Sydney World Cup Track

(World Cup Classics 2007 - 2008)

WCN quicklink >>  Day 3 Afternoon - Keirin and Team Pursuit Finals      Day 3 - Morning - Keirin and Team Pursuit Qualifying     

                                Day 2 Evening - Team Sprint and Points Finals    Day 2 Afternoon - Team Sprint and Points Qualifying  

                               Day 1 Morning - Sprint & Pursuit Qualifying    Day 1 Afternoon Scratch Qualifying     Day 1 Evening - Finals

                              Preview - EVERY current World Champ entered         Preview - record entries     

Event Website

On this page >>  500m TT    500m TT comments    500m TT Results   Photos

                            Team Sprint      Team Sprint Comments     Team Sprint Results      Photos

                           Points Race      Points Race Comments     Points Results      Photos

Anna Meares (AUS) delighted the home crowd with a performance that justified her World Championship jersey, which she wore for the first time since winning it in Majorca in March 2007.  

Meares was last to ride at the same time as the young rider from Cuba Lisandra Rogriguez Guerra. At the first 250m Meares was ranked 3^rd but as Meares reached the 125m to go mark, it was like a rocket had exploded and she surged into a sub 34 sec time of 33.869, 53.145km/hr. 

Rogriguez Guerra rode a personal best to secure silver and the powerhouse Willy Kanis (NED) won her second medal of the event to secure bronze. This was a remarkable achievement as she had already raced in the Team Sprint qualifiying earlier in the day and completed a sub 19 seconds for her first lap from a standing start. Record books still to be confirmed but it is thought she is only the second woman ever to do this, the other being French woman Felicia Bollenger.

Anna Meares (TOS) showed true grit and determination to win the gold medal in the 500m TT. Meares initial reaction was “Ouch is all I can say at the moment. Marv said I was in 3^rd until the last 125m, so I am very happy with the result.” WCN asked how she felt wearing her World Championship jersey on home turf, Meares added “The crowd were amazing, I got what I wanted”

Lisandra Rogriguez Guerra (CUB) won the silver medal and rode well to achieve a personal best in the final against Meares. “It was exciting go out against Anna, having a great rider like her means I have to push myself to go faster and because of that I did my best time ever in the 500m and it is so early in the season.”

Willy Kanis (NED) keeps improving every time she gets on the track, in her ride she took 5/10^th off her personal best time in the 500m and was only 28/100^th behind the time of Anna Meares. “I am very happy with bronze, I beat my personal record by 5/10^th and today I feel very special as went under 19 seconds earlier today for the standing start and my best had been 19.1seconds .”

Willy Kanis and Yvonne Hijgenaar (NED) repeated their winning ride from the qualifying rounds to secure gold against Kerrie Meares and Kaarle McCulloch (AUS). Kanis repeated an 18.963 second lap to set up Hijgenaar for the final lap.  

Kerrie Meares and Kaarle McCulloch (AUS) rode well with McCulloch posting her second personal best for the day in the first lap. They could not match the speed of the Dutch pair crossing the line in a very respective 34.635 seconds. 

Tragedy struck in the race for Bronze, Dana Glöss (GER) crashed just before she started the final lap. Her forks snapped on the finish straight and plummeted Glöss to the deck face first. There were a few anxious moments before she was able to stand and wave to the crowd. This accident secured the bronze medal for the French pair of Sandie Clair and Virginie Clueff.

Post Race Comments

Willy Kanis and Yvonne Hijgenaar (NED) rode exceptionally to secure the gold medal and were very happy with their performance “It was the fastest first lap again ” said Hijgenaar of the ride of Kanis who was very fast out of the blocks. Kanis is surprising everyone with her form improvement and was very pleased to have won gold. “I am very happy with our time, it was a great finishing time” said Kanis.

Kerrie Meares and Kaarle McCulloch (AUS) were very happy with their silver medal. “We are so happy, just to be on the podium is great” said Meares. McCulloch was all smiles too, “it was another PB for me so I can’t complain about my performance.”  The Australians are happy that this event is in the programme and hope that this and the team pursuit will be added to the Olympic programme one day to give greater opportunity for women to race at a really high level.

Sandie Clair and Virgine Cueff (FRA) were pleased with their bronze but disappointed by the way it was won. Despite feeling like they would have won anyway because they were up when the accident involving Dana Glöss just before the final lap. Cueff commented on what happened “I am happy but it was hard to see what happened.” Clair added “I feel we were going to win but no one wants to win by default.”

Points Race

Right from the gun this final looked set to be interesting. Joanne Kiesanowski (NZL) attacked and caused the bunch to start chasing. They caught up with her quickly and regrouped as they entered the 72 laps to go point. Denmarks Trine Schmidt attacked with 66 to go and was followed by Charlotte Becker (RAD), Tess Downing (DPC) and Adrie Visser (NED). The group managed to gain a small gap until the bunch once again closed the break down. At the first sprint Li Yan (CHN) managed to find a gap to secure 5 points ahead of Rebecca Quinn (USA). Kate Bates (TMP) the current World Champion was a marked woman and every move was matched. She struggled to get through in the sprint for points, being closed down a couple of times by riders coming over the top into her line. She only secured a 4^th and 3^rd place, not enough for a medal.

The two Dutch riders in the final they certainly tried to create a winning move for one of them Visser and Binnendijk but each time the bunch covered them. Tess Downing (DPC) showed she will be a talent to watch over the next couple of years. She was in the front of the action but her inexperience showing in the final stages of each sprint.

As the race came to a climax, Giorgia Bronzini (SAF) made sure she was positioned well in all of the final three sprints to gain enough points for a medal. It was only after the relegation of Yan Li (CHN) in the final sprint, was Bronzini awarded the gold medal. Yan Li (CHN) lost the 5 points for the final sprint but had enough to secure silver. Jarmila Machacova (CHZ) secured the bronze medal ahead of Rebecca Quinn (USA).

Giorgia Bronzini (SAF) initially won the silver medal and after a decision by the judges she was awarded the gold medal. It was judged that the Chinese rider Li Yan should be relegated and her team mate, Jianling Wang, disqualified for colluding and assisting in the final sprint. “I was happy with silver” said Bronzini “but very happy with gold. I am only at 50% of where I want to be, so this result is very good. I wanted to win 3 sprints and I managed one but got second, third and fourth in the last three sprints so I am very pleased.”

Li Yan (CHN) chatted through an interpreter. WCN asked her if she agreed with the decision of the judges. “It all happened so fast so I can not really comment. I have a silver medal so I am pleased.” Yan was asked if she felt more pressure to perform next week on her home track in Beijing, she added “Yes, it will be but I will do my best.”

Jarmila Machacova (CHZ) said “I am very happy with my bronze medal am very surprised I am here to help my colleague as she is the leader but today I could ride my own ride so I am very happy.”