Sell has Commonwealth Games in her sights

CYCLING: Wanganui's Catherine Sell starts her Commonwealth Games bid in earnest at the Oceania Games cycling championships starting in Wanganui today.
Sell races tonight's points race and will be looking for a repeat of her effort at Wanganui in early 2004, when she won both the points and scratch race.
But coach Ron Cheatley warns she needs track racing ? although national track cycling coach Terry Gyde says she's not alone in this.
Gyde is looking for his squad to produce good efforts in Wanganui and get better for the Manchester World Cup event, for which a team leaves from Wanganui on Friday.
"The aim this week is two-fold really," Gyde said yesterday. "First and foremost, Oceania Games' wins give you automatic qualification to the world championships, and this takes the pressure off for World Cups.
"The second objective is to use this event as a build-up for the Manchester World Cup. If we finish in the top four at the World Cups that's also a qualification for the worlds."
Riders from New Zealand, Australia (including Olympic champions Ryan Bayley and Anna Meares), New Caledonia, Fiji, Guam and Tahiti will take part in the five-day Oceania Games from today.
The track events finish on Friday night, and the road time-trials will be on Saturday and the road races themselves on Sunday.
Gyde says all his riders will be the better for their track racing ? but overall the standard of the Oceanias will be superior to the national championships which will also be held in Wanganui early in January.
He believes Sell and the others will conquer their lack of track events.
"The expectations are always good for this event and I believe cream always rises to the top. Sell is clearly a great bike rider and she's in the same boat as everyone else in the team ? they've come off a European road season and this is basically their first hit-out."
Gyde says Sell is in strong competition with Joanne Kiesanowski for Games and world championship spots. Kiesanowski finished sixth in the world points race this year.
"The one that looks a potential medal winner will be looked at favourably."
Gyde says the order of priority for obtaining Commonwealth Games selection is: Performance at world championships; performances at 2006 World Cups ? and Manchester and Los Angeles; and then the New Zealand championships.
He expects the team to be very much sorted out for the most part by the nationals, but says the Oceanias can help latecomers.
He's interested in how this year's successful world championship junior pursuiters, Sam Bewley, Wesley Gough and Jessie Sergent ? go in Wanganui.
two-fold aim.The other team member Darren Shea is missing this event, while Bewley will have his first start over the 4000-metre senior pursuit distance.
New Zealand's leading sprinter ? in opposition to Australia's world and Olympic champion Ryan Bayly ? is Nathan Seddon, who recorded a 10.4sec time at the Moscow World Cup recently to crack the Commonwealth Games qualifying time.