Just like Simona Krupeckaite in the Women's Sprint, Kevin Sireau, the World Championship Silver Medallist made his first appearance at the 2008/09 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Series today, dominating the Sprint at the Cali World Cup in Columbia

With a stunning 9.950s 200m TT Sireau flew to the top of the 200m TT Qualification times with the fastest time of the 2008/09 series to date it was no surprise to see the next rider, Robert Forstemann of Germany a massive 0.3s slower than the Frenchman

Next was Forstemann's teammate Stefan Nimke who recorded a time of 10.268s with Mickael Bourgain (France) not far behind in 10.274s

In Round One, Sireau faced Angel Pulgar of Venezuela whom he easily sent into the B Sprint competition in 11.209s. Forstemann beat Gaddy Chaid of South Africa in 10.913s, with Nimke and Bourgain also progressing through to the next round with relative ease.

Next up for Sireau was Trinidad and Tobago's Christopher Sellier, another rider who was benefitting from the lack of entrants in Cali, however he couldn't find any answer to the World Championship Silver Medallist's turn of speed and went out of the competition in 10.920s and 10.663s

Hersony Canelon of Venezuela gave Robert Forstemann a scare in his Quarter Final heat, pushing the German close with some ambitious attacks before Forstemann made it through in straight heats in 10.505s and 10.520s

Veteran Stefan Nimke faced star of the 2006 Commonwealth Games Travis Smith in his Quarter Final, Smith, who was riding in his new Hawk Relay (the new name for the Momentum Cycling Team) colours is looking to make ammends for two troublesome season where injuries and crashes have halted his progress since the Melbourne Games in 2006

In his sprint against Nimke he showed some of the potential he demonstrated in the Commonwealth Games, however he didn't quite have enough to make the Semi Finals, losing out to the experience of Nimke in 10.918s and 10.601s.

Bourgain beat Aussie Scott Sunderland in his Quarter to make the Semis, whereas the Aussie went on to win the fifth to eighth place ride off ahead of Canelon, Smith and Sellier

In the Semi's, the draw meant both French and German riders were drawn against each other. Sireau and Bourgain took to the track first with Bourgain attempting to stop his teammate's incredible turn of speed by using his trademark tactic of pinning his opponent to the fence. However unluckily for Mickael, Sireau powered around the outside in the final 200m to take heat one in 10.807s.

Determined to get his own way, using his strengths to his advantage Bourgain employed to same tactics again in heat two, but unfortunately Sireau again had too much speed and made the final in 10.959s

In the German Semi-Final Forstemann and Nimke locked horns in a very close battle that required three heats to produce the second finalist.

Heat One saw Forstemann just do enough to pip the vastly experienced Nimke on the line to go one-up in 10.571s, with getting his own back in heat two using his speed endurance from all those years riding the Kilo to ride his teammate off his wheel to level things up in 10.908s

With German sprinting somewhat fading away since the medals from the Athens Olympics, despite the lack of entries in Cali, Forstemann and Nimke's presence in the Semis in Cali perhaps hinted at a comeback from the nation that in the past dominated the sprint events for so long

Nimke is one of those multiple medallists from Athens and his experience really showed through in Cali with a commanding performance in the third heat to make for an interesting final against Sireau

The Bronze Medal ride-off saw Forstemann face Bourgain, with the latter again producing some fantastic sprinting tactics, pinning his opponent to the fence meaning Forstemann was unable to move an inch away from the barriers.

Despite not having the Palmeres to go with it, tactically, Bourgain is the World's best Sprinter

Results

1. Kevin Sireau (France)

2. Stefan Nimke (Germany)

3. Mickael Bourgain (France)

Overall World Cup

1. Shane Perkins (Australia)

2. Michael D'Almeida (France)

3. Kevin Sireau (France)

Men's Madison

With Ten Teams competing in the Men's Madison, a healthy field was available to fight for the Medals and all important World Cup points

Despite not having Six Day legend Iljo Keisse in their team due to his suspension for a Positive Drugs Test, the Belgian team of Tim Mertens and Ingmar de Poortere dominated the event, scoring in all but the final sprint of the 40km race to score 23 points and take the Gold Medal and the World Cup lead

Silver went to Columbian's Juan Arrango and Carlos Uran on 17pts with Bronze clinched with victory in the final sprint by Russian's Artur Ershov and Valery Kaykov, forcing Spanish duo Asier Maeztu and Toni Miguel Parra to settle for fourth.

The British team of veteran Rob Hayles and youngster Peter Kennaugh finished in sixth place with four points on their Dolan Pre Cursa track bikes

Results

1. Belgium

2. Columbia

3. Russia

Overall World Cup

1. Belgium

2. Germany

3. Spain

Women's Keirin

There was no surprise in the Women's Keirin as star of the Cali World Cup Simona Krupeckaite of Lithuania took victory in the Women's Keirin with considerable ease ahead of Clara Sanchez, who she beat in the Sprint Final on Thursday

Round One saw Lulu Zheng just beat Krupeckaite, but both riders made the Semi Finals ahead of home favourite Diana Maria Garcia Orrego of Columbia. Also through were Sanchez and Poland's Renata Dabrowska from Heat Two and Sandie Clair and Lisandra Guerra from Heat Three

Diana Maria Garcia Orrego crashed in the Semi-Finals

In the Semi-Finals, Guerra, Clair and Dabrowska all made the final from Heat One after Aussie Kaarle McCulloch and Garcia Orrego (who had made it back into the competition from the Repechage) collided causing the latter to crash

Sanchez, Krupeckaite and Zheng qualified from Heat Two to make the final

In the final, Krupeckaite's superior speed was clear to see as soon as the Derny left the track, when she controlled the race before unleashing her sprint to beat 2004 and 2005 World Keirin Champion Clara Sanchez to her Third Gold Medal of the weekend, with Guerra again forced to settle for Bronze

Results

1. Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania)

2. Clara Sanchez (France)

3. Lisandra Guerra (Cuba)

Overall World Cup

1. Jinjie Gong (China)

2. Simona Krupeckaite (Lithuania)

3. Willy Kanis (Netherlands)

Women's 3km Team Pursuit

After qualifing fastest in the Women's Team Pursuit, Columbia left the home crowd heart broken as they lost out to arch-rivals Cuba in the final by 1.1s

Italy took the Bronze medal after Hong Kong and Lithuania failed to complete the full distance in qualification

Results

1. Cuba

2. Columbia

3. Italy

Results

1. Ukraine

2. Cuba

3. Great Britain