5 Mar 2009

Shanks and Sergent win pursuit titles

6:27 am on 5 March 2009

Olympian Alison Shanks has lowered her New Zealand Individual Pursuit record for the second time in a day at the National Track Cycling Championships in Invercargill.

The Otago rider defended her title and took just over half a second off the record she smashed by five seconds in the qualifying session.

Shanks says she was expecting to go fast, they're in preparation for the World Champs so she was in good form... however she plans to be going faster at the world champs in 3 weeks time.

Palmerston North's Jesse Sergent couldn't quite repeat his efforts in qualifying when he bettered Hayden Roulston's New Zealand record by just under five seconds, but easily won the men's title.

Both Shanks and Sergent will now both ride the team's pursuit.

Last night's results will have also given selectors a clearer idea of who will join them in the team's pursuit in Poland with the team to be named at the conclusion of the champs' on Saturday night.

The selectors requested another look at four riders who finished outside the top four in qualifying and had them race off last night, included was former New Zealand rowing rep Sonia Waddell who finished 6th in the morning's qualifying session.