UCI Oceania Track Cycling Championships – Day 2 Session 1

Australian great Anna Meares showed her class to cruise into the final of the women’s keirin on the second day of the UCI Oceania Track Cycling Championships at Invercargill today.

Meares, who set a new best time in winning the women’s 500m time trial at the SIT Zero Fees Velodrome last night, was untroubled to qualify for the final of the keirin.

The double Olympic gold medallist won the keirin world titles in 2011 in the Netherlands and in 2012 at Melbourne.

The only New Zealander through to the final is Auckland’s Paige Paterson.

Three of the winning New Zealand women’s pursuit combination qualified for the medal races in the 300m individual pursuit. Jaime Nielsen topped qualifiers in 3:37.189 ahead of Olympic teammate Lauren Ellis, Auckland’s Georgia Williams and local rider Laura Fairweather, who is a paralympic gold medallist in this event piloting vision impaired rider Phillipa Gray.

Australian teenager Miles Scotson was fastest in the men’s 4000m individual pursuit qualifying in 4:21.501 and will ride off against experience New Zealand rider Marc Ryan (4:24.052) in tonight’s final, with the bronze medal contest between Australian Tirian McManus and Kiwi Patrick Bevin, who has just returned to the track after riding as a professional on the road for US team Bissell Racing.

In under-19 racing, Matthew Jackson from Australia still leads the omnium after the individual pursuit. After four of the six disciplines he has eight points and leads fellow Australians Alexander Porter 10 and Alex Rendell 12 points.

Auckland’s Bryony Botha won the final sprint to take out the under-19 15km points race.

The second night of finals begins at 6.30pm with competition continuing until Friday.

Details: www.cyclingsouth.org.nz or www.bikenz.org.nz