July 29, 2004 – The 2004 UCI Junior Track World Championships continued Wednesday (July 28) evening awarding three world titles in front of an enthusiastic and welcoming crowd at the 3,000-seat ADT Event Center in Southern California. The official grand opening of the only indoor velodrome in the United States began with a ceremonial parade and speeches from several key dignitaries before giving way to some of the 194 athletes that came to represent 33 different nations.

The opening medal event, the women’s 20km points race, featured 80 laps of the 250-meter track with points available during intermediate sprints every ten laps. In her first world championship appearance, Kimberly Geist balanced a slow start with a strong finish to place a respectable 11th place amongst a talented field that kept the pressure on from the gun. Constant attacks from the field and high speeds from the outset kept Geist at bay and prevented her from scoring any points until the penultimate sprint. With ten laps remaining, Geist managed to score her only three points with a second place effort in the intermediate sprint. The race clearly belonged to Australian, Amanda Spratt, who claimed the first rainbow jersey of these games with 19 points.

Next on the program was the men’s kilometer time trial. In an all-out effort against the clock, 28 competitors took to the track one at a time in an attempt to post the fastest time over four laps. The eighth rider out of the blocks, Germany’s Maximillian Levy, set the early standard covering the distance in 1:05.307. Korea’s Dong Jin Kang would become the only other rider to crack the 1:06 barrier as the closest threat to Levy with a 1:05.751 and in the end the German’s time proved to be unbeatable.

Team USA’s Aaron Kacala bettered his national championship time by 0.3 second, finishing 10th overall with a time of 1:07.714.

In the evening’s final event, Geraint Thomas (GBR) claimed the world championship in the men’s scratch race after lapping the field with seven other riders midway through the 10km contest. Shortly after the gun, a small break escaped and gained a lap in what would essentially become the winning move. Team USA’s Michael Schnabel made a late-race effort, but the damage was done as the sprint for the world title was taken by Thomas amongst his breakaway companions and the main field. Schnabel finished 18th on the evening.

Women’s Points Race
1. Amanda Spratt (AUS) 19
2. Choe Sun Ae (KOR) 10
3. Florence Girardet (FRA) 8
11. Kimberly Geist (USA) 3

Men’s Kilometer Time Trial
1. Maximillian Levy (GER) 1:05.307
2. Dong Jin Kang (KOR) 1:05.751
3. David Cabrol (GBR) 1:06.150
10. Aaron Kacala (USA) 1:07.714

Men’s 10km Scratch Race
1. Thomas Geraint (GBR)
2. Luis Mansilla (CHI)
3. Alexandru Pliuschin (MDA)
18. Michael Schnabel (USA)