APELDOORN, Netherlands, March 23, 2011 – Australia will defend their
team pursuit crown against Russia after setting the fastest qualifying time
for the 4km event here at the world track cycling championships on Wednesday.

An emerging Russian quartet had set the early pace with a time of 4min
00.965sec over 16 laps of the Omnisport Arena, slicing four seconds off their
qualifying time from last year.

Australia were last to go from the 17-strong field and the impressive Jack
Bobridge, Rohan Dennis, Luke Durbridge and Michael Hepburn picked up the pace
in the final kilometre to top the times in 4:00.168.

It means reigning Olympic champions Britain, who were beaten to gold by
Australia last year in Copenhagen, will race for the bronze medal against New
Zealand.

Ed Clancy, Steven Burke, Peter Kennaugh and Andrew Tennant started strongly
but from trailing the pace-setting Russians by just 0.05sec at the 1km mark
the Britons finished 1.779sec behind at the finish line.

The Kiwi quartet of Sam Bewley, Peter Latham, Marc Ryan and Jesse Sergent
had earlier set a time of 4:04.164.

Both medals rounds will be held later on Wednesday.

Men
Team pursuit
Qualifying
1. Australia (Jack Bobridge, Rohan Dennis, Luke Durbridge, Michael Hepburn)
4min 00.168sec, 2. Russia (Alexey Markov, Evgeny Kovalev, Ivan Kovalev,
Alexander Serov) 4:00.965, 3. Great Britain (Ed Clancy, Steven Burke, Peter
Kennaugh, Andrew Tennant) 4:02.764, 4. New Zealand (Sam Bewley, Peter Latham,
Marc Ryan, Jesse Sergent) 4:04.164, 5. Spain 4:06.187, 6. Netherlands
4:06.552, 7. Germany 4:06.977, 8. Belgium 4:07.198, 9. Denmark 4:07.820, 10.
Colombia 4:09.066, 11. Ukraine 4:09.889, 12. France 4:11.497, 13. Switzerland
4:11.582, 14. Chile 4:12.368, 15. Italy 4:12.770, 16. Greece 4:13.191, 17.
Hong Kong 4:15.608

Article:AFP