6 Apr 2012

Van Velthooven takes bronze, no medal for women's pursuiters

11:52 am on 6 April 2012

Simon Van Velthooven has won New Zealand's third medal at the world track cycling championships in Melbourne.

Van Velthooven picked up the bronze medal in the gruelling men's one kilometre time trial, which was won by the defending champion Stefan Nimke of Germany.

The national women's pursuit team of Ali Shanks, Lauren Ellis and Jaime Nielsen lost out in the bronze medal ride to Canada.

Great Britain won the event ahead of Australia in a new world record time of three minutes 15.720 seconds, shaving more than a second off their short-lived record after both teams broke the world record in qualifying.

So far, Britain have won two out of four of the world titles in the categories to be contested at the Olympics, with Australia and Germany taking one apiece. Another six Olympic category events remain.