May 24, 2007 (Valencia, Venezuela) – You can’t come any closer to a medal without getting one than Canadian team rider Zach Bell did in the men’s points race last night. Bell tied Mexican rider Carlos Hernandez with 39 points, but finished behind him in the final sprint.

When riders tie for points in a points race the officials use the order across the line on the final sprint to break the deadlock, and unfortunately for Bell he was beaten by Hernandez in the final sprint.

Repeating results were a theme amongst the Canadian contingent; Bell’s 4th was the second for the endurance men after Martin Gilbert’s near medal miss in the scratch race on Day 2 (May 22). And earlier on day 3 Gina Grain and Monique Sullivan both replicated their earlier results, finishing 6th in the points race and 5th in the sprints respectively, as they had in previous events on day 2.

Grain placed 6th in the points race, in which the top two riders Guerrero of Mexico and Gomes of Columbia took a lap on the field to build up an impervious points tally.

In other racing the men’s team pursuit was won with a time of 4:16.9 by Colombia over the home team Venezuela. The Dominican Republic defeated Chile for the bronze medal. Times were fast with the top four teams all under 4:23 – impressive for an outdoor 333m track.

Cam Mackinnon races in the bronze medal final in the men’s match sprint today (Day 4), which has been run somewhat unconventionally over a three-day period. Mackinnon has apparently been able to brush off any ill effects of his crash in the keirin finals on day one, in which he hooked handlebars with another rider and went down.

Women’s Points

1. Belem Guerrero (Mex) 47pts
2. Sandra Gomez (Col) 41
3. Yoanka Gonzales (Cub) 21
4. Elizabeth Agudelo (Col) 13
5. Karelia Machado (Ven) 12
6. Gina Grain (Can) 12
7. Daniely Garcia (Ven) 7
8. Jessica Jurado (Mex) 6
9. Yumari Gonzales (Cub) 5
10. Iona Winter (Jam) 1
11. Janildes Fernandez (Bra)
12. Maria Parra (Ecu)
13. Evelyn Garcia (Esa)
14. Cindy Morales (Gua)
15. Jennifer Prensa (Dom)
DNF Paola Munoz (Chi)
DNF Paola Salazar (Gua)
DNF Neva Day (USA)
DNF Barbara Arancibia (Chi)
DNF Camila Rodriguez (Bra)
DNF Becky Quinn (USA)
DNS Patricia Alvear (Ecu)
DNS Ana Gomez (Dom)

Men’s Points

1. Arles Castro (Col) 46pts
2. Andrys Hernandez (Ven) 41
3. Carlos Hernandez (Mex) 39
4. Zachary Bell (Can) 39
5. Kolby Pearce (USA) 35
6. Michel Fernandez (Cub) 33
7. Cristian Clavero (Arg) 30
8. Gonzalo Bastidas (Chi) 30
9. Wynants Milton (Uru) 29
10. Jr Hernandez Cuadri (Bra) 27
11. Robertson Dasilva (Bra) 27
12. Anibal Borrajo (Arg) 25
13. Augusto Sanchez (Dom) 22
14. Kennets Williams (USA) 7
15. Juan R. Bravo (Chi) 5
16. Richard Ochoa (Ven) 5
17. Manuel Rodas (Gua) 4
18. Juan Montenegro (Ecu) 3
19. Horacio Gallardo (Bol) 3
20. Johny Morales (Gua) 2
21. Juan Arango (Col)
22. Jan Arias (Cub) -20
23. Herson Jimenez (Crc) -20
24. Jorge Gallegos (Ecu) -20
25. Fernando Gonzalez (Crc) -40
26. Stephen Alexander (Tri) -40
DNF Rodolfo Avila (Mex)
DNF Jose Coronado (Dom)
DNS Jason Forde (Bar)
DNS Mario Contreras (Esa)

Women’s Sprint

1. Lizandra Guerra (Cub)
2. Jennie Reed (USA)
3. Diana Garcia (Col)
4. Nancy Contreras (Mex)
5. Monique Sullivan (Can)
6. Ivana Kunze (Arg)
7. Sol Roa (Col)
9. Mycheli Monserrat (Bra)
10. Zamara Tschieder (Arg)
11. Rafaela Kosak (Bra)
12. Abril Tinajero (Mex)

Men’s Team Pursuit

1. Colombia (Juan Forero, Arles Castro, Carlos Alzate, Jairo Perez) 4:16.902
2. Venezuela (Tomas Gil, Richard Ochoa, Franklyn Chacon, Yosbang Rojas) 4:21.243
3. Dominican Republic (Augusto Sanchez, Jorge Perez, Euri Vidal, Rafael Meran) 4:20.932
4. Chile (Juan R. Bravo, Gonzalo Bastidas, Gonzalo Miranda, Sergio Ortega) 4:22.984
5. Ecuador Byron Guaman, Segundo Navarrete, Jorge Gallegos, Jose Ragonessi) 4:42.977
6. Costa Rica (Jonathan Viquez, Marco Guillen, Herson Jimenez, Fernando Gonzalez)