Cycling: Ulmer the world's fastest

Sarah Ulmer laid down the gauntlet to her Olympic individual pursuit rivals with a stunning world record ride at the track world championships in Melbourne yesterday.

Ulmer bettered the four-year-old 3000m world record held by Dutch legend Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel at the 2000 Olympics to install herself as the favourite for today's final - and the Athens Games in August.

The Cambridge-based rider's time of 3m 30.604s during qualifying at the Vodafone Arena erased the defending world and Olympic champion's previous mark of 3m 30.816s.

Ulmer, 28, blitzed the 21-strong field, qualifying more than three seconds faster than second-ranked Russian Olga Slyusareva.

She is drawn against the eighth and last qualifier Emma Davies, of Britain, in the first round today and anything approaching a similar time will see her cruise into the gold medal ride in the late session.

Adding gloss to her achievement, Ulmer created the mark while riding against Zijlaard-Van Moorsel, the queen of track cycling who lapped the New Zealander in their semifinal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

"That's cool. I've never beaten her before," an elated Ulmer said.

Ulmer threatened the world record at the Sydney round of the World Cup series a fortnight ago, coming within three-tenths of a second of the Dutchwoman's time as she won gold.

"She knew she was close in Sydney so today we were just going out there to have a tickle at it and she was there. It's 'wow with a big W'," BikeNZ head track coach Kurt Innes said.

"That's what we were searching for ... it's confirmation she's one of the best girls in the world."

While basking in the glow of her record, Ulmer emphasised the job was only half done.

"I'm stoked but tomorrow's a totally different day. I'm well aware this is early days. I don't want to get carried away just yet."

Ulmer sensed a world record might be within reach heading into the world championships, but only realised it had fallen when she saw her partner Brendan Cameron celebrating trackside.

"I saw my boyfriend punch the air, so I knew it must have been a pretty good time," she said.

A gracious Zijlaard-Van Moorsel, 34, praised Ulmer, saying she was just relieved to have qualified for Athens by finishing inside the top 12.

The Dutchwoman missed the World Cup qualifying circuit as she juggled her road cycling commitments with preparation for track events.

"The record has stood for four years, you have to accept that someone can break it," said Zijlaard-Van Moorsel, who has won the last three world championship titles.

"She [Ulmer] is in really good shape. I've seen her riding in training and she was looking really strong.

"If somebody could break it then it's Sarah Ulmer."

Zijlaard-Van Moorsel, who is also the Olympic road and time trial champion, qualified fifth fastest, a fair outcome considering she started serious track work only six weeks ago.

"I know what I have to do before the Olympics. I know I need a little bit more competition."

Australia's leading hope, Katie Mactier, who qualified third fastest, was another to pay tribute to Ulmer.

"I'm not surprised Sarah's broken the record. She's a class act and a great bird," Mactier said.

She speculated Ulmer's mark may not last long.

"Sarah's come here early in the morning. It [the track] is not particularly warm.

"I'm sure in the evening [tonight] it's going to get warmer and faster."

Sarah Ulmer

Born: March 14, 1976, Auckland.

Olympic Games record

1996: Seventh individual pursuit.

2000: Fourth IP.

Commonwealth Games record

1998: Gold IP; silver points race,

2002: Gold IP in Games record 3m 32.467s.World Cup:

2000: First IP, Cali.

2001: First IP, Mexico.

2003:First IP, Sydney and Mexico.

Also

2002: Won Lonsdale Cup as New Zealand's top Olympian.

- NZPA