Cycling: Experimental British team delivers world bronze

(Getty Images)

Great Britain took bronze in the men's team pursuit at the UCI World Cup in Beijing yesterday.

The team, comprising Mark Christian, Andrew Fenn, Erick Rowsell and Simon Yates, pushed the eventual gold medal winners Russia hard early on, but then fell behind Spain before the finish. However, they easily finished ahead of the fourth-placed Netherlands to secure a podium place.

The men's sprint team of Dave Daniell, Phillip Hindes, and Peter Mitchell had to settle for sixth place in their event. In the men's omnium, Samuel Harrison is currently in second place after a strong showing in the flying lap, points race and elimination race, with the event set to conclude today.

Britain has sent a weakened team to Beijing, with many of the star names staying to to prepare for next month's World Cup event in Manchester.

The Australian rider Cameron Meyer became the fourth overall leader of the Tour Down Under in as many stages after he claimed victory on the 124km course from Norwood to Strathalbyn in Australia yesterday. Meyer was involved in a four-strong breakaway group and out-sprinted Dutchmen Thomas de Gendt and Laurens Ten Dam to win the fourth stage, which was good enough to earn him a 10-second lead over Ten Dam in the overall standings. Australia's Matthew Goss – who led after the third stage – is now third overall, 12sec adrift of fellow countryman Meyer.

Britain's Mark Cavendish finished 98th and is now a further minute off the leaders, while Team Sky's Ben Swift was seventh yesterday, and occupies the same position in the overall standings, with his team-mates Greg Henderson (13th) and Simon Gerrans (19th) both in the top 20 overall.

Lance Armstrong, competing in his final professional race outside the United States, had another disappointing day and was 85th over the fourth stage to sit 81st in the general classification.