UCI Track World Championships: Pervis reigns over the kilometre

Kilometre - Pervis still rules

Twenty-four hours after his victory in the keirin, Francois Pervis had enough strength left to retain his world title on the kilometre. On the Cali track, the man who could well be the star of the competition clocked 59.385 to beat Germany's Joachim Eilers (59.984) and New Zealand's Simon Van Velthooven (1:00.518), who were also on the podium a year ago in Minsk but in reverse order.
"The legs were hurting more than usual. I'm glad to have won once again in Colombia. Now I want another medal in the individual sprint (on Sunday)," he said. On the podium for many years with four bronze medals (2006, 2008, 2010, 2011) and one silver (2007), Pervis, 29, is now sitting on top of the world firmly and quite intent on staying there. His Colombian haul might not be finished even though years of struggle made him cautious. "I'm confident in myself and my abilities but I must be careful not to be overconfident," he said after his keirin title.

Women's pursuit - Rowsell makes it two

Like Australian Alexander Edmondson in the men's ranks, Joanna Rowsell added the individual pursuit crown to her team laurels. Eclipsed in the heats by American five times world champion Sarah Hammer, the 25-year-old Briton won the final in 3:30.318 while Hammer had to be content with silver in 3:31.535. Australia's Amy Cure took the bronze in 3:26.174. Six years after the victory of Rebecca Romera, Rowsell finally put Britain on top of the discipline again. While already crowned four times with her mates, it was her first individual achievement. "It means so much to me. It was a personal goal and I can't believe I made it," she said.
The day after her win with "those girls I could die for", Rowsell explained: "When I woke up I knew I was in a good day, which is rather unusual after riding a pursuit the day before. I had good legs in the warm-up which is a good sign."

Men's points race -- Avila national hero

"A hero", "the nation's pride". The Colombian press was emphatic about Edwin Avila Venegas's victory in the points race. With the support of a partisan crowd, the Colombian triumphed again, three years after his first world title in Apeldoorn, Netherlands. In Cali, the 24-year-old rider, who had won a team pursuit World Cup race on the same track in 2009, beat New Zealand's Thomas Scully (66 points) and Spaniard Eloy Teruel Rovira, who came third on 58 points.
After the silver medal won by Fabian Hernando Puerta Zapata in the Keirin, it was the host country's second medal of the competition.

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