Cyclist Bates claims third in Beijing
Reigning points race world champion Kate Bates claimed third place and Australia's only medal on day two of racing in the Beijing World Cup, the official track cycling test event for the 2008 Olympic Games.
Bates, riding for T-Mobile, shook off the disappointment of a "poor showing" in last week's Sydney round and made her presence felt in a hard-fought 20km, 80-lap race with sprints for points every 20 laps.
Dutch sensation Marianne Vos, a former world champion on the road and in cyclocross who on Friday claimed the scratch race gold medal, won the event in a countback from Cuban Yoanka Gonzalez Perez.
Both scored 12 points but Vos won the final sprint home.
Bates' second place in the final sprint moved her onto nine points and into the medals at the expense of compatriot Belinda Goss, who was fourth with eight points.
"I was pretty disappointed last week and tonight is certainly a confidence boost because this is where the Olympics will be," said Bates. "I think I picked my act up a bit this week and really had to tough it out."
The Sydney rider acknowledged the pressure of being the reigning world champion and said racing in front of her home crowd last week affected her more than she expected.
"I wouldn't have admitted going into Sydney that I felt that pressure but my reaction after the event - I was just glad it was over," said Bates.
"I've waited my whole career to get a stripey jersey (world champion's rainbow striped jersey) but the pressure I put on myself to defend it in Sydney was too much.
"Now here I proved I have the stripes for a reason and could show everybody exactly why I do.
"I made a really positive step tonight in doing that."
However, because of Bates' Sydney woes, her schedule of racing has been amended and she now expects to race the third round of the series in Los Angeles in January.
In other events, Team Toshiba's Ryan Bayley finished fourth in the final of the men's keirin won by Great Britain's Chris Hoy.
Victorian Shane Perkins also qualified but did not start in the keirin final as a precaution because of a back strain.
Team Toshiba's teams pursuit line up was fifth fastest in qualifying and missed the medal round while the 'Cyclones' posted the ninth fastest time.
Allan Davis lined up in the men's scratch race final for Australia, his first since 1998, and crossed the line in ninth place.
Australia's medal tally now sits at one gold, silver and two bronze medals with one day of competition remaining at the Laoshan Velodrome in Beijing.
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