Cycling: Double gold for cyclists

MELBOURNE - Sarah Ulmer and Greg Henderson gave New Zealand successive gold medal triumphs at the track cycling world championships in Melbourne last night.

In a double act emulating the Manchester Commonwealth Games two years ago, the country's leading cyclists grabbed medals within minutes of each other to dominate the late session at the Vodafone Arena.

World recordholder Ulmer underlined her Olympic Games favouritism by storming to victory in the individual pursuit, then Henderson, the Commonwealth points race champion, rode a tactically masterful race to win the 15km scratch event by half-a-wheel from Dane Alex Rasmussen.

Cambridge-based Ulmer, who set a world mark in qualifying on Thursday, saw off a determined challenge from her friend and occasional training partner Australian Katie Mactier to become just New Zealand's second world titleholder since the championships were first contested in 1895.

She won in a time of 3m 31.778s, coming from behind to take the lead with two laps remaining in a tightly-fought 3000m battle.

Buoyed by her home crowd, Mactier made her trademark explosive start and led Ulmer by as much as 2.133s before the New Zealander wore down last year's world championships silver medallist.

Mactier tired to cross in a time of 3m 34.859s.

Ulmer punched the air in delight as she crossed the line and saluted a small band of flag-waving New Zealanders, including her father Gary.

Karen Holliday, who won the points race at Maebashi in Japan in 1990, was New Zealand's first world track cycling champion.

It is Ulmer's second world championship medal, following her bronze in the points race in Germany five years ago.

Victory confirmed her dominance in the discipline in her final major dress-rehearsal for the Olympics in August.

Ulmer broke Dutch legend Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel's four-year-old world mark in qualifying, with a stunning ride of 3m 30.604s.

An out-of-sorts Zijlaard-Van Moorsel yesterday surrendered the world crown she has held since 2001 with another lacklustre effort.

She bowed out of medal contention in the first round of competition with a sluggish effort of 3m 36.306s.

In her first-round match-up, Ulmer predictably obliterated Emma Davies when catching the Englishwoman with two laps of the 12 laps remaining.

Her time of 3m 31.083s again saw her qualify top for the gold medal rideoff.

Mactier clocked 3m 32.599s to make the final, carving 1 1/2s off her qualifying time.

Once Ulmer dismounted her bike she immediately ran to the stand where she was embraced by family and well-wishers.

"I'm absolutely stoked. I've got heaps of family and friends here and I've just been up to see them. It's wicked," she beamed.

"I didn't know what it would feel like until I'm here. It's amazing, I'll known even better tomorrow when it's sunken in.

"It was hard, it was like a final should be. It hurt from the first pedal strike to be honest."

Henderson, who won a silver medal with Hayden Roulston in the madison at the world championships last year, was deliriously happy with his effort.

It followed a disappointing performance in the points race in which he finished 12th.

"I was so angry after that ride I was almost in tears," the Dunedin rider said.

"I was about to chuck it in [track racing] but it's amazing what a world title can do.

"Before the race I was talking to Hayden and he told me to go for it. I thought I've got nothing to lose so I'm going to attack it."

That attacking philosophy paid off for Henderson, who made an early solo break to burn off the bulk of his rivals.

- NZPA