European riders took most of the spoils on the first day of the opening event in the 2011/12 Track World Cup; the first ever to be held in the Kazakh capital Astana, in the new vélodrome described by International Cycling Union (UCI) president Pat McQuaid as “the most beautiful in the World”.
World champions Anna Meares and Kaarle McCulloch (Australia) cruised to victory in the women’s team sprint, qualifying fastest and then beating the Ukraine by almost four-tenths of a second in the final. Great Britain, without Olympic and multiple World champion Victoria Pendleton, Great Britain had to rely on the developing talents of Jess Varnish and Rebecca James and, despite qualifying third fastest, was beaten to the bronze medal by Germany.
European champion Ed Clancy (Great Britain) got the men’s Omnium under way in perfect fashion with victory in the flying lap. Germany’s Roger Kluge took the points race later on though, as well as fourth in the elimination race, saw the 25-year-old Skil-Shimano rider take the competition lead at the halfway point. Italian Elia Viviani was another road rider on form, with the Liquigas-Cannondale rider in second place at the end of day one.
Belgian Gijs Van Hoecke took the men’s scratch race, after being the only rider to manage to lap the field in the 15km final race. This was followed by victory in the women’s team pursuit for the Netherlands team of Kirsten Wild, Amy Pieters and Ellen van Dijk, who beat China by just over half a second in the final.
Continuing the European domination of the event, the Erdgas.2012 team of Robert Forstemann, Maximilian Levy and Jaochim Eilers beat the Australian Jayco-AIS team of Shane Perkins, Scott Sunderland and Matthew Glaetzer in the final of the team sprint. Olga Panarina of Belarus then took victory in the women’s 500 metre time trial.
Na Ahreum of South Korea took Asia’s only win of the night with a tight victory in the women’s points race; Germany’s Stephanie Pohl finished just one point behind, after she could only manage second in the final sprint, where first place would have handed her the victory.
The evening was completed by the Rusvelo taking a dominant victory over an under-strength Australia; the Russian trade team was the only team on the night to go under four minutes, with 3:56.127.
Women’s team sprint result
1. Australia (Aus) 32.938
2. Ukraine (Ukr) 33.313
3. Germany (Ger) 33.388
4. Great Britain (GBr) 33.588
Men’s scratch race result
1. Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) Belgium
2. Angel Dario Colla (Arg) Argentina
3. Nikias Arndt (Ger) Germany
Women’s team pursuit result
1. Netherlands (Ned) 3:21.550
2. China (Chn) 3:22.079
3. Germany (Ger) 3:21.701
4. Rusvelo (Rus) 3:22.086
Men’s team sprint result
1. Team Erdgas.2012 (Ger) 43.474
2. Team Jayco-AIS (Ger) 43.661
3. France (Fra) 43.757
4. Germany (Ger) 43.835
Women’s 500m result
1. Olga Panarina (Blr) Belarus 33.472
2. Sandie Clair (Fra) France 33.950
3. Miriam Welte (Ger) Germany 34.172
Women’s points race result
1. Na Ahreum (Kor) South Korea
2. Stephanie Pohl (Ger) Germany
3. Elena Cecchini (Ita) Italy
Men’s team pursuit result
1. Rusvelo (Rus) 3:56.127
2. Australia (Aus) 4:01.417
3. Netherlands (Ned) 4:04.035
4. Denmark (Den) 4:10.454
Men’s Omnium
Flying Lap result
1. Ed Clancy (GBr) Great Britain
2. Bryan Coquard (Fra) France
3. Tim Veldt (Ned) Netherlands
Points race result
1. Roger Kluge (Ger) Germany
2. Unai Elorriaga (Esp) Cespa-Euskadi
3. Michael Freiberg (Aus) Australia
Elimination race result
1. Bryan Coquard (Fra) France
2. Elia Viviani (Ita) Italy
3. Unai Elorriaga (Esp) Cespa-Euskadi
Standings after three events
1. Roger Kluge (Ger) Germany 11pts
2. Elia Viviani (Ita) Italy 14
3. Unai Elorriaga (Esp) Cespa-Euskadi 14