World Cycling Championships : Ekimov Wins Another Individual Pursuit Title

Soviet rider Viatcheslav Ekimov won his second straight world title in the 4,000-meter men’s amateur individual pursuit Friday night, nearly lapping his teammate, Guintautas Umaras, who took the silver medal at the World Cycling Championships.

Ekimov finished with a time of 4 minutes 29.182 seconds, Umaras with a 4:33.905.

Another defending world champion, East Germany’s Lutz Hesslich, beat American Mark Gorski, the 1984 Olympic gold medalist, in two straight rides to move into the semifinals of the amateur men’s match sprints. Three other East Germans, Bill Huck, Ralf-Gudo Kuschy, and Michael Huebner also gained the semifinals.

Earlier Friday night, Denmark’s Hans-Henrik Oersted, shooting for his third straight title, easily rolled into the quarterfinals of the 5,000-meter professional men’s individual pursuit, but fellow Dane Jesper Worre took the top spot in qualifying.

Oersted gained the quarterfinals with a seemingly effortless ride of 5:42.69, good for the No. 3 spot. His opponent, Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke, of Belgium, had one of the top eight times, 5:53.452, and also moved into the quarterfinals.

Worre, with a strong attack, lapped American Danny Van Haute, who was eliminated, and went on to post a 5:41.36.

In the pursuit events, riders start on opposite sides of the track and try to lap each other. If that doesn’t happen, then the fastest rider wins.

In the match sprints, the riders start on the same side of the track and jockey for position for 2 1/2 laps, then try to outsprint each other in the final 200 meters.