World Track Champs 2008

World track cycling champs 2008 held at Manchester March 26/30.

Quotes from the fourth and final day, March 30.- Results

Women's Keirin
American Jennie Reed ended Britain's gold rush when she overpowered Victoria Pendleton to win the keirin in the final event of the world track champs..

"I'm pretty pleased with my performance. That last race I just timed it a little bit wrong. I should have gone a fraction of a second earlier," said Pendleton. "But Jennie did a great job. Congratulations to her."

Reed was only too happy to be the one who ended Britain's hopes of grabbing 10 golds from the 18 on offer.
"I think most of us were already yawning at the thought of another gold medal," said the 29-year-old, who finally put the US among the medals after Sarah Hammer finished fourth when failing to defend her pursuit crown.

"They were just dominating. Finally we got our name up there. Everyone wants the perfect race and finally it worked out for me."
Reed finished third in the sprint, where tactics, as well as sheer speed, is a vital component.

On Sunday, the American decided to quickly drop any ideas of using her head to beat her big rival.
"At first when I was so far behind I was a little bit discouraged, and Vicky was in front of me. And for a second I thought that since it was very hard on this track to come by (overtake) I'd maybe follow the wheels," she said.

"Whether I won or lost, I decided I wanted to do my own race because I always race better on instinct."

Reed now knows which colour of medal she wants at the Olympics.
"I'm excited because I got bronze here, and I've been getting better all year. I'm super-motivated," she added.

Pendleton has warned, however: "The sprint by far outweighs all the other events here. It's the only one that matters this year because it's the only Olympic chance I've got."

Men's Omnium
Hayden Godfrey handed New Zealand their only gold medal in five-event omnium.

The omnium was introduced at world championship level last year and includes five events: the 200m flying start sprint, scratch race, pursuit, points race and kilo time trial.

At the end the results of all five races are turned into points, and the rider with the lowest number is pronounced winner.
Godfrey was third in the sprint, won the scratch, finished fourth in the pursuit and then placed seventh in the points race.
A fourth place finish after the four laps of the kilo time trial, won by Britain's Steven Burke, allowed him to claim the gold medal and finally put the Kiwis among the medals after Hayden Roulston had lost out on the individual pursuit bronze on the opening day.

"I'm delighted. When I first heard about this event a couple of years ago I knew it could suit me," said Godfrey, who is based in New Zealand but who has raced in the United States for the past seven years.

"I'm not really a specialist in anything, more a jack of all trades and master of none.

"Unfortunately last year in Mallorca I couldn't compete because I had an injury. I've had to wait another year to have a crack at it, so I'm just really happy it worked out.

"New Zealand's not won many world titles so I'm happy to be part of that small group."

Men's Kilo
Flying Dutchman Teun Mulder upset French hopes of gold to claim the kilometre crown here at the world track cycling championships on Sunday. Mulder set a time of 1min 01.332sec for the four-lap race against the clock to claim the title ahead of French duo Michael D'Almeida and Francois Pervis.

Mulder said - "I didn't want to race today but the coaches told me that I had to because I had form," said Mulder, who has been racing all week in the various rounds of the sprint and keirin.

"I didn't even have the proper kilo handlebars for my bike, I had to borrow them from one of the girls (in the team).

"So I didn't have any pressure. I basically raced for fun."

D'Almeida had done only two events in the four-lap race this year but that didn't stop him posting a personal best to claim his first ever world championship medal.

"I don't know anything about how Mulder prepared, but he's a far more experienced rider than me and I'm much younger," D'Almeida, whose previous best was 1:02.300, told AFP.

"Whether you train or not, if you can go fast you can still do well in the kilo."