March 31, 2007 (Palma, Mallorca, Spain) — Australia’s Anna Meares raised the bar she set on November 18, 2006 at the Sydney Track World Cup by lowering her own world record in the women’s 500m time trial from 33.588, breaking her previous mark of 33.944. While Lisandra Guerra Rodriguez of Cuba and Natallia Tsylinskaya of Belarus rounded out the podium, much of the attention was garnished by 18-year-old Shanaze Reade of Great Britain. The former BMX rider filled in for Victoria Pendleton and placed an impressive 5th in her first ever 500m attempt, leading for much of the event (she was origionaly slated to only ride the team sprint).

Women’s Sprint

Skipping the 500m paid off for Victoria Pendleton (Great Britain) as the 2005 world champion reclaimed her crown, defeating Shuang Guo of China to win the women’s sprint world title. Anna Meares added to her medal haul by taking the bronze over Cuba’s Lisandra Guerra-Rodriguez.

Women’s Scratch Race

Ymari Gonzalez Valdivieso (Cuba) added to her World Cup overall title this year by soloing off the front of the women’s scratch race. Behind her was a controversy-filled sprint. Maria Luisa Calle Williams (Colombia) and American Becky Quinn crossed the line in second and third, but Quinn was later relegated moving Adrie Visser (Netherlands) into the bronze medal position. Canada’s Gina Grain sat out of the event, in which she won a silver at last year’s Track World Championships, to focus her efforts on the points race. Early in the competition Jamican Iona Wynter and New Zealander Catherine Cheatley had made several attempts to form breakaways, but were neutralized until Valdivieso was able to escape the field.

Men’s Points Race

Four months after the death of his long time Madison partner Isaac Galvez, Joan Llaneras Rosello (Spain) erased thoughts of retirement to pay fitting tribute to his fallen comrade. He dominated the race, scoring in the bulk of the sprints and gaining three laps on the field – one of them solo. In the end he won by a massive 21-point margin over Iljo Keisse (Belgium), and phenom Tinkov rider, Mikhail Ignatiev (Russian Federation), who could not challenge the 37-year-old Mallorcan winner who rode an inspired race on his home soil.

Race Notes

It was a rough day for the Candian contingent as Travis Smith was forced to withdraw from the competition as a result of his crash yesterday, and Zach Bell failed to qualify for the final in the points race (though to Bell’s defense the other rider that failed to qualify from his heat is multi-time world medalist Chris Newton of the Great Britain endurance squad).

While Smith was the victim of bad luck and Bell of bad (or at least ill-chosen) tactics, both riders will now have to qualify for their Pan American spots at the upcoming Burnaby, BC trials (according the CCA criteria outlined earlier this month).

Results

Women’s 500m Time Trial

1. Anna Meares (Australia) 33.588 (53.590 km/h)
2. Lisandra Guerra Rodriguez (Cuba) 34.015
3. Natallia Tsylinskaya (Belarus) 34.43
4. Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania) 34.487
5. Shanaze Reade (Great Britain) 34.633
6. Willy Kanis (Netherlands) 34.7
7. Yvonne Hijgenaar (Netherlands) 34.776
8. Anna Blyth (Great Britain) 34.87
9. Sandie Clair (France) 34.892
10. Virginie Cueff (France) 35.159
11. Kristine Bayley (Australia) 35.264
12. Jane Gerisch (Germany) 35.402
13. Fang Tian (People’s Republic of China) 35.471
14. Jinjie Gong (People’s Republic of China) 35.473
15. Miriam Welte (Germany) 35.619
16. Tamilla Abassova (Russian Federation) 35.625
17. Nancy Contreras Reyes (Mexico) 35.754
18. Diana Maria Garcia Orrego (Colombia) 36.063
19. Lyubov Shulika (Ukraine) 36.272
20. Magdalena Sara (Poland) 36.919
21. Helena Casas Roige (Spain) 37.01

Women’s Sprint

Finals

For Gold and Silver

1. Victoria Pendleton (Great Britain) 0.11.879
2. Shuang Guo (People’s Republic of China)

For Bronze

3. Anna Meares (Australia) 0.12.000
4. Lisandra Guerra-Rodriguez (Cuba)

Men’s Sprint

Quarter Finals

Heat 1

1. Mickaël Bourgain (France) 10.644 10.892
2. Stefan Nimke (Germany)

Heat 2

1. Theo Bos (Netherlands) 10.706 10.633
2. Roberto Chiappa (Italy)

Heat 3

1. Craig Maclean (Great Britain) 10.678 10.874
2. Ross Edgar (Great Britain)

Heat 4

1. Gregory Bauge (France) 10.553 10.922
2. Maximilian Levy (Germany)

Race for Fifth to Eighth

5. Maximilian Levy (Germany) 11.474 (62.750 km/h)
6. Stefan Nimke (Germany)
7. Roberto Chiappa (Italy)
8. Ross Edgar (Great Britain)

Men’s Points Race

Final

1. Joan Llaneras Rosello (Spain) 76 pts
2. Iljo Keisse (Belgium) 55
3. Mikhail Ignatiev (Russian Federation) 52
4. Cameron Meyer (Australia) 46
5. Milan Kadlec (Czech Republic) 43
6. Matthieu Ladagnous (France) 39
7. Vasil Kiryienka (Belarus) 39
8. Peter Schep (Netherlands) 32
9. Juan Esteban Curuchet (Argentina) 28
10. Oleksandr Polivoda (Ukraine) 5
11. Kampo Wong (Hong Kong, China) 5
12. Alexander Aeschbach (Switzerland) 4
13. Jenserik Madsen (Denmark) 2
14. Makoto Iijima (Japan) 8
15. Andreas Graf (Austria) 19
16. Vladimir Tuychiev (Uzbekistan) 20
17. Ioannis Tamouridis (Greece) 20
DNF Carlos Alzate Escobar (Colombia)
DNF David O’Loughlin (Ireland)
DNF Daniel Oss (Italy)
DNF Hayden Roulston (New Zealand)
DNF Rafal Ratajczyk (Poland)

Women’s Scratch Race

Final

1. Yumari Gonzalez Valdivieso (Cuba)
2. Maria Luisa Calle Williams (Colombia)
3. Adrie Visser (Netherlands)
4. Lada Kozlikova (Czech Republic)
5. Leire Olaberria Dorronsoro (Spain)
6. Annalisa Cucinotta (Italy)
7. Olga Slyusareva (Russian Federation)
8. Katie Curtis (Great Britain)
9. Lesya Kalitovska (Ukraine)
10. Pascale Schnider (Switzerland)
11. Iona Wynter (Jamaica)
12. Belinda Goss (Australia)
13. Jianling Wang (People’s Republic of China)
14. Eleftheria Maria Ellinikaki (Greece)
15. Catherine Cheatley (New Zealand)
16. Madeleine Sandig (Germany)
17. Belem Guerrero Mendez (Mexico)
18. Cathy Moncassin Prime (France)
19. Magdalena Sara (Poland)
REL Rebecca Quinn (United States Of America)