Commonwealth Games record not enough for Cuminestown cyclist Neah Evans to reach gold medal race on the track

Neah Evans set a new Commonwealth Games record in the women’s individual pursuit but it was only enough for a place in the bronze medal race.

Cuminestown rider Evans set a time of 3:23.476 in her heat, which gave her a strong chance of making the final.

However New Zealand’s Bethany Botha proceeded to smash that by more than three seconds to advance as the gold medal race.

Then in the final head-to-head of the heats, Australian Maeve Plouffe pipped Evans by just over a second to book her place against Botha.

Evans, who picked up a silver and bronze at the last Commonwealth Games in 2018, will race another Australian Sarah Roy on Saturday afternoon.

Elsewhere on the track on Saturday morning, Forres’ Lauren Bell was eliminated at the last-16 stage of the women’s individual sprint.