02.17.08 - Track cycling – World Cup - Canadians eliminated in qualifying

February 17, 2008 – Canadians were eliminated in qualifying on Sunday to conclude a track cycling World Cup competition in Copenhagen.

In the Madison, Martin Gilbert of Chateauguay, Que., and his teammate Ryan McKenzie of Calgary were 11th in their qualifying heat and did not advance. Only the top nine of each heat moved on.

‘’We did well but we didn’t get enough points to qualify,’’ said Gilbert. ‘’We’re in good shape but our racing was only satisfactory. We lacked cohesion to earn points during the sprints and we also made some errors during the race.’’

‘’Martin and Ryan raced well and maintained a high speed. They didn’t run into any trouble,’’ said Canadian coach Éric Van den Eynde. ‘’They came close to advancing but made some mistakes. They missed three relays during the sprints and didn’t time their attacks properly.’’

In the men’s sprint, Travis Smith of Calgary was also thwarted in qualifying. He clocked a season best 10.494 seconds but it wasn’t enough to crack thee top-16 and advance to the quarterfinals.

‘’Travis forgets that he had an accident at the last world championships and must learn to race again,’’ said Van den Eynde. ‘’He focuses only on the result and gets frustrated because he provides such a big effort. He is on the right track, as his time shows.’’

Smith injured his pelvis and hip and underwent surgery last spring. ‘’The field is very strong but Travis is gaining ground on the leaders. He has regained his speed but he lacks some polish. He needs to maintain that speed longer,’’ said Van den Eynde.

Next on the schedule for the track cyclists are the world championships March 27-30 in Manchester, England.