Cycling: Peden's olympic bid alive thanks to Czech mate

1.00pm - By CHRIS BARCLAY

MELBOURNE - The keirin is arguably track cycling's most cut-throat event but next time Anthony Peden and Ivan Vrba shape up, the New Zealander will be shelling out for beers afterwards.

Peden thought his Olympic dreams had been shattered after failing to make the keirin final at track cycling's world championships here on Friday, but the Czech's bronze medal ride inadvertently opened the door for the 33-year-old.

Cycling's world governing body, UCI, has confirmed Peden has a keirin spot in Greece after Vrba's performance ensured the Czech Republic no longer needed to qualify through the World Cup circuit.

Peden, thanks to his bronze at the Sydney World Cup on May 16, inherited their qualifying spot, though his inclusion is still to be ratified by the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC).

"It's amazing how life can change," Peden said.

"I don't know him (Vrba) but I'll definitely get him a beer."

The former Australian representative was on the verge of scrapping a European Grand Prix build-up tour in favour of joining cattle-farming wife Tristen on the NSW-Queensland border.

His original plan will now proceed, subject to the NZOC green light.

"I'm hopeful they take in my history of past performances, and the style of the event -- it can be a lottery," said Peden, a world silver medallist in 1999.

"He gets in on count back," BikeNZ head track coach Kurt Innes said.

"He's satisfied our criteria, now the (NZOC) politicians have to do their thing."

The NZOC is expected to name the New Zealand cycling squad on Friday, with Sarah Ulmer, the men's team pursuit and madison duo Greg Henderson and Hayden Roulston assured of inclusion in the track component.

The men's and women's road teams and the mountainbiking representatives are not as clear cut.

New Zealand's leading road racer, Julian Dean, is still recuperating from two broken elbows while potential mountainbikers Robyn Wong and Sonia Foote are still competing on the World Cup circuit in Europe.

The world championships, which ended here last night, represented New Zealand cycling's greatest meet ever.

World-record holder Sarah Ulmer's gold in the individual pursuit was swiftly followed by Greg Henderson's success in the scratch race, giving New Zealand world titles for the first time since Karen Holliday's drought-breaking points race crown in 1990.

Henderson's world championships fairytale was capped yesterday when he and Roulston pre-qualified for Greece, due to their eighth placing in the madison.

The pair's goal of a top-10 finish appeared vulnerable after they failed to emerge from qualifying to make the final of the World Cup.

But despite failing in Sydney the pair were not fazed.

"We made a couple of errors at the start (in Sydney) but it didn't hurt us. You can't be on top all the time," a relieved Roulston said.

"All we're lacking is a bit of experience in racing. Hendy and I are only amateurs in this sort of racing. It's only our fourth race (yesterday). You've got to be strong and fast, all that stuff, but it's more tactical, so experience plays a huge part." In contrast, yesterday's silver medal-winning Swiss duo of Franco Marvulli and Bruno Risi compete only on the compressed European madison circuit to hone their skills.

Henderson, who is based in the United States and Roulston, who rides for French road team Cofidis, are not afforded that luxury.

They soon head back to their road teams and meet up again about two weeks out from Athens when the track team go into camp in the south of France.

"What Hendy and I do on the road is ideal preparation," Roulston said.

"Then we'll come in for a short build-up, maybe 2-3 weeks in France, and hopefully it'll be the winning formula.

"We're going to get better, come the Olympics anything's possible."

- NZPA