Australia’s team sprint squads have both claimed bronze medals in an excellent start to the UCI Track World Championships in Santiago, Chile.<\/p>\n
The men’s team pursuit squad will ride for gold on Friday (AEDT) after seeing off arch-rivals Great Britain in the first round at the Vel\u00f3dromo de Pe\u00f1alol\u00e9n.<\/p>\n
In the sprint, the women’s team of Alessia McCaig, Molly McGill and Kristine Perkins comfortably beat Poland in the bronze medal match, repeating their bronze medal from 2024.<\/p>\n
Liliya Tatarinoff also claimed a medal having competed in the qualification rounds.<\/p>\n
Later, the men’s squad of Ryan Elliott, Leigh Hoffman and Daniel Barber overhauled a powerful French team to also win bronze.<\/p>\n
The Australian men’s team won silver at the last two world championships behind the Dutch, and are the only team to have beaten the Netherlands men’s team to gold in the last eight editions of the world championships when they claimed victory in 2022.<\/p>\n
But they couldn’t force their way into the gold medal match up, as Great Britain and the all-conquering Netherlands teams met for the decider in both men’s and women’s races.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Dutch sprint teams took both golds on offer in the team sprints. (Reuters: Agustin Marcarian)<\/p>\n
And the Dutch came out on top on both occasions, meaning former Australian rider Matthew Richardson, who won three medals at last year’s Paris Olympics in the green and gold, had to be content with another silver.<\/p>\n
The Dutch victory handed legendary rider Harrie Lavreysen \u2013 a three-time gold medallist in Paris \u2013 his 17th track world title, extending his reign as the most successful track cyclist of all time.<\/p>\n
In the team pursuit, Australia’s squad of Oliver Bleddyn, Liam Walsh, Blake Agnoetto and Conor Leahy qualified second fastest behind Denmark \u2013 who they will meet in Thursday’s final \u2013 in the morning’s qualifiers.<\/p>\n
The Australians are defending Olympic gold medallists and world record holders in the team pursuit<\/a>, but last won gold at the world championships in 2019.<\/p>\n Australia’s team pursuit squad will ride for gold on Friday. (Reuters: Pilar Olivares)<\/p>\n Drawn against third-fastest qualifiers Great Britain \u2014 who they beat into silver at the Paris Olympics \u2014 in the first round, with the winner guaranteed a chance to ride off for gold, the Aussies’ relentless pressure took a toll on the increasingly ragged-looking Brits.<\/p>\n The Australians led from start to finish to complete the 4-kilometre time trial at an average of 63.557kph.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n