Women's Recap

Gigante claimed an incredible and fully deserved overall Santos Festival of Cycling Tour victory with the 20-year-old's GC lead never in any doubt during the final-stage criterium raced in 41-degree temperatures in Adelaide.

“What a perfect week it really was,’’ Gigante said after back-to-back-stage wins set her up to propel her atop of the podium during Santos Festival of Cycling. “I’m not the best crit (criterium) rider but I wanted to repay them (my teammates) back for all the work they have done all week.

Gigante was fifth in the opening stage before launching to a GC lead of more than two minutes following a dominant solo victory on Stage 2. 

Gigante again stole the show in Stage 3 with a second solo stage victory, more than one minute ahead of Lucy Kennedy. 

On the final stage of the, Gigante took on the role of domestique for the day, making way for Garmin Team Australia teammate Georgia Baker to take the win.

Lucy Kennedy was second overall on GC and Podium Potential Academy member Ruby Roseman-Gannon was third. 

WOMEN'S GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Sarah Gigante (AUS) 7h02:01
2. Lucy Kennedy (GEC) +3:12
3. Ruby Roseman-Gannon (ARA) +3:13

The Australian Cycling Team para-cyclists took centre stage at the Santos Festival of Cycling held in scorching 41-degree temperatures at Victoria Park on Sunday.

One of the feature races of the final day of the Festival, Australia's Tokyo Paralympic Games hopefuls in action included Darren Hicks, Carol Cooke, Meg Lemon and more. 

Hometown hero Hicks praised all the riders for keeping it together in the heat, something which the Tokyo Paralympic Games hopeful is preparing for ahead of team selection for the Games. 

“We’ve actually been doing quite a bit of work in the heat chamber just to get ready for what Tokyo would be like and it’s a bit of practice that’s for sure,’’ Hick said. “The whole plan of doing races in the heat is to make us as acclimated as possible for Tokyo.

“It’s warm but it’s something we’ve got used to and what we really ask for is to have a go in front of the crowd and show them what we’re all about.”

In front of about 1300 fans - 50 per cent capacity because of the COVID restrictions - the Australian Cycling Team was back on track at the Adelaide Track League.

Full report at https://tourdownunder.com.au/blog-articles/matthew-glaetzer-on-overcoming-cancer-to-compete-in-the-olympics  

Jack Fletcher fletchermedia.com.au @fletcher_media

This year, you will be able to catch the Santos Festival of Cycling NRS and NRSW races live streamed on 7plus.

In the commentary box will be Australian Cycling Team greats Anna Meares and Robbie McEwen! 

All times below in Adelaide Central Daylight Time

ADELAIDE TRACK LEAGUE
TUESDAY, 19 JANUARY, 2021
5.50pm – 9.05pm 

ZIPTRAK STAGE 1 – SEPPLESFIELD TO TANUNDA
THURSDAY, 21 JANUARY, 2021
Women's: 8.50am – 12noon  
Men's: 1.05pm – 5.00pm 

BIKEEXCHANGE STAGE 2 – BIRDWOOD TO LOBETHAL
FRIDAY, 22 JANUARY, 2021
Women's: 8.50am - 12.15pm
Men's: 1.05pm – 5.00pm 

BE SAFE BE SEEN STAGE 3 – MCLAREN VALE TO WILLUNGA
SATURDAY, 23 JANUARY, 2021
Women's: 9.50am – 11.50am
Men's: 12.50pm – 4.00pm

​TREK STAGE 4 - VICTORIA PARK
SUNDAY, 24 JANUARY
Paracycling: 3.10pm – 3.40pm
Women's: 6.45pm – 8.30pm
Men's: 1.05pm – 5.00pm

Australia’s track stars and Olympic hopefuls will light up the Adelaide Super-Drome on Tuesday 19 January to kick off the week-long cycling extravaganza in South Australia. 

The track event, in partnership with AusCycling, will see Perth’s four-time title world track holder Sam Welsford joined by Leigh Howard, Alex Porter and Kell O’Brien with whom he won the 2019 World Title Winning Team Pursuit. 

Sprinters Matt Glaetzer and Nathan Hart will round out a solid seven-man squad who have all been selected for the Tokyo Olympics this year.

“Incorporating disciplines such as track to the calendar for 2021 Santos Festival of Cycling is really exciting. There is some sensational track talent here in South Australia, in both the men’s and women’s leagues and I’m thrilled to be able to welcome rising stars as well as some very highly accomplished riders,” Men’s Race Director Stuart O’Grady said. 

“We are so fortunate to have a world class facility in the Adelaide Super-Drome and this event will be the perfect curtain raiser to the Santos Festival of Cycling” he added.

The men's endurance squad is coached by Tim Decker who commented, “It’s great to have the quality of athletes here to compete in the Santos Festival of Cycling Track event. During the event there will be multiple World Champions and Olympic medalists in most of the events, therefore the quality of racing will be fantastic to watch.”

The women’s endurance squad is headlined by Australia’s only four-time world champion in the track endurance ranks, Ashlee Ankudinoff, and features Team Garmin-Australia track and road sensations Annette Edmondson, Maeve Plouffe and Georgia Baker as well as Team BikeExchange’s guest rider Alexandra Manly.“

There is something really special about Adelaide summers and track racing. Going back many years they have set the backdrop to incredible nights of exciting racing steeped in tradition.” Women’s Race Director Kimberley Conte said.

“The heat, the speed and rush of the wind as athletes race past all combine to make an incredible atmosphere. Do yourself a favour, when you are in the stands, go to the apex of the turn and look straight down from the railing and feel your heart racing as the riders speed past. I promise you won’t be disappointed!”

“It’s really exciting to be able to expose track racing to fans who may have only been focused on the road racing events previously. I hope it excites as many people as last year, I really encourage everyone to come down and watch and see what track racing is all about!” Maeve Plouffe

2021 Santos Festival of Cycling 

• Ashlee Ankudinoff
• Georgia Baker
• Annette Edmondson
• Maeve Plouffe
• Alexandra Manly
  
• Matt Glaetzer 
• Nathan Hart 
• Sam Welsford 
• Kell O'Brien 
• Leigh Howard 
• Luke Plapp
• Alex Porter

​
Tickets

Tickets for the Adelaide Track League are selling fast and available at www.adelaidetrackleague.com

Tuesday 19 January 2021
Adelaide Super-Drome
State Sports Park, 50 Anna Meares Way, Gepps Cross SA 5094
Tickets: $10

Team Garmin-Australia has joined with AusCycling in announcing a new partnership as they join the 120 strong peloton racing in the 2021 Santos Festival of Cycling. 

Led by World Tour star and INEOS Grenadiers rider, Richie Porte, Team Garmin-Australia will be joined by EF Education-NIPPO's James Whelan and four time track world title holder, Sam Welsford, among others. 

“The quality of both the men’s and women’s teams is testament to the passion each of these riders have for racing and starting the 2021 season at the Santos Festival of Cycling,” said Stuart O’Grady, Men’s Race Director.   

“We’re really excited that Team Garmin-Australia have committed to racing at this year’s Santos Festival of Cycling and are looking forward to them bringing their experience and energy to the race.”

The six-member women’s outfit is highlighted by leader and triple world champion Annette Edmondson, with rising stars Maeve Plouffe, Georgia Baker and Trek Segafredo’s Lauretta Hanson.

“We are eager to showcase the quality of racing in Australia with both the men’s and women’s teams, but I’m particularly excited by the strength, skill and experience of the Women’s team,” said Kimberley Conte, Women’s Race Director.  

“To bring in this quality of athlete and some of our future cycling stars is legacy to the Santos Tour Down Under.”

Team Garmin-Australia will join the teams lining up for the 2021 Santos Festival of Cycling with a field comprised of National Road Series, Continental and World Tour riders.

“The quality of teams and of the cyclists racing in this year’s event will really put Australian cycling on the map for passionate fans and cycling and sporting enthusiasts,” adds Event Manager, Ryan Healy.

“We are bringing some of the best WorldTour riders and of course the up-and-coming champions to race.  Fans will have the opportunity to watch great racing, but to also watch our future champions in the making.”

Team Garmin-Australia’s participation will offer the race a dynamic element that incorporates riders from the World Tour stage, Commonwealth and Olympic Games and World Champion excellence. The combination of athletic prowess within Team Garmin-Australia is certainly a nod to the multi-faceted nature of the 2021 Santos Festival of Cycling.


Team Garmin-Australia: 2021 Santos Festival of Cycling

MEN’S

• Richie Porte - AUS
• Sam Welsford - AUS
• Kelland O’Brien - AUS
• Leigh Howard - AUS
• Luke Plapp - AUS
• Alex Porter - AUS
• James Whelan - AUS

​
WOMEN’S

• Maeve Plouffe - AUS
• Annette Edmonson - AUS
• Georgia Baker - AUS
• Ashlee Ankudinoff - AUS
• Sarah Gigante - AUS
• Lauretta Hanson – AUS
• Neve Bradbury - AUS

More at https://tourdownunder.com.au/2021-event 

AusCycling is pleased to confirm the athletes who will receive memberships to the Australian Cycling Team for 2021

Significantly, the 2021 memberships are the first to be announced under the banner of AusCycling. Formed in November 2020, AusCycling represents all cycling disciplines and riders throughout Australia from club, recreational and commuter riders through to the Australian Cycling Team.

Memberships to the Team are limited and are only provided to athletes who have achieved, or have the potential to achieve, success at the highest level with 65 athletes confirmed across the disciplines of BMX Freestyle (3), BMX Racing (4), Mountain Bike Cross Country (1), Para-cycling (15), Road (13), Track Sprint and Endurance (15), and Podium Potential Academy (14).

Athletes are categorised as Podium, Podium Ready and Podium Potential based on their current level of performance, and their future potential to achieve Podium Performances in Olympic events at major championships. Support for the athletes varies according to the discipline. About the Australian Cycling Team Pathway.
Memberships are reviewed annually following the pinnacle event for the year, which for 2020 was to be the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. With the COVID-19 Pandemic causing significant disruptions and cancellations to the 2020 sporting calendar, the pinnacle event for 2021 will be the rescheduled Tokyo Games.

The Podium Potential Academy, now into its third year of operation, will focus on the long-term development of Track Sprint and Endurance athletes and success at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the 2024 Olympic Games and beyond.

Also underpinning the Team is the national High-Performance Network of state institutes and academies which play a vital role in the athlete pathway by identifying and supporting a further crop of nearly 100 categorised Emerging and Developing athletes across Australia.

Simon Jones - Performance Director, Australian Cycling Team

"I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the selected athletes, as places in the Australian Cycling Team are limited and this often means making hard decisions. To the athletes not selected, we encourage you to keep pushing and be ready for opportunities as we do review the memberships annually."

"2020 showed us that we must take our opportunities when we can, to be agile, to be resilient, and that change is a certainty. While 2021 is likely to be very similar, we remain optimistic about the future."

"Looking ahead, 2022 will be very exciting as we will have a home Road World Championships in Wollongong and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Then in 2023, the first World Championships of cycling that integrates all disciplines of Para-cycling, BMX, Road, MTB and Track into a festival of cycling over two weeks."

About the Australian Cycling Team

The Australian Cycling Team (ACT) comprises athletes, coaches and performance support staff in Olympic and Paralympic cycling disciplines, underpinned by Australia's State and Territory High-Performance Network. Principal partners include the Australian Institute of Sport and Santini.

The ACT is part of AusCycling, the peak body for cycling in Australia. AusCycling is affiliated with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and partners with the Australian Olympic Committee; Commonwealth Games Australia and Paralympics Australia.

A full list of partners and supporters can be found here.

Athlete Memberships 2020/2021

BMX Racing - Agreement Period: 1 May 2020 - 30 April 2021                               
Lauren Reynolds            WA           Podium Ready 
Anthony Dean                 SA            Podium Ready 
Saya Sakakibara            NSW        Podium Ready 
Isaac Kennedy                QLD         Podium Potential 
                                   
BMX Freestyle - Agreement Period: 1 December 2020 - 30 November 2021                         
Logan Martin                 QLD         Podium 
Brandon Loupos             NSW        Podium 
Natalya Diehm               QLD         Podium Potential 
                                   
MTB Cross-country - Agreement Period: 1 January 2021 - 31 July 2021                          
Rebecca McConnell               ACT          Podium 
                                   
Para-cycling - Agreement Period:  1 April 2020 - 31 March 2021                         
Carol Cooke (Road)                      VIC           Podium 
Alistair Donohoe (Road/Track)     VIC           Podium 
David Nicholas (Track/Road)       QLD          Podium 
Stuart Tripp (Road)                       VIC           Podium Ready 
Amanda Reid (Track)                    NSW         Podium 
Hannah Macdougall (Road)           VIC           Podium 
Grant Allen (Road)                         SA            Podium Ready 
Paige Greco (Track/Road)             SA            Podium 
Darren Hicks (Road/Track)           SA            Podium 
Meg Lemon (Road/Track)             SA             Podium 
Emily Petricola (Track/Road)       VIC           Podium 
Emilie Miller (Road)                      NSW        Podium 
Gordon Allan (Track)                    NSW        Podium  
Stuart Jones (Road)                      NSW        Podium 
Kaitlyn Schurmann (Road)           VIC           Podium 
                                   
Women's Road - Agreement Period: 1 January - 31 December 2021                        
Amanda Spratt        NSW         Podium 
Brodie Chapman     VIC           Podium Ready 
Grace Brown           VIC           Podium Ready 
Sarah Roy               NSW         Podium Ready 
Chloe Hosking        ACT          Podium Ready 
Lucy Kennedy         QLD          Podium Ready 
Sarah Gigante        VIC           Podium Potential 
                                   
Men's Road - Agreement Period: 1 January - 31 December 2021                        
Rohan Dennis                  SA            Podium 
Michael Matthews          ACT          Podium 
Caleb Ewan                     NSW         Podium Ready 
Jack Haig                        VIC           Podium Ready 
Simon Clarke                  VIC           Podium Ready 
Richie Porte                    TAS          Podium Ready 
                                   
Women's Track Endurance - Agreement Period: 1 May 2020 - 30 April 2021                               
Ashlee Ankudinoff             NSW        Podium 
Georgia Baker                   TAS          Podium 
Annette Edmondson          SA            Podium 
Alexandra Manly               SA            Podium 
Maeve Plouffe                  SA            Podium 
                                   
Men's Track Endurance - Agreement Period: 1 May 2020 - 30 April 2021                               
Cameron Meyer              WA           Podium 
Kelland O'Brien               VIC           Podium 
Alexander Porter             SA            Podium 
Leigh Howard                  VIC           Podium 
Samuel Welsford             WA           Podium 
Lucas Plapp                    VIC           Podium 
                                   
Women's Track Sprint  - Agreement Period: 1 May 2020 - 30 April 2021                               
Kaarle McCulloch              NSW        Podium 
                                   
Men's Track Sprint - Agreement Period: 1 May 2020 - 30 April 2021                               
Matthew Glaetzer             SA            Podium 
Nathan Hart                      ACT          Podium 
Matthew Richardson        WA           Podium 
                                   
Podium Potential Academy  - Agreement Period: 1 December 2020 - 30 November 2021                         
Alexandra Martin-Wallace   QLD        Podium Potential  
Sophie Edwards                   SA           Podium Potential  
Ruby Roseman-Gannon      VIC          Podium Potential  
Lauren Perry                       TAS          Podium Potential  
Chloe Moran                       SA             Podium Potential  
Conor Leahy                       WA           Podium Potential  
Joshua Duffy                      TAS          Podium Potential  
Graeme Frislie                  VIC           Podium Potential  
James Moriarty                 QLD         Podium Potential  
Jensen Plowright              VIC          Podium Potential  
James Brister                   SA            Podium Potential  
Tom Cornish                    NSW         Podium Potential  
Leigh Hoffman                 SA            Podium Potential  
Kristina Clonan                QLD         Podium Potential