South Canterbury cyclist Jason Christie and Auckland’s Malindi MacLean impressed in the first night of finals at the UCI World Cup cycling meet in Melbourne tonight.

Christie, 17 from Tinwald, finished fourth in the final of the men’s points race while MacLean, 19 from Clevedon, was fifth in the women’s scratch race.

BikeNZ has sent a 15-strong squad of mostly development riders to the second round of the UCI World Cup.

National track coach Tim Carswell said the world class meet was an excellent opportunity to blood the next group of young riders.

Christie was in the initial main break that put a lap on the field, and then slipped away in a group of four that put a second lap on the rest.

He managed two fifth placings and one fourth in an impressive display.

MacLean and Canterbury’s Penny Day had qualified for the scratch race finals in the afternoon session.

The Auckland rider, who has just completed her second season in the US in Susy Pryde’s Jazz Apple team, raced prominently throughout in a top performance, won by Great Britain’s Liz Armitstead. Day was 16th.

New Zealand results, day 1 finals, UCI World Cup:

Men’s points race:
Glen O’Shea (AUS) 59 pts, 1;
Joon Young Seo (KOR) 59, 2;
Eloy Teruel Rovira (ESP) 56, 3;
Jason Christie (NZL) 44, 4.

Women's scratch race:
Elizabeth Armitstead (GBR) 1,
Annalisa Cucinotta (ITZA) 2,
Evgeniya Romanyuta (Rus) 3.
Malinda MacLean (NZL) 5,
Penny Day (NZL) 16.