Judging by the times so far, it's a pretty fast track. Certainly worthy of an Olympic tournament had Paris held London at bay all of a decade ago.

Both British TP quartets were second in the qualifying round - women behind Australia, men behind New Zealand. No 8th place shocker for the men this time, thank goodness.

First (actually intermediate) and medal rounds for both will happen tomorrow. To make the gold medal race, the women must beat Canada and the men Germany. Goodness knows what happened to the Aussie men, as they qualified fifth by 13 thousandths, which I think means they are out of the hunt for another world title - that's a major shock.

world track championships starting on the red button now.

I've not seen such fast times at sea-level in the team sprint since the 2012 Olympics. Here's a comparison:

Women
RUS '15 - 32.518; CHN '12 - 32.422

Men
NZL '15 - 42.892; GBR '12 - 42.600

The Brits were a disappointing 8th in both team sprints; women just lacked pace (which I was expecting), so did Skinner (which I wasn't, considering he won the European kilo title a few months ago).

I got fed up waiting for it.........gave up and watched something else.......

Chinese women take the world title with a WR (32.034) in the team sprint!
Previous mark by Germany was 32.153 in Aguascalientes - at altitude!

Russia clocked a very fast 32.438 for silver, Australia 32.723 for bronze.

New Zealand were the fastest in the men's team sprint (a fast 42.808), but the first changeover was illegal so they're relegated to silver - France (43.136) become champions again for the first time in 4 champs. Bronze for Germany (43.339).

The Kiwi riders are not happy with this decision, but it was a clear infringement of the rules and they only have themselves to blame.

Now they have just marched off the podium presentation podium ....... not even a visible shaking of hands with the winning French team.

Sounds like the announcements are being done by Daniel Mangeas, the 'voice' of the Tour de France since 1974!

Must correct myself - was actually first time in 6 championships (back in 2009), since their win in 2011 was retrospectively nullified.

God knows they ought to have been warned, the ref in Paris is the same guy who relegated GB and the Chinese in London 2012.

Interesting article in the Guardian

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/201...d-championship

My own theory, expressed by my non-superhero alter ego in the comments, is that the sprint groups badly miss the intensity Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton brought to training, not just competing. They look to me to have slackened off very badly over the last couple of years.

Kenny will play no further part in the men's keirin - didn't qualify from the first round, came second in his repêchage round. In the latter, he was perhaps a tad unlucky to be beaten by the only man to ride a sub-10 final 200m in Paris so far (Nikita Shurshin).

Two Brits in the women's half-kilo, but don't expect anything near a medal performance in that disclipline.

Both GB team pursuit quartets were fastest in the 'first' round and will ride for gold tonight; their opponents are NZL (men) and AUS (women). I believe there will be a WR in the women's final since both teams have ridden within a second of the existing mark, again set in Aguascalientes; could be as epic as the men's final was in 2012. Canada did a great ride as well (under 4:18), and will hopefully take the bronze.

Also worth adding that all 8 qualifiers in the men's 'first' round broke 4 minutes. That's better depth than demonstrated in the 2012 Olympics, and that's saying something.

Australia have taken the women's team pursuit title in a WR 4:13.683 - that is astonishing!

Previous mark was 4:16.552 (!), and GB (emphatically defeated for the first time in 5 WCh) still produced an excellent 4:16.702. Canada took the bronze in 4:17.864.

François Pervis Champion du Monde! Face of the 2015 WCh gives the crowd what they came for in the keirin!

Where Chris Hoy once reigned, François Pervis now rules supreme.

Not seen a team or athlete replicate a world record schedule and been made to look so thoroughly outclassed. Sutton brothers involved in both teams.

Men's team pursuit now........bronze medal now, AUS v Germany, gold/silver to follow with GB v NZ

Don't know if it's onlyme but I just expect British riders & teams to get beaten now.....

New Zealand win the men's team pursuit in 3:54.088! Did not see that coming!

Considering how Cali went, a silver for GB is good nonetheless, having clocked a pretty fast 3:54.687. Australia (big favourites for the title beforehand) overlapped Germany for the bronze, but I think their time was a touch slower than GB, let alone NZL. Didn't think I'd be saying that a week ago...

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In the last 14 editions, this is only the second time anyone besides AUS/GB won the men's team pursuit (Denmark won in 2009).

Incidentally, a silver in the women's half-kilo has raised the WCh career medal tally of Anna Meares to 25 - now equal with Chris Hoy. She still has the sprint/keirin and everything in 2016 to come...

dunno why your so surpised, the british cyclimg team are a sorry excuse for a team right now and they really need to get their act together. i'll be taking no further interest in these championships.

Are you assuming I'm only surprised about the TP quartets being beaten in the gold medal finals? That would be ignorant of the quality of their opponents' rides, which were both superb; yes, at least one gold amongst the GB quartets would have been nice, but neither were a 'sorry excuse'.

The sprinters, on the other hand, have certainly been poor. I don't expect much from the women's squad, considering the lack of results in the World Cups this season; the men have had sporadic success and seem(ed) a bit more promising.

There are still 3 days left across various disciplines - I'm not expecting much, but detailed analysis of the whole team is best left until the champs are finished.

Men's omnium now underway - scratch race won by Elia Viviani (ITA), followed by Jon Dibben (GBR) and the upcoming 20 y/o Fernando Gaviria (COL), who earlier claimed 2 stage victories in the Tour de San Luis against (future team-mate?) Mark Cavendish, no less.

In the women's sprint qualifying round, 12 competitors broke 11 seconds (unprecedented at sea-level). Fastest qualifier was Zhong Tianshi (CHN) in 10.627 - even quicker than Victoria Pendleton in the 2012 Olympics (10.724). Varnish/WIlliamson qualified in 6th/11th respectively.

I take it all back! Britain's sprinters are not all a useless shower of workshy layabouts. Jess Varnish knocked out Anna Meares in the one race Round of 16.

A big scalp for sure, given her reputation. That said, I believe the Commonwealth Games final marked a changing of the guard (from Meares to Morton).

The repêchage round is now done, so it's the best of 3 hereon. The quarter-finals are as follows:
Zhong v Guo (both CHN)
Ligtlee (NED) v Krupeckaite (LTU)
Morton (AUS) v Varnish (GBR)
Vogel (GER) v Voynova (RUS)

Fourth match-up is particularly intriguing (defending champ v new half-kilo champ).

In the women's individual pursuit: Wiasak (AUS - fast 3:27.018 in qualifying) v Valente (USA) for gold; Cure (AUS) v Rowsell (GBR) for bronze. Archibald just over a tenth outside the top 4 in qualifying.

After the individual pursuit (event 2), the top three in the men's omnium are Gaviria (COL), De Buyst (BEL) and Viviani (ITA); Dibben is currently down in 10th.

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And now for the kilo - I'd love to see the first ever sub-minute ride at sea level tonight. With the combination of a fast track and the form of François Pervis, that might just happen.

Well well, 1:01.583 after just 2 riders. That'll probably stand for a while - that is very respectable.

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After 4 riders, 1:01.103. Chris Boardman is talking about a possible WR, but I'm pretty sure nobody will beat the mark of 56.303.

Great to see that in the Tour of Andalusia one of the sponsors seems to driving a giant model of a jamon serrano around the South of Spain. Just caught a glimpse of it at the finishing line.

Very good stage today, if you want to look out for a repeat.

6 riders in, Skinner currently leads with 1:01.071. Decent ride.

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7 riders in, 1:00.470. Pretty sure the winner will break 60 seconds.