Waikato’s Lewis Johnston came close to adding a third medal for the Cycling New Zealand team on day three of the UCI Track Cycling Junior Championships in Tel Aviv.
UCI JUNIOR TRACK CYCLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – DAY 3 NEW ZEALAND WRAP
Waikato’s Lewis Johnston came close to adding a third medal for the Cycling New Zealand team on day three of the UCI Track Cycling Junior Championships in Tel Aviv.
Johnston, part of the medal-winning team pursuit, returned for the Sylvan Adams Velodrome for the 25km points race, finishing fourth and just six points behind the bronze medal.
The Hamilton rider was one of four riders to lap the field twice, picking up 40 bonus points, but he was pipped for the bronze medal by Ukraine rider Valentyn Kabaskayi for six points.
It was an impressive performance in the 35C deg sweltering conditions in the velodrome, which proved especially tough for the kiwi team coming off their medal-winning exploits in the team pursuit yesterday.
Belgian rider Bruno Kessler lapped the field three times to gain the gold-medal winning advantage.
Earlier two other members of the team pursuit combination did not advance from qualifying in the 3000m individual pursuit. Edward Pawson clocked a respectable 3:22.505 in his ride with Kyle Aitken a fraction slower in 3:22.969.
Both riders could not kick on in the final 1000m to convert good rides into the medal contention.
Luke Blackwood (10.502s) and Jaxson Russell (10.556s) were 16 th and 20 th respectively in sprint qualifying to advance to the match-racing phase but both were beaten in the first round.
Georgia Simpson from Feilding was 22nd in the four-discipline omnium, although started well in the final points race, winning the first sprint.
Tomorrow’s action features Oliver Watson-Palmer in the men’s omnium, Amelia Sykes in the individual pursuit and Bee Townsend in the points race.
CAPTION: Lewis Johnston leads the peloton in the points race at the at the UCI Track Cycling Junior World Championships in Israel. (Credit: UCI)
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