China wins the team competition at the track World Cup held in Beijing.

By Agence France Presse

China won the fourth leg of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classic series in Beijing on Sunday.

The hosts claimed the team title after clinching three more silver medals on the third and final day of the competition.

China hauled in a total of 108 points, boosting them to joint third place in the nation world cup standings on 210 points, behind Britain on 216 and leaders Germany on 262.

Jiang Fan, Sun Feiyan, Wang Cui were second in the women’s team pursuit, behind the New Zealand trio of Kaytee Boyd, Lauren Ellis and Alison Shanks.

Guo Shuang, the 2008 Olympic sprint bronze medallist, was a close second to the competition’s outstanding performer, Simona Krupeckaite from Lithuania in the women’s keirin.

Zhang Lei reached the men’s sprint gold medal final, but was outpowered by Frenchman Gregory Bauge, the 2008 Olympic silver medallist in team sprint.

Lithuania scored the fourth highest of all nations, with 66 points, thanks mostly to the efforts of Krupeckaite.

The 26-year-old added to her victories in the 500m time trial and the sprint, and having won the same three events in the previous leg of the series in Columbia last month, is well placed to win the three world cup titles in the final leg in Denmark next month.

New Zealand picked up 80 points for second place in the standings. Shanks’ winning effort in the team pursuit added to the gold she clinched in the individual pursuit earlier.

In the men’s madison, Team Toshiba pair Howard Leigh and Glenn O’Shea led from start to finish. The Australians resisted a late challenge from Britain’s Robert Hayles and Peter Kennaugh, and Germany, the madison standings leaders, were third.

The fifth and final leg of the series is in Copenhagen, February 13-15.

FILED UNDER: Track