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Milton 2018 kicks off with team pursuit qualifying

Canadian men set national record with fourth fastest time

The second track cycling World Cup of the season began in Milton, ON on Thursday evening with team pursuit qualifying for the men and women. The Canadian men set a new national record while earning the fourth fastest time and the women posted the fifth fastest time. On December 1 to 3 of last year Milton’s Mattamy National Cycling Centre velodrome hosted its first World Cup.

The women’s teams went first, each outfit alone on the boards. Canada’s trade team Pedal 2 the Medal led the home sides. Miriam Brouwer, Devaney Collier, Laurie Jussaume and Katherine Maine rolled 4-km in 4:37.238.

The Kiwis, bronze medalists in the 2017 World Championships, stopped the clock with 4:23.110.

New Zealand was followed by last year’s World Cup runner-up, Team Canada, comprised of Ariane Bonhomme, Annie Foreman-Mackey, Kinley Gibson and Steph Roorda. They set the second fastest times after kilometres 1, 2 and 3, but were in third by the finish line.

Three very strong teams were still to come: World Championships runner-up Great Britain, World Champions the United States of America, and World Cup champs Italy. The Brits seized the top time with 4:18.962. Italy started slowly before taking over second place.

In men’s qualifying Evan Burtnik, Vincent De Haitre, Chris Ernst and Tristan Guillemette rode for Pedal 2 the Medal, which set a time of 4:04:197.

Michael Foley, Derek Gee, Adam Jamieson, Jay Lamoureux was the line up for Team Canada. An impressive ride saw them jump to the top of the table after five squads with 3:56.931, a new Canadian record. Team Canada was the silver medalist in last year’s Milton event and eighth at the World Championships.

Fifth place in last year’s World Cup, France was on its way to clipping Canada’s wings, but the team fell off the place in the final kilometre. New Zealand missed out on the top spot by 0.055-seconds.

It would be the Danes, second place in last season’s World Cup and World Championships, that clipped Canada’s wings by 0.046. Then in a surprise result another trade team, Huub Wattbike Test Team, took the top time with 3:56.628.

World champions Britain then pushed Canada down to fourth after hitting 3:56.672.

World Cup holders Italy missed qualifying for the first round.

Both men’s and women’s team pursuit first rounds are the first events slated for Friday. Canadian women face 8th place qualifier Japan and the men take on Huub.