Another Kiwi World Record beaten

May 13th, 10. Yesterday Sarah Ulmer's 2004 individual pursuit record was broken, today the Americans have stolen the women's team pursuit record off us!

Rushlee Buchanan leads Alison Shanks and Lauren Ellis in their world record ride ©Photo courtesy Guy Swarbrick ©www.trackcycling.me.uk

At the UCI World Championships in March Alison Shanks, Rushlee Buchanan and Lauren Ellis bounced back from the disappointment of missing out on the gold medal ride-off by setting a world record in their bronze ride-off.

Their time of 3:21.552, was fractions of a second faster than the previous record of 3:21.875 set by Great Britain in 2009.

In their qualifying round of the Pan American Road and Track Championships today, Americans Sarah Hammer, Dotsie Bausch and Lauren Tamayo rode within 0.3 of the world record.

In their gold medal ride-off they delivered a staggering 3.19.569 to earn the unofficial record, according to USA Cycling.

Like yesterday, official word on the status of the record is pending from the sport's international governing body, the UCI, but as a continental championship run under UCI rules confirmation is expected.

The Pan American Road and Track Championships are being held in Mexico at altitude.  

"It's a good time for sure, but counting altitude and an obviously very very fast track, it's all relative," said Buchanan when RoadCycling.co.nz told her the news.

"I think until all the best teams get together again at the next World Championships or a World Cup and we are all on a level playing field, the record is open to be broken. I'm not taking anything away from the USA team, they have gone very fast. We will peak for next year's Worlds and may the best team win again!"

As Alison Shanks said yesterday in response to Sarah Hammer's new record time in the individual pursuit, "It will be just up to us Kiwis now to go and chase it back. The bar has definitely been raised yet again."

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