Dunedin cyclist Alison Shanks produced another world-class performance to win the individual pursuit at the UCI World Cup in Colombia today.
Shanks, who slashed her own previous best at the Oceania Championships last week, recorded another 3m 28s ride at the partially-outdoor velodrome in Cali.
She blitzed Great Britain's Wendy Houvenaghel, part of the world team's pursuit champion trio, in the final with a superb display, clocking 3:28.994. She won by nearly five seconds.
The Otago rider was delighted with her second 3:28 effort, especially replicating her best time after the arduous travel and heavy early-season racing schedule.
"Not only was it a good ride, it was evenly executed,'' Shanks said. "I wanted to firstly go out and beat Wendy and win the gold medal but to do so and record such a fast time as well - and it's day three after the team pursuit - I am stoked.
"Cali is also a fast track but there's a bit of wind so you have to be smart how you ride it. It shows I am fit and it's a great way to kick off the season.''
The New Zealander, usually a conservative starter, was on top throughout in the 3000m final. She led by 0.5sec at the 1000m mark and had the race under control to be two seconds clear at the 2000m mark.
Shanks topped qualifiers in the morning session with a 3:32.184, with Houvenaghel more than a second behind and six seconds back to the next fastest.
"This morning Wendy went out fast and was still ahead at the 2km mark,'' Shanks said. "We thought she would do the same tonight. I knew I was strong to bring it home in the last kilometre but, as it turned out, I was ahead for most of the race and so I am absolutely stoked with the ride I put together tonight.''
The individual pursuit isn't on the Olympic programme and Shanks said her win today didn't make up for the disappointment of their loss in yesterday's team's pursuit when they were beaten in the gold medal ride by the Houvenaghel-led Great Britain team. The team's pursuit will be contested in London with the New Zealand trio of Shanks, Lauren Ellis and Jaime Nielsen optimistic of success at the Olympic Games.
"I think we have learned a lot from that,'' Shanks said of yesterday's ride. "In the team pursuit you have to push the boundaries to go faster and that's what we have to do in Olympic year. When you are riding on those limits, sometimes they don't come off but you have to keep pushing the boundaries and hope on race day it comes together.
"We've learned a lot from that. We will take things from it and move forward.''
Shanks' medal was the fourth for New Zealand at the World Cup meeting on the back of the gold won by the men's team's pursuit yesterday, the silver picked up by the women's pursuiters and Simon van Velthooven also claimed second in the men's kilo time trial.
Van Velthooven, who has been the big improver in the men's sprint programme this year, couldn't add to his tally in the keiran today. The Manawatu rider finished 13th in the B final after the Oceania champion was closed out of any real racing real estate. Earlier he was relegated in the semifinal for not holding his line, after finishing third across the line.
Joanne Kiesanowski has enjoyed her first event win on the first day of the women's omnium. The Christchurch professional was eighth in the flying lap, lowering her personal best for a second time in a week to 14.655s. She was 13th in the points race before recording a breakthrough victory with a brilliant ride in the elimination race, holding off world medallist Tara Whitten of Canada in the final sprint.
It proved a disappointing competition for world omnium silver medallist Shane Archbold who, along with two other riders, was disqualified during the points race yesterday. Under the rules he was unable to contest the rest of the programme.
The World Cup finishes tomorrow.
