Thursday’s performance brought the total U.S. medal count to six after Jennie Reed (Kirkland, Wash./Momentum) captured gold and silver respectively in the keirin and match sprint and Huff won gold in the omnium.

Blatchford took two straight rides from Julio Herrera of Cuba in the head-to-head competition to claim both a continental title and an automatic invitation to the 2008 UCI Track World Championships next March in Great Britain.

Shortly after winning the match sprint, Blatchford returned to the track with Duvendeck and Selker to set the fastest time in the qualifying round of the team sprint. The mark earned the trio a spot in the gold-medal final against second seeded Cuba. In the final, the U.S. clocked a time of 1:02.51 to finish just over a half second slower than Cuba’s 1:01.95.

The duo of Pearce and Huff rode a near-perfect madison to claim the win and score significant qualification points for the United States towards the 2008 Olympic Games. Early in the contest, the U.S lapped the field along with Chile and managed to secure enough intermediate sprint points to maintain a comfortable lead throughout the race. Once a lap up on the field, the U.S. rode aggressively and covered any potential moves to solidify the team's fourth gold medal of the week.

Also on Thursday, Duvendeck placed sixth in the men’s sprint.

The 2007 Pan American Road and Track Championships continue on Friday with the first road events of the week. Representing the U.S. in the women’s time trial on Friday will be Alison Powers (Boulder, Colo.) and Dotsie Bausch (Irvine, Calif./Colavita-Sutter Home-Cooking Light).

2007 Pan American Road and Track Championships
Valencia, Venezuela
May 21-27

Men’s Sprint
1. Michael Blatchford (Cypress, Calif.)
2. Julio Herrera (CUB)
3. Herman Sanchez (COL)
6. Adam Duvendeck (Santa Barbara, Calif.)

Team Sprint
1. Cuba 1:01.95
2. United States 1:02.51
3. Canada 1:03.52

Madison
1. United States + 1 lap, 15
2. Chile +1 lap, 6
3. Cuba 17

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