Krupeckaite Makes History Lithuanian Simona Krupeckaite made history today at the World Track Cycling Championships in Pruszkow, Poland after she claimed the Gold Medal and Rainbow Jersey in the Women's 500m Time Trial in a new World Record time of 33.296s, a massive 0.3s faster than Anna Meares' 33.588s World Record from the 2007 Worlds in Mallorca. Krupeckaite did not participate in the last round of the World Cup preferring to return home to the new Velodrome in Lithuania and put in some intensive training, which obviously paid off with a simply amazing performance that even 500m Time Trial legend Meares could not match. Women's 500m TT Off early in the running due to her low ranking in the World Cup standings (Meares took time off after the Olympics having only just made Beijing following a Broken Neck suffered at Los Angeles last year), the crowd thought Anna had it in the bag as she set a time of 33.796s which stood throughout the competition until Krupeckaite smashed it to pieces. "I'm actually really pleased with my performance because I was going to be more than happy with any sub 34 I rode here today - that was my goal," said Meares. "I'm not sure if you saw my reaction to Simona's ride but my mouth dropped about a foot (because) that is sensational time, a great ride to her and, as heartbreakingh as it is to see my World Record go, it's great for women's sprint cycling. "It wasn't so long ago they thought you couldn't break the 34 second barrier but looking at tonight I think we'll see women break the 33 second barrier (and) that's just an extra incentive for me in the next couple of years to really knuckle down and get it back." "I'm really looking forward to the team sprint now," said Meares. "Kaarle rode a great time trial but the key there is her first lap of 19.1 was only two tenths slower than myself and her last lap was pretty much the same as Victoria Pendleton from Great Britain so if we can get on top of it in the first lap then I think it's going to be a big challenge put to the Brits and the Dutch and rest of the world." Defending World Champion Lisandra Guerra (Cuba) could only manage a 34.358s to finish in seventh, with Dutch rider Willy Kanis producing a time of 34.258s to finish fifth with Sandie Clair produced 34.114s to go slower than her 33.872s that saw her become European Champion on the same track last September and finish fourth Victoria Pendleton's dreams of claiming all four sprint World Titles were shattered on Day One as she was way off the pace with 34.102s, 0.4s than Meares to give her the Bronze.  With a New Track in Lithuania, Krupeckaite will surely win many more titles But Day One belonged to Krupeckaite who was on tears as she became Lithuania's first ever Track Cycling World Champion and in breaking the World Record by such a huge margin she moves in to the hall of cycling legends Simona debuted on the professional scene in 2003 finishing 15th in the 500m TT and has steadily risen to the top of the World from a country and environment that has very different setup than those of all her rivals with no big sponsorships to fund her efforts Looking resplendent on her new custom painted Pink Dolan DF3 Krupeckaite's rise to the top has been well worth the wait as we don't see a 0.3s World Record in Women's Cycling very often! Results 1. Simona Krupeckaite (Lit) - 33.296s (WORLD RECORD) 2. Anna Meares (Aus) - 33.796s 3. Victoria Pendleton (GBr) - 34.102s World Champion: Simona Krupeckaite 2008 World Champion: Lisandra Guerra (Cub) 2007 World Champion: Anna Meares (Aus) Women's 3km Individual Pursuit Few can be forgiven for thinking 2009 would be Olympic Silver Medallist Wendy Houvenaghel's year at the World Championships, however despite qualifying fastest in a time of 3m 29.491s to easily beat Beijing World Cup Winner and Olympic Bronze medallist Alison Shanks' time of 3m 31.063s. However tables were turned in this evenings final after Houvnaghel blew big style in the final kilometre of the 3km Pursuit to trail Shanks by nearly three seconds at the finish line and again lose out on the World Title for the third year running. With little time left before Houvenaghel has to call it a day and retire from the sport this must be an agonising defeat for the British rider, but for Shanks it's pure ectasy as within the last year she's come from only having the 2007 Oceania Championships to her name to an Olympic Bronze Medal, World Cup title and now the World Title.  Silver was such disappointment for Wendy Houvenaghel Comparisons between Shanks and fellow Kiwi Sarah Ullmer, the greatest Women's Indiviudal Pursuit rider of all time are already being drawn and it remains to be scene how Alison will progress from her first World Title on the road to breaking Ullmer's four year old World Record of 3m 24.537s 2008/09 World Cup winner Joanna Rowsell had a tough ride off for the Bronze medal against 2007/08 World Cup winner Vilija Sereikaite of Lithuania who again recorded a time two seconds quicker than Rowsell in 3m 33.583s, however Rowsell need not be ashamed of her 3m 35.209s, just 0.2s short of her PB set in Qualification, another indication of the youngster from Surrey's huge potential in the sport “My individual pursuiting has come on a lot in the last year after a good season on the road getting stronger combined with the team pursuit work on the track. But I didn’t expect the progression to be as much as it has been and hopefully I can continue improving this year!” commented Rowsell in an interview with us last month - Joanna Rowsell Interview Results 1. Alison Shanks (NZL) - Final - 3m 29.807s, Qualification - 3m 31.069s 2. Wendy Houvenaghel (GBr) - Final - 3m 32.174s, Qualification - 3m 29.491s 3. Vilija Sereikaite (Lit) - - Final - 3m 33.583s, Qualification - 3m 33.935s World Champion: Alison Shanks (Nzl) 2008 World Champion: Rebecca Romero (GBr) 2007 World Champion: Sarah Hammer (USA) Men's Team Sprint French trio Gregory Bauge, Kevin Sireau and Mickael Bourgain got revenge on Great Britain for their defeat at the Beijing Olympics as they defended their World Title in dominant style crossing the line in 43.510s, 0.359s faster than Great Britain's Jamie Staff, Jason Kenny and Matt Crampton In qualification the margin was not so great with GB only 0.1s slower in 43.738s to France's 43.614s, which had made for a mouth-watering showdown in the final.  World Champion yet again Gregory Bauge, part of France's Team Sprint However normal service resumed as French dominance in the Team Sprint Worlds continued for the fourth year running, the last British success in the event coming in Los Angeles in 2005 Sir Chris Hoy's absence from the British Trio was not apparent as Matt Crampton gave his all in the Man Three position, easily keeping up with Staff and Kenny to make for an interesting battle in the years to come for that converted role in the British Team Sprint. Taking a well deserved Bronze Medal were Rene Enders, Stefan Nimke and Robert Forstemann of Germany who narrowly beat the Australian trio of Dan Ellis, Shane Perkins and Scott Sunderland. The new line-ups for both Nationals put in some fantastic performances with the final margin of victory for the Germans a mere 0.74s as they recorded a time of 43.912s to the Aussies' 43.986s Results 1. France (Gregory Bauge, Kevin Sireau, Mickael Bourgain) - 43.510s (FINAL), 43.614s (Qualification) 2. Great Britain (Jamie Staff, Jason Kenny, Matt Crampton) - 43.869s (FINAL), 47.738s (Qualification) 3. Germany (Rene Enders, Robert Forstemann, Stefan Nimke) - 43.912s (FINAL), 43.911s (Qualification) World Champion: France 2008 World Champion: France 2007 World Champion: France Men's Points Race Star of the show Aussie youngster Cameron Meyer, four time Junior World Champion from 2007, and now a Senior World champion merely two year's later after a fantastic performance that saw him breakaway with American Colby Pearce midway through the race to score five points before capitalising on his form to eighteen points from the final four sprints and take the Gold medal from another youngster, Denmark's Daniel Kreutzfeldt Meyer becomes Australia's first World Champion for two years and signals a resurgence of a national that arguably has suffered the most from the British dominance of recent years "The points score is one of the hardest races, harder every time I do it and I'm just amazed to come out and not be fourth and finally be a World Champion," said Meyer who is one of Australia's most exciting young riders on both road and track. He was second in the U23 time trial at last year's road World Championships and his potential saw him recruited to the professional road team Garmin Slipstream. Meyer read the race perfectly and bided his time before going on the offensive. "I went in with a little bit of a different tactic of sitting back and waiting till the last bit," said Meyer. "It was that hard a race during the first 80 laps the second half was a grovel and I knew there'd be a point where I had to make the decisive move and I did it and it worked for me. "It's just unbelievable." "That was a bit scary going into the last ten laps and they went and they were over three quarters of a lap (ahead of us) so I had to go and then I just had to hope that Daniel Kreutzfeldt didn't get the points to beat me on the final sprint," he explained. "So I tried to keep the pace as high as I could and luckily I came away with the win. "It was a scary moment but so I'm happy to ride well and get the result I wanted," said Meyer. "There's a lot of calculations going, lot of worry, eagerness, so many different emotions you go through in a points race but when it's all over just happy to be a World Champion." Just like Wendy Houvenaghel yet again Britain's Chris Newton failed to a Points Race when it really mattered. Widely tipped as favourite after dominating World Cups and other international races since the Olympics Newton has no real excuses for only finishing with the Bronze Medal today in Pruszkow as he wasn't even marked on numerous ocassions when he shot off the front in an attempt to gain a lap. Germany's Roger Kluge who claimed the Silver at the Olympics also put in a disappointing performance to finish out of the medals as Eloy Teruel of Spain dominated the early proceedings winning Sprints 6 and 7 before slipping to fourth by the end of the race. Results 1. Cameron Meyer (Aus) - 24pts 2. Daniel Kreutzfeldt (Den) - 22pts 3. Chris Newton (GBr) - 21pts World Champion: Cameron Meyer (Aus) 2008 World Champion: Vasili Kiryienka (Bel) 2007 World Champion: Joan Llaneras (Esp) 
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