Hat-trick for Pervis and silver for Valente at track worlds

SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES (AFP) — French sprinter Francois Pervis continued to thrill his home crowd on Friday, earning his second gold medal of the week, this time in the kilometer time trial. American Jennifer Valente continued the U.S.’ medal run with a silver in the individual pursuit.

Kilo

Pervis sent the home fans into rapturous delirium by securing a hat-trick of 1km time-trial titles at the World Track Cycling Championships on Friday.

The national velodrome was bouncing as Pervis overhauled Germany’s Joachim Eilers with the final run of the event to claim victory in 1min 0.207sec.

It was Pervis’s second gold of these championships, and sixth overall, having already won the keirin on Thursday. Eilers had to settle for silver for the second year in row as he finished just 87 thousandths of a second behind, while New Zealand’s Matthew Archibald won bronze.

Women’s pursuit

Rebecca Wiasak was a shock winner of the women’s individual pursuit. The 30-year-old, competing at her first ever worlds, broke the Australian national record in qualifying and then defeated Jennifer Valente of the United States in the final by three and a half seconds.

Valente was ahead through 750m but, from there on, Wiasak simply rode away from the American.

In the qualifying round, Wiasak broke the Australian national record by 0.6sec and then in the final, she beat Valente by 3.5sec. It was a great day for the Aussies as Amy Cure took the bronze medal, beating the reigning champion Joanna Rowsell of Britain by almost 3.5sec.

Rowsell seemed well off the pace all day having also been beaten by the record-breaking Australians in the team pursuit on Thursday.

But it was Wiasak’s day and she said she had been inspired by seeing her teammates win gold in a world record.

“I’ve dreamed about this alongside my four teammates who are here and I saw them win gold yesterday and put the rainbows on, and I really wanted that to be me,” she said.

“I felt very much a part of it but I wasn’t on the podium with the girls and they all believed in me and had so many kind words of support over night.

“I was definitely a part of it yesterday and I really wanted to stand on the top step. I’ve done all the training to be there. I think I cried for three of the four kilometres there on the track (Thursday) and then for a lot of the podium presentation afterwards.

“I almost held it together while I was standing there up top but my teammates and the Australians were looking at me and I did, I lost it a little bit there. A few tears were shared but it’s such a proud moment.”

Men’s points race

Russian Artur Ershov emerged victorious at the end of a bewildering 160 laps in the men’s points race at the World Track Cycling Championships on Friday. Ershov was one of five riders to gain a lap on the pack and the medals came from among them.

Spain’s Eloy Teruel took silver, his third podium finish in a row, and Germany’s Maximilian Beyer came in third.

New Zealand’s Regan Gough missed out on a medal by the narrowest of margins having matched Beyer’s 29-point haul.

Omnium

Young Colombian sprint sensation Fernando Gaviria, who outsprinted Mark Cavendish twice at the Tour of San Luis a month ago, was leading the men’s omnium following the first three disciplines.

Gaviria secured top three finishes in the scratch race, individual pursuit and elimination race to end the day top of the six-discipline event with 110 points.

Italian professional sprinter Elia Viviani is second with 102 points after winning the scratch and elimination races but coming only 10th in the pursuit.

Reigning world champion Thomas Boudat of France is third on 94 with Australian Glenn O’Shea, the 2012 world champion, sixth and 2013 champion Aaron Gate of New Zealand seventh.

The omnium’s final three events, the time-trial, flying lap and points race, take place on Saturday.