Clancy takes gold in men's omnium

Ed Clancy and Dan Hunt, European Track Championships 2010, day two

Ed Clancy continued to assert himself on the new omnium competition, winning gold at the Colombian round of the track World Cup yesterday.

The current omnium world champion was fourth in Melbourne two weeks ago but leapfrogged on to the top step of the podium in Cali, beating home favourite Juan Carvajal by just two points. Bronze medal winner Zachary Bell of Canada was a further 11 points back.

Clancy won the kilometre time trial in a blistering time of 1:01.773 minutes, was second in the individual pursuit (4.26 mins) and flying lap (13.354 secs) and placed consistently well in the three bunch races (fourth, fifth and tenth) to win gold.

After Clancy won the world title in Copenhagen in March this year, he said the team pursuit, of which he is an integral part, would remain his focus. His latest performances, and the fact he is flying around the world to compete in the first place, suggest he may change his mind.

With under two years to go to the London Olympics and the British team still learning about the demands of the discipline, Clancy is clearly Great Britain's best prospect for the vacant spot.

The British team also claimed two silver medals on day two of competition courtesy of Wendy Houvenaghel in the individual pursuit and Victoria Pendleton in the women's sprint.

Houvenaghel qualified second behind former world champion Alison Shanks (NZl) by two seconds, but that gap opened to four seconds in the final as Shanks ran out a comfortable winner. Both had been in action the day before in the women's team pursuit.

Pendleton was beaten to gold in the women's sprint by German Kristina Vogel. The Brit had qualified fastest the day before, and is obviously going well after partnering Jess Varnish to gold in the team sprint on day one, but couldn't get the better of Vogel in the final. The German won 2-1.

Jason Kenny was in action again in the men's kern, he eventually finished sixth, while Laura Trott was competing in the women's omnium that continues in to the final day of competition.



Results

Men's omnium

1. Ed Clancy (GBr) 24 points

2. Juan Carvajal (Col) 26 points

3. Zachary Bell (Can) 37 points

4. Eloy Rovira (Esp) 47 poitns

Women's sprint

Gold final

1. Kristina Vogel (Ger)  bt 2

2. Victoria Pendleton (GBr) 1

Bronze final

3. Sandie Clair (Fra) bt 2

4. Lyubov Shulika (Ukr) 0



Women's individual pursuit

Gold final

1. Alison Shanks (NZl) 3:30.258 bt

2. Wendy Houvenaghel (GBr) 3:34.794

Bronze final

3. Pascale Schnider (Sui) 3:38.403 bt

4. Caroline Ryan (Irl) 3:39.314

Men's keirin

1. Aziuzulhasni Awang (Mal)

2. François Pervis (Cof)

3. Denis Spicka (Cze)

4. Fabian Zapata (Col)

British

6. Jason Kenny (GBr)

Men's scratch race

1. Morgan Kneisky (Fra)

2. Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel)

3.  Martin Blaha (CZe)

4. Marco Arriagada (Chi)

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