Cycling: Gough to ride for bronze

Westley Gough. Photo / Supplied

Hawkes Bay cyclist Westley Gough will ride off for the bronze medal in the individual pursuit at the UCI track cycling world championships in Melbourne tonight.

The 23-year-old will take on Australian Rohan Dennis in the ride for third and fourth at the Hisense Arena.

Gough took nearly a second off his previous best to clock 4:17.001 for the 4000m journey, with Australians filling the other places in tonight's medal rides.

Great Britain road star Geraint Thomas set the bar with a 4:17.265 but Gough showed his class, powering home strongly with a 2:05.434 over the final 2000m, second only to top qualifier Michael Hepburn.

Hepburn clocked 4:13.224, the third fastest time in history, to pip compatriot and world record-holder Jack Bobridge's 4:14.783.

Waikato's Peter Latham finishes sixth fastest behind Thomas with a 4:18.152, a personal best by more than a second.

Southland's Natasha Hansen and Otago's Katie Schofield were eliminated from the women's keirin after both finished fourth in their respective heats. They went through to the repechage where both finished third.

Jo Kiesanowski of Christchurch has dropped to 10th overall with two rounds remaining in the six-event women's omnium, after finishing 16th in the 3000m individual pursuit.