Wellington Track Championships
Perfect conditions helped riders across all disciplines set new regional records and personal bests over two days of competition at the 2012 Wellington Track Cycling Championships held at Hataitai Velodrome on February 12 and 14.
In the under 17s Ollie Jones set a new Wellington record in the 2000m pursuit with a blistering 2min 41.03sec ahead of Louis Higgison and Zac Blakeley. Higgison pipped Jones for the 500m time trial title with 38.78sec, and Ari Evans was third. Jones also won the scratch, points and sprint events.
Under 17 girls rider Ione Johnson recorded 42.55sec for the 500m for a Wellington record ahead of Eleanor Pepperell who later went on to set another Wellington record in the flying 200m sprint qualfiying.
Under 13 rider Sampson Mollan picked up a clean sweep of 500m time trial, 1500m scratch race and 5km points race titles ahead of Nia Emrys.
In the under 15 girls, Martine Barnes and Holly Blakely set a new Wellington record of 47.775sec for the 500m team sprint. Barnes went on to win the points race, Blakeley the scratch race and Hannah Larkin won the 500m time trial.
Liam Sherlock was a worthy winner of the under 15 boys 3km scratch and 5km points with Oliver Wood second in both events. Hannah Fletcher was star of the under 19 girls division winning the pursuit, time trial and points races.
Under 19 Connor Johnson was fastest in the kilometre time trial, clocking 1min 17.53sec while Russell Fairbrass won the senior men’s division with 1min 21.30sec. Nick Warren picked up the Masters title with 1min 18.39sec.
Johnson and Warren went on to win the gruelling 3000m individual pursuit in their disciplines with 4min 6.49sec and 4min 6.69sec respectively. Cameron Wood dug deep to record 5min 56.38sec, winning the senior men’s 4000m pursuit.
The highly tactical one-on-one match sprinting provided some of the most thrilling battles of the competition, with Connor Johnson taking out the Open Men’s title ahead of Nick Warren. Johnson won 2-0 in the best of three competition which saw the two clash elbows as they fought for position.
A rare crash in the men’s 10km scratch race on day two involving Connor Johnson and Lee Evans saw both riders taken to hospital with scrapes and bruises. Warren went on to win the master’s category and Fairbrass the senior men’s.
Ben Powell was quickest in a hectic Keirin final and despite tired legs, the riders did not take it easy in the 12km points race. Just one point separated Warren and James Trubridge with the final sprint remaining but ultimately it was Trubridge who crossed the line one wheel ahead of Warren. Trubridge was named senior men’s champion and Warren awarded the master’s title.
Regular racing continues at Hataitai Velodrome every Tuesday at 6pm until March 20 and is open to all. More information and photos on www.pnp.org.nz/track, www.twitter.com/Welly_Velodrome and www.facebook.com/Wellington.Velodrome.