MELBOURNE, 28 May 2004 — Chris Hoy won the men’s one km time trial for the second time in three years at the track cycling world championships yesterday.
The flying Scotsman regained the title he won in 2002 as he sped around Melbourne’s velodrome in one minute 01.599 seconds to emerge as the favorite to win Olympic gold at the Athens Games which start on Aug. 13.
French world record holder Arnaud Tournant, who four world titles in a row from 1998, finished second in 1:01.957 with Theo Bos of the Netherlands taking third in 1:02.055.
France, who won both gold medals on the opening day of competition on Wednesday, collected a third gold yesterday when Clara Sanchez won the women’s keiren final.
Elisa Frisoni of Italy finished second with Jennie Reed of the United States third.
Sergi Escobar Roure of Spain won the men’s individual pursuit title with victory over Briton Robert Hayles in the final. Robert Bartko of Germany beat Australia’s Luke Roberts in the bronze medal race.
Earlier yesterday, Sarah Ulmer of New Zealand set a world record for the women’s 3000 meters individual pursuit during the first round of qualifying.
The 28-year-old set a time of 3:30.604 to slice more than two-tenths of a second off the previous world record of 3:30.816, which Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel of the Netherlands recorded on her way to winning gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
“I’m just elated. My boyfriend was giving me the call so I knew,” said Ulmer, now a strong favorite to win today’s final. “I’m absolutely stoked but I don’t want to get carried away just yet.”
Hoy went into the men’s time trial as a slight favorite after winning last week’s World Cup meeting in Sydney but was always in control, making a flying start and posting a personal best time to claim gold.
“I was confident particularly after the ride in Sydney. I knew this was a quicker track. Still I knew it would be a tough race,” Hoy said.
With Olympic berths up for grabs, Hoy skipped the first two rounds of Wednesday’s team sprint to conserve his energy for his individual event. Despite winning the women’s keiren, Sanchez is not assured of a place in Athens because the event is not on the Olympic program but she is hoping to qualify in the sprint, which starts today.
Tonkov Wins Stage, but Cunego Keeps Pink Jersey
In Fondo Sarnonico, Italy, Russian veteran Pavel Tonkov, of the Vini Caldirola team, rolled back the years to claim victory on the 17th stage of the Tour of Italy yesterday.
Italian sensation Damiano Cunego, of the Saeco team, retained the race leader’s pink jersey three days ahead of the race finish in Milan. Tonkov, the overall race winner in 1996, crossed the finish line of the 153km stage from Brunico over two minutes ahead of the rest of the peloton to claim his first win on the Giro in two years.
Italian Alessandro Bertolini came in second just ahead of Australian Brad McGee, of Fdjeux.com, with a passive-looking Cunego trailing in just behind to retain his 1:15 lead over Ukrainian Serhiy Honchar.
Tonkov broke away from the pack on the ascension of the category two Passo della Mendola, 53km from the finish line, and went on to catch an earlier breakaway before reaching the climb’s summit.
The 35-year-old then dropped Bertolini, who stayed with him for a time on the descent into the valley, before forging ahead on his own towards the finish to claim his seventh stage victory overall in the race.
