Eddie Dawkins claimed bronze on the final day of the UCI Track World Cup in Poland. Photo – Guy Swarbrick.
Team Sprint World Champion and Cambridge local Eddie Dawkins continued his strong early season form with a bronze medal on the final day of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Poland on Monday.
As part of the New Zealand team contesting the first of five World Cup competitions, Dawkins beat the top qualifier Harrie Lavreyson (Netherlands) in two straight rides to win the bronze medal.
Earlier Dawkins, who won the overall sprint classification at the London Six-Day event last week, was 11th fastest in qualifying in 9.827s, a tick behind teammate and world sprint silver medallist Ethan Mitchell who clocked 9.821s.
Both won their opening rounds of the match sprint elimination over Melvin Landerneau (France) and Theo Bos (Netherlands) respectively.
Mitchell lost out in the round of eight to Ryan Owens (Britain) by 8/100th of a second but Dawkins took out talented Dutch rider Jeffrey Hoogland to advance.
Dawkins then overcame Ukraine’s Andrii Vynokurov in a torrid battle with his opponent relegated in the third and deciding race. However the big Kiwi lost in two straight rides in the semifinal to local star Mateusz Rudyk before bouncing back to beat off top qualifier Lavreyson in the ride for the bronze medal.
The second World Cup competition is this weekend in Manchester.
Dawkins beat off top qualifier Harrie Lavreyson (Netherlands) in the ride for the bronze medal.
