1 2	Anna Meares Fiona Carswell	AUS NZL	12.433	57.910
3	1 2	Kerrie Meares Elisabeth Williams	AUS NZL	12.288	58.593

Final 5-6 Place

5 Fiona Carswell NZL 12.772

6 Kate Cullen SCO

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Sprint Qualifying

Victoria Pendleton (ENG) has sent a message to the Meares sisters (AUS) by qualifying fastest for the sprint matches later this morning. Pendleton 'suffered' at the hands of the Meares in Manchester in 2002, but she has come to Melbourne a much more experienced rider.

The 200m qualifying time posted by Pendleton beat the old Games record by .0177 of a second. The record was set by Lori-Ann Meunzer (CAN) in Manchester.

Result

1 Pendleton (ENG) 11.275

2 Meares A (AUS) 11.700

3 Meares K (AUS) 11.725

4 Williams E (NZL) 11.781

5 Carswell F (NZL) 11.824

6 Cullen K (SCO) 11.925

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