One wonders what World, Olympic and Commonwealth Champion Victoria Pendleton thinks of Simona Krupeckaite's performance's in the Cali World Cup in Columbia this weekend as she again produced in the Women's Sprint events, this time clinching the Gold Medal in the 500m Time Trial

The 2008/09 World Cup Series has seen a new lease of life for the Women's 500m Time Trial, after interest had faded following Anna Meares' amazing World Record time of 33.588s set at the 2007 World Championships in Palma Arena, Mallorca.

Add to that the impact of the event's exclusion from the 2008 Beijing Olympics in order to make way for BMX, then interest in the 500m TT had dropped, until the World Cup resumed in Manchester

With Pendleton taking Gold in Manchester in 34.256s and Willy Kanis doing the same in Melbourne with a time of 34.657s, times were getting further away from Meares' record rather than closer, until Cali

After European Champion Sandie Clair produced a 34.123s to top the standings it was World Champion Lisandra Guerra of Cuba who was next to 'up the anti' with a time of 34.055s.

Clearly on a high from her dominant performance in the sprint yesterday, Lithuanian Krupeckaite, who rides a Dolan DF3, produced an amazing ride to record a life time best of 33.681s and become the first rider other than Meares herself to go close to the magical 33.5s mark.

With Meares back in training after a few months of post-Olympic Holidays, competition in the 500m Time Trial is again mesmirising

Results

1. Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania)

2. Lisandra Guerra (Cuba)

3. Sandie Clair (France)

Overall World Cup

1. Jinjie Gong (China)

2. Kaarle McCulloch (Australia)

3. Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania)

Men's 1km Time Trial

German Stefan Nimke set out his intentions for the Pruszkow World Championships in March by producing a stunning performance to record a Gold medal winning time of 1m 01.590s in the Men's Kilo

Nimke's time was not only the fastest of today's World Cup in Cali, it was also 0.7s faster than France's Michael D'Almeida who claimed the Gold Medal in Melbourne with a time of 1m 02.238s, however Nimke was only 0.4s faster the British youngster Dave Daniell who took the Manchester title with a time of 1m 01.996s, all makes for an interesting remaining two rounds of the World Cup in Beijing and Copenhagen before the final showdown in Poland in March.

Silver went to 2007/08 World Cup Champion Yevhen Bolibrukh of the Ukraine in 1m 01.934s, which was slightly faster than Daniell's time in Manchester, to add another name to the favourites for Pruszkow. China's Wen Hao Li took the Bronze in 1m 03.023s

Results

1. Stefan Nimke (Germany)

2. Yevhen Bolibrukh (Ukraine)

3. Wen Hao Li (China)

Overall World Cup

1. Yevhen Bolibrukh (Ukraine)

2. Wen Hao Li (China)

3. Stefan Nimke (Germany)

Women's Team Sprint

Krupeckaite just missed out on the chance to take a third Gold Medal of her Cali World Cup campaign as she was forced to settle for the Bronze Medal ahead of the Polish team in a time of 34.400s,

Sanchez claimed the Team Sprint along with Sandie Clair

Sprint Silver Medallist and 500m Bronze Medallist Clara Sanchez and Sandie Clair teamed up to produce a time of 34.097s to give France the Golde Medal ahead of German duo Miriam Welte and Kristina Vogel who set a time of 34.221s

Results

1. France

2. Germany

3. Lithuania

Overall World Cup

1. Germany

2. Poland

3. France

Men's 4km Team Pursuit

With none of the big name Team Pursuit nations present in Cali, it was left to Spain to top Qualification with a time of 4m 08.584s courtesy of Sergi Escobar Roure, Asier Maeztu, Antonio Miguel and Carlos Torrent, two seconds behind the Spaniards in second place were the Russian team of Artur Ershov, Valery Kaykov, Leonid Krasnov and Vladimir Shchekunov who recorded a time of 4m 10.294s

After only three teams signed on for the event, Columbia were given a ride over in the Bronze Medal ride-off, whereas in the final Russia fought back to clinch the Gold Medal by 0.9s from the Spanish team who finished in 4m 08.179s to the Russian's 4m 07.291s

Results

1. Russia

2. Spain

3. Columbia

Overall World Cup

1. Spain

2. Russia

3. Ukraine

Men's Keirin

In the Men's Keirin Carsten Bergemann was aiming to extend the German domination of the Sprint events in Cali, as he won Heat One of Round One to make the Semi-Finals ahead of Leonardo Narvaez, with Kevin Sireau winning Heat Two from the Ukraine's Yuriy Tsyupyk and Heat Three being won by Venezuelan Angel Pulgar beating Aussie Jason Niblett from Team Toshiba

Bergemann again dominated his heat in the Semi-Finals, producing a strong performance to make the final ahead of Niblett and Jose Escuredo of Spain who had made it back into the competition through the repechage

Heat Two was full of drama, as Kevin Sireau 'did a Hoy' and dominated the heat, only to be relegated for passing the Derny before it left the track when he made his huge attack with 2.5 laps remaining. With Russia's Valentin Sauitsky also relegated that meant Barbado's' Barry Forde, Narvaez and Pulgar made the final

To the delight of the home crowd, there was a very unusual result in the final of the Keirin, as previously unknown rider Leonardo Narvaez timed his sprint to perfection to take the Gold medal from Jason Niblett and Barry Forde, with favourites Escuredo and Bergemann forced to settle for 5th and 6th.

Results

1. Leonardo Narvaez (Columbia)

2. Jason Niblett (Australia)

3. Barry Forde (Barbados)

Overall World Cup

1. Francois Pervis (France)

2. Andriy Vynokurov (Ukraine)

3. Leonardo Narvaez (Columbia)

Men's Scratch Race

Another event affected by the lack of entries was the Men's Scratch Race, with riders offered the luxury of a straight final due to there not being enough riders for Heats.

Canada's Zachary Bell took the Gold medal after sprinting to victory ahead of Belgian Tim Mertens and Spain's Carlos Torrent Tarres who also claimed the Bronze in last night's Points Race.

The three had lapped the rest of the field, which included 17th placed finisher Rob Hayles of Great Britain, with fourth placed Carlos Alberto Uran of Columbia

Results

1. Zachary Bell (Canada)

2. Tim Mertens (Belgium)

3. Carlos Torrent Tarres (Spain)

Overall World Cup

1. Tim Mertens (Belgium)

2. Zachary Bell (Canada)

3. Ho Ting Kwok (Hong Kong)

Women's Points Race

Italian Giorgia Bronzini consistently scored well in all of the Sprint primes to take victory in the Women's Points Race with 22pts, three ahead of second placed Yumari Gonzalez of Cuba on 19pts, with Canada's Tara Whitten taking another Bronze medal to add to her successes in the Pursuit and Points at the Manchester and Melbourne World Cups

Results

1. Giorgia Bronzini (Italy)

2. Yumari Gonzalez (Cuba)

3. Tara Whitten (Canada)

Overall World Cup

1. Leire Olaberria (Spain)

2. Giorgia Bronzini (Italy)

3. Evgeniya Romanyuta (Russia)