Hoy fails to reach final

Sir Chris Hoy
12 April 2012

Great Britain's women won the opening final of the Track World Cup event but there was to be no gold for four-time Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy in Manchester on Friday evening.

After Britain's Joanna Rowsell, Wendy Houvenaghel and Sarah Storey - the Paralympic champion making her British team debut - won the three-woman, three-kilometre team pursuit, Hoy was beaten by team-mate Jason Kenny in the men's sprint.

In the first leg of their best-of-three semi-final sprint duel, Olympic silver medallist Kenny beat Beijing champion Hoy comfortably.

And the 22-year-old from Bolton overtook the Scot on the final lap of the second bout to set up a final meeting with France's Kevin Sireau, who defeated Maximilian Levy of Germany 2-0.

Britain's women's team pursuit squad were fastest qualifiers in a national record of three minutes 20.962 seconds. And the trio backed up their qualifying ride to take first place with an even quicker effort of 3mins 19.757secs, just 0.188secs behind the world record held by the United States.

New Zealand's team of Lauren Ellis, Jaime Nielsen and Alison Shanks took silver in 3:20.828.

Olympic qualification points are available at the Track World Cup and it was a significant scalp for Kenny.

Only one rider from each nation will be granted a place at the London 2012 Olympics and even Hoy's status as defending champion does not guarantee him selection. The 34-year-old faced a bronze medal ride-off against Maximilian Levy.

Leaving without a medal were Sky Track Cycling duo Shanaze Reade and Victoria Pendleton after a disappointing performance in the women's team sprint. Three-time BMX world champion Reade, who was making her track return, and Pendleton - world champions in the event in 2007 and 2008 - appeared to lose focus following a false start and clocked 34.001secs to finish eighth.

Jess Varnish and Becky James, riding for Great Britain, clocked 33.581 to progress to the bronze medal ride-off, where they will meet France.

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