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TRACK | Tokyo strategy on target

29/2/2020

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Less than twenty four hours after finishing outside of the medals in the team pursuit, Australia’s charge at Olympic gold in Tokyo continued in Germany with Alex Porter and Luke Plapp delivering personal bests in the 1000m time trial and individual pursuit finals. The non-Olympics events were used to help simulate the Tokyo racing schedule, and prepare them for August.

In the women’s omnium, a knee injury sustained after a crash in the elimination race cruelly ended Georgia Baker’s run at the podium. 

Men’s Time Trial / Individual Pursuit 

After finishing outside of the medals yesterday in the team pursuit, Australia's focus on delivering Olympic gold continued through the punishing 1000m time trial and 4km individual pursuit events.

Despite both events not being on the Olympic programme, Australia used the racing opportunity to simulate the sensations of competing across three consecutive days with the men's team pursuit to be contested across the same duration at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. 

"The whole process of today was to get up like it was the last day of the Olympics, do a pre-start in the morning, come out to the track, get in that headspace of full gas and execute it on the track," said Alex Porter, who bolted from the gates to cover the four-lap time trial in a personal best time (1:00.960). 

"After last night's TP final, I was unsure how I would back up this morning, but on the rollers this morning I felt better than I did yesterday. So to go out and ride a four-second PB [personal best] in a kilo after having raced three team pursuits over two days, it has given me a huge boost of confidence." 

Reigning world champions Australia finished fourth in the team pursuit held across the first two days of the Championships. The team narrowly missed the medal rounds and were surprisingly overlapped in the bronze medal final by Italy.

"In the final, we thought we would throw caution to the wind and go full gas and see how it would go, but it ended up hurting us in the back end," said Porter, who fell off the pace in the final few laps of the final. "But that happens, we went out there trying something different, and we are disappointed for sure. We came for our last hit out before the games wanting to put the right foot forward.  
 
"But at the end of the day, as much as it is nice to win a world title, we weren't here to peak for Worlds, or win Worlds.  

"The main goal is to win an Olympic gold medal, and this is a stepping stone towards that." 

Denmark set a new benchmark in the event after shattering the world record three times, ultimately posting a stunning 3mins 44.672secs. Despite having nearly four seconds shaved off their 2019 world record this week, Porter and the Australian team remain committed to the ultimate target, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. 

"We have now gone from being the hunted to hunting," Porter said. "We've known it was coming for a long time, everyone has been going fast, and I am glad it has happened here. 

"The feeling we all have now, none of us like it. We have taken a hit, but the real sign of a champion is how you get back up in the next fight.

"And as I said to Glenn [O'Shea] on the start line, my 3:42 TP training starts now. That's it, that is the goal now. I personally and all the boys believe it can happen."

Like Porter, Luke Plapp lined up in all three team pursuit rounds on Wednesday and Thursday, and on Friday the nineteen-year-old fronted for the individual race against the clock. 

"To ride a PB given the last few days of racing, you can't be disappointed with that," said Plapp who recorded a personal best time (4:18.520) on his way to finishing thirteenth. "I'll be honest. I woke up this morning and felt like I had been hit by a truck, the legs were pretty buckled, but it was good to go through the process and be able to switch off and on." 

Plapp came into the team on the eve of the Championships after Kelland O'Brien - a member of Australia's 2019 world champion and world-record-setting outfit - was unable to recover in time after breaking his collarbone in January. The opportunity of riding his maiden World Championships was not lost on the teenager. 

"Everything happens for a reason," said Plapp. "Kell will come back so much hungrier for having missed these Championships, and he will come back so much more determined for Tokyo.  

"We all will. There are some easy things to fix that will get us where we want to be. The little things just had a domino effect, so once we fix those, everything falls into place. 

"I think that what has happened here is a blessing in disguise and we will turn it around for Tokyo."

The individual pursuit World Championship was won by Italy’s Filippo Ganna. He secured the title against Lambie Ashton (USA) after he posted a world record time of 4mins 01.934secs in qualifying.

Cameron Scott (1:01.057) finished fifteenth overall in the time trial which was won by Sam Ligtlee of the Netherlands. 

Women’s Omnium

In the women’s omnium, a knee injury sustained after a crash in the elimination race cruelly ended Georgia Baker’s run at the podium. 

In the omnium’s opening event, the scratch race, Baker avoided a crash which brought down five riders on the penultimate lap. After finishing eighth, she moved into the top ten after grabbing eleventh in an animated tempo race. 

Baker looked strong late in the elimination race before being unable to avoid a rider falling in front of her. The race was neutralised, and Baker impressively rejoined the race before being the sixth-last rider eliminated two laps later.  

The sixth-place finish in the elimination race shot her into sixth overall and into medal contention with only the points race to come. 

However, with her knee taking much of the impact in the crash, Baker was unable to keep pace in a hectic points race. After losing twenty points halfway through the race after being lapped by the field, Baker fell out of the top ten before gallantly finishing the event in fourteenth overall.  

The title was taken out by Japan’s Yumi Kajihara, who finished with 121 points, 12 points clear of Italian Letizia Paternoster.
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TRACK | Team pursuit outside medals, focus on Games remains

28/2/2020

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Image: Casey Gibson
Sam Welsford, Alexander Porter, Cameron Scott, Leigh Howard and Luke Plapp finished fourth in the team pursuit while Ashlee Ankudinoff, Georgia Baker, Annette Edmondson and Maeve Plouffe took fifth in the women’s competition on day two of the 2020 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Berlin, Germany. 

After teaming to win silver in the team sprint on Wednesday’s opening night of competition, Stephanie Morton and Kaarle McCulloch were knocked out of the individual sprint competition on Thursday afternoon.

Day 2 Snapshot

  • Men’s Team Pursuit - Sam Welsford, Alexander Porter, Cameron Scott, Leigh Howard and Luke Plapp - fourth 
  • Women’s Team Pursuit - Ashlee Ankudinoff, Georgia Baker, Annette Edmondson and twenty-year-old debutant Maeve Plouffe - fifth
  • Men’s Scratch Race - Welsford 11th 
  • Women’s Sprint Qualifying - Morton & McCulloch exit competition before quarterfinals.

Day 2 Recaps 

Men’s Team Pursuit 

While Australia’s men’s and women’s team pursuit outfits will depart Berlin without a medal, the squads remain focused on their pursuit of gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. 

Australia’s world title defences were halted on Wednesday’s opening day of competition after each outfit posted the fifth-fastest times in qualifying, leaving them outside a top-four position required to remain in contention for the world title.  

Welsford, Porter, Howard and Plapp (3:50.015) fell just two-hundredths of a second off fourth, and while they recorded Australia’s best qualifying time at a World Championships, Ankudinoff, Baker, Edmondson and Plouffe (4:14.934) finished six-tenths of second outside the top four. 

With the winners of the First Round 1v4 and 2v3 matchups progressing to the gold medal final, the bronze medal final would be comprised by the two best times posted from the remaining six teams in the round. 

Welsford, Porter, Plapp and Scott fended off eighth-fastest Switzerland with the round’s second-fastest time (3:48.625), while Italy posted the fastest time (3:46.513) in their first-round loss to Denmark. 

In the bronze medal final, Italy reeled in the Australian quartet of Welsford, Porter, Howard and Plapp inside the final few laps to take the bronze. 

“Of course it hurts, we came here as one of the favourites and were the world record holders before the competition,” said a measured Howard. “But one point we keep coming back to is taking positives out of the mistakes we make. We made a couple of crucial mistakes, probably pacing in the first couple of rounds. We probably were too conservative. 

“We have to take positives out of whatever we can and look forward. We haven’t given up the fight. We have plenty of time to make it up – so we’re still very positive.”

Howard pointed to the loss of Kelland O’Brien to injury, a key member of Australia’s world champion and world-record-holding quartet over the past two years, as a key moment in the team’s preparation. 

“To be honest, we’re all hurting – Kell is probably one of the most passionate bike riders you can ever meet. I know he’s doing it tough back home and we’re doing it tough without him,” said Howard, who was also quick to highlight the performance of 19-year-old debutant Plapp who shone across all three rounds. 

“We have an incredible young guy in Luke Plapp, who has stepped up to the mark. He’s incredible, and I’m looking forward to seeing his future.”

In stunning scenes, Denmark obliterated the world record in three consecutive rides. After shattering Australia’s existing world record in Wednesday’s qualifying (3:46.579), the Danes bettered their new mark in the first round (3:46.203), before soaring to gold with a time of 3mins 44.672secs. 

But while the Danes team carved nearly four seconds off Australia’s 2019 world record this week, Howard remains confident of the Australians’ potential to deliver in August at the Olympic Games. 

“I have absolute faith we can [match Denmark]. I’ve seen what we’re capable of doing in training with our full squad. We’ve had a tough year – our coach Tim Decker has had a really tough year, we’re a tight unit [and] that affects us all. 

“But we’ll all be back together next month in Adelaide, and we have five solid months of preparation and training for the Olympics coming up.

“So it hurts, but it’s the extra fire in the belly. That’s all we can do. We can look forward and work on the areas we know we need to.”

Women’s Team Pursuit

In the women’s first round on Thursday, Ankudinoff, Baker, Edmondson and Plouffe looked on track to secure a spot in the bronze medal final with a strong ride in the first round against Ireland. However, after catching the Irish inside the final two laps, the Australian outfit lost momentum and time while overtaking and finished 0.8secs shy of the bronze medal final in a time of 4mins 13.454secs. 

“We were quite disappointed in our ride in qualifying as we didn’t execute our plan. We were very disappointed to fall short in fifth and not make that top four ride off,” said Ankudinoff, who revealed the result will only strengthen the team’s resolve as they target the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in August. 

“This is all a learning curve for us. There is a bigger picture. Yes, it is hard to think about when you are here getting fifth, it is not where we wanted to finish. But we have learned a lot, and it is bittersweet as we are walking away knowing we have lots of room for improvement.

While the team’s preparation for the World Championships was affected by injuries to dual world champions Cure and Edmondson, stunning performances by Baker and Plouffe at the recent World Cups has Ankudinoff excited about the team’s ultimate potential. 

“It hasn’t been a perfect lead-in, Amy [Cure] hasn’t done a team pursuit since Worlds last year because she has been riddled with injuries, and Nettie crashing in Brisbane last December wasn’t ideal,” Ankudinoff said. “But we definitely have some depth now. Georgia [Baker] has really stepped up, and it is great to see. And Maeve [Plouffe], who would have thought she would have been in a qualifying round at a World Championships so soon, she has come of age, and it is really cool to see. 

“We know we have the support network and the talent to be competitive in Tokyo. I’m not walking away doubting any of that. We are ready to make that next step.

“We all know we are in for a tough five months, but we are really looking forward to it. This has only put fuel in our bellies, and we are hungrier than ever.”

Baker will now turn her attention to Friday’s omnium, Ankudinoff and Plouffe will contest the individual pursuit on Saturday, while Cure and Edmondson will line up in the Madison also on Saturday. 

Women’s Sprint

After teaming to win silver in the team sprint on Wednesday’s opening night of competition, Stephanie Morton and Kaarle McCulloch were knocked out of the individual sprint competition on Thursday afternoon.

Morton, a sprint silver medallist at the last three World Championships, opened her campaign with a personal best time of 10.483secs in the flying 200m qualifying to better her previous best mark by 0.001 seconds.  

Morton accounted for Lithuania’s Marozaite Migle in their round 1/16 clash before Mexico’s Daniela Gaxiola Gonzalez upset Morton in the 1/8 round.   

Nineteenth fastest in qualifying, Kaarle McCulloch’s (10.744) campaign came to an end in the Round 1/16 Finals at the hands of four-time track world champion Anastasiia Voinova (RUS). 

McCulloch will turn her attention to the 500m time trial on Saturday, while Morton will line up in the keirin on Sunday. 

Men’s Scratch Race

Moments after contesting the men’s team pursuit bronze medal final, defending scratch race world champion Sam Welsford took eleventh in the final. 

Welsford will now take two days rest before returning to the track on Sunday to contest the men’s Madison with Cameron Meyer.
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TRACK | Australia challenge in Team Pursuit Qualifying

27/2/2020

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Team Pursuit Qualifying

Australia's title defence in both the men's and women’s team pursuit was cut short after both teams finished fifth in Thursday’s afternoon qualifying session. 

In the men’s competition, Denmark stunned the Championships after shattering Australia’s existing world record set one year ago in Poland by over a second (3:46.579). The Danes then went on to beat their own mark hours later in the first round with a time of 3mins 46.203secs. 

For Australia, reigning world champions and former world record holders Sam Welsford, Alexander Porter and Leigh Howard teamed with nineteen-year-old debutant Luke Plapp to clock the fourth-fastest time of the day (3:50.015). 

While the eight fastest teams secure a trip to the first round, a top-four position is required to remain in contention for the rainbow jersey. Australia’s title defence remained intact until the final ride of the day when Italy took fourth overall, just two-hundredths of a second ahead of the Aussie team. 

In the first round on Wednesday evening, Cameron Scott came in for Howard, with the quartet posting a time of 3mins 48.625secs in their defeat of Switzerland. They will face Italy in Thursday’s bronze medal final. 

In the women’s event, reigning world champions Ashlee Ankudinoff, Georgia Baker, Annette Edmondson and twenty-year-old debutant Maeve Plouffe looked strong in their ride (4mins 14.934secs), the second-fastest of the day to that point behind Great Britain. 

However, subsequent rides by Canada, New Zealand and finally the USA, who posted the fastest time of the day of 4mins 11.229secs, pushed Australia into fifth, ending their title defence. 

Competition in the women’s team pursuit resumes with the first round on Thursday, with the winner of Australia and Ireland to race the winner of Italy and Germany for the bronze medal. 

Scratch Race
In the women’s scratch race, Alexandra Manly finished eleventh. Manly will look to defend her points race world title later in the week. 
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TRACK | Men's surprise surge to World Championship bronze

27/2/2020

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Photo - Casey Gibson
Nathan Hart, Matthew Richardson and Thomas Cornish surged to bronze in the team sprint in what was Australia’s highest finish at a World Championships in eight years. 

With Matthew Glaetzer withdrawing on the eve of the Championships due to a leg injury, Podium Potential Academy member Cornish, 20, received a call up for his maiden elite World Championships. 

The addition of Cornish meant a reshuffle of positions within the team for the three-lap event, with the youngster moving into the first-wheel position and Richardson to third. Despite the changes, the Australian trio opened their 2020 campaign with the fourth-fastest qualifying time and a combination-best time (42.996), before powering into the bronze medal final by defeating Poland in the first round (43.044). 

The trio then scorched France to take the bronze medal with another combination-best time of 42.829secs to put Australia on the podium for the first time since 2012. The group averaged 63km per hour over the three laps. ​

#Berlin2020 “Didn’t think this would be the outcome, to be honest. I just took it race by race today and it came together. Just really happy how I rode and the team rode.” 20yo debutant Tom Cornish on winning World Championships bronze with Hart & Richardson. #AusCyclingTeam pic.twitter.com/Uyl0BZklim

— AusCyclingTeam (@AusCyclingTeam) February 26, 2020
Tom Cornish - “I didn’t think this would be the outcome, to be honest. I just took it race by race today and it came together. I’m just really happy how I rode and the team rode.” 

Nathan Hart - “It was unfortunate with Matt Glaetzer getting injured quite recently, but we backed Tom Cornish here and he delivered exceptionally today. It was really great to string three solid rides together. I have never podiumed since my first champs in 2014, so this is definitely a highlight of my career so far.” 

Matthew Richardson - “We just took it ride by ride, being the starter, {then] going to third wheel was a challenge, but I just dug deep and took it home for the boys.”

The Netherlands took an emphatic gold medal, setting world records in both qualifying and the final.
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TRACK | Morton & McCulloch throw setbacks aside to win silver

27/2/2020

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Photo - Casey Gibson
Reigning world champions Stephanie Morton and Kaarle McCulloch shook off recent injury setbacks with a stunning silver medal performance in the team sprint. 

Since winning their maiden world title as a pairing last February, knee surgery for Morton and a back complaint for McCulloch saw them race internationally just once over the last twelve months, a gold medal performance at the Oceania Championships last October. 

On Wednesday in Berlin, the team picked up where they left off by clocking the third-fastest time of qualifying (32.696). They progressed to the final by defeating Mexico with the second-fastest time of the first round (32.353) averaging 55.6kmh, just outside of their national record set one year ago en route to the world title. 

Coming up against the hometown favourites, Germany, in the final, the pair once again nudged their national record (32.384) but the strong German team rode the parochial crowd wave to gold in a time of 32.163secs. 

#Berlin2020 “We had to go through some pretty dark clouds to even look at the rainbows, so to come away with the silver I think I am even more stoked than last year.” @StephMorton28 & @kaarlemcculloch chat after winning team sprint silver after recent injuries. #auscyclingteam pic.twitter.com/Hlks6dWaqo

— AusCyclingTeam (@AusCyclingTeam) February 26, 2020
Stephanie Morton - “I think we are the happiest silver medallists you have ever met. We had to go through some pretty dark clouds to even look at the rainbows here, so to come away with the silver I think I am even more stoked than last year. 


“We knew we had to focus on the things we could control. We kept it simple, we had our jobs and usually when you do that, the times will follow. So to be just a smidgen off our best, we are more than happy about that. 

Kaarle McCulloch - “I am just so proud that despite everything that has happened this last year, we kept training and we kept believing and we walked away with silver.” 

“Even this morning we had a little bit of a shake-up, so just to be out there in the final is next level, it really makes us believe we can do this in five months time [In Tokyo}. The world hasn’t seen the best of us yet, so that is really exciting.

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Argon 18, Cycling Australia & Zipp unveil 2020 Electron Pro

26/2/2020

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Photo - Casey Gibson
After nearly two years of collaborative research and development, Argon 18, in partnership with Cycling Australia, Zipp, Monash University and the University of Adelaide, is thrilled to unveil the result of the new 2020 Electron Pro.

With cutting-edge aero optimisation and stiffness to match the massive outputs of the world’s most powerful riders, the new Electron Pro is ready to make its mark on the world stage in 2020.

Top athletes know that it takes a team to reach the podium of the world’s most prestigious sporting events – and it took a team to create the machine to get them there.

“This project brought together a team committed to innovation, optimisation, and performance,” says Martin Faubert, VP Product, Argon 18. “By combining resources to develop the best possible equipment, we now have a bike that pushes the boundaries in every way, giving riders every possible advantage in the quest for gold.”

“We are really proud of this bike, and it’s through real teamwork and collaboration that Argon 18 and Zipp have developed this bike for us,” says Simon Jones, Performance Director at Cycling Australia. “To have the bike on time is excellent, as it gives all the riders time to get used to the feeling, which they all have done very quickly. I want to thank everyone at Argon 18, Zipp and CA who worked together - across many time zones - to deliver our new bike.”

The most immediately noticeable features on the new Electron Pro are the radically slender pursuit fork coupled with the custom-designed Zipp Super-9 Tubular Track Disc AUS wheelset, as well as the custom-moulded sprint handlebars and pursuit extensions. The bike also features an integrated timing chip, for a fully loaded velodrome winner.

The new Electron Pro:
  • Over 4500 hours of engineering: design, modelling and testing.
  • For both sprint and pursuit configuration, drag has been decreased and stiffness increased to provide a higher-performing frameset, as benchmarked against the previous-generation Electron Pro.
  • Extensive work was done developing the narrow fork, reducing the fork drag by up to 30% compared to the previous-generation Electron Pro.
  • The biggest aero gains were made by working closely with athletes, coaches and Cycling Australia’s aerodynamicist to achieve precise rider position, optimising both the lowest drag and highest power output. To achieve that we have developed an integrated drop bar for bunch races, and sprint and custom extension bars for the team pursuit.  
  • The strongest athletes need the strongest equipment. We, therefore, raised the maximum resistance up to 350kgf - more than 3x the load recommended for the BB by ISO test standards. We did the same thing for the cockpit, where we doubled the load compared to ISO standards for fatigue and ultimate strength testing.
Images - Hikari Media
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TRACK | Baker & Australia boast all the right ingredients

25/2/2020

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Australia’s women’s endurance squad boasts incredible depth, experience, and proven success across all levels with multiple world champions such as Annette Edmondson, Amy Cure, Ashlee Ankudinoff, Georgia Baker and Alexandra Manly. 

At the 2020 World Championships in Berlin, the stellar squad will be joined by 20-year-old debutant Maeve Plouffe who comes to the team from the Podium Potential Academy ranks. 

The squad heads into the Championships as the defending world champions in three events, team pursuit, individual pursuit and points race. However, the World Championships will offer more than just rainbows in 2020 as it is the final opportunity for the world’s best to refine and rehearse ahead of August’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.

“In every other year, the World Championships is the focus, it is the key priority for us,” Tasmania’s Baker explained. “But this year is a special year being an Olympic year, so it provides an opportunity to trial some different things. 

“We are making sure that we have everything right for Tokyo, while still having our eye on the prize here too."
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In the team pursuit. Australia enters the Championships as the reigning world champions after Baker, Edmondson, Ankudinoff, Cure and Manly soared to the world title one year ago in Poland. 

In 2020, Australia’s team pursuit outfit will feature Baker, Edmondson, Ankudinoff, Cure plus debutant Plouffe across the two-day, three-round event which opens the Championships on Wednesday morning. 

The squad has enjoyed success this summer with silver and gold during the World Cup season, during which they unveiled a new strategy which involves the front riders making their turn in the straight, rather than the traditional bend change. 

“As we go from different tracks, we have to make some adjustments the last two track sessions have been focusing we get our swings right, to make sure that we nail them,” said Baker. “It has been going really well in training and we are used to that swing now.
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Four years ago, the then 21-year-old Baker finished fourth in the points race and fifth in the team pursuit while on her elite World Championships debut. A few months later she made her Olympic debut in Rio where she rode in all three rounds as Australia finished fifth in the team pursuit.

As she aims for a second Olympic selection and the team strives for Olympic glory, Baker, 25, can see similarities in Plouffe’s path onto the team and is revelling in mentoring her younger teammate where possible. 

“Maeve has been a really big breath of fresh air.  She definitely deserves the spot to be in our team, she is so strong and I look forward to seeing her debut this week,” said Baker.   

“It is funny, I think she is doing exactly the same thing I was doing four years ago. I learned so much from the last Olympics, and I would love to pass on as much as I can to Maeve. 

“If we want to have the best result, then every piece of information we have to give to her is really important.  She is great with that, she is absorbing everything and taking it all in.”
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Baker has excelled over the last twelve months in the Madison, claiming World Championship silver (with Cure) and triple World Cup gold during the recent 2019-20 season (twice with Edmondson twice and once with Manly). 
 
As the Australian team continues to determine the best possible options and combinations for all three endurance events at the Tokyo Olympic Games, Cure and Edmondson have been slated to race the Madison in Berlin. 
 
Baker has been provided with an individual opportunity in the third Olympic event, the four-event omnium, which she will contest on Friday. 

“It is a great opportunity for us in Berlin. It is our last chance at a major competition to test everything out before the Olympics,” said Baker. “We want to trial everything we can, to make sure we have the best Madison pairing in Tokyo, and the best team pursuit squad in Tokyo. 

“I am super excited to take on the omnium, it will be my first at this level, so I will be taking each event as it comes and I am looking forward to seeing what I can do.”

In the remaining endurance events, Ankudinoff will look to defend her individual pursuit crown with national champion Plouffe also set to ride the individual race against the clock. 

Alexandra Manly will line up to defend her title in the points race and will also contest the scratch race. 

AUSTRALIAN SCHEDULE


DATE (IN AUS)    TIME (AEDT)

Thurs 27/2: 430am - 8am
W - Scratch 10 km - Alexandra Manly
W Team Pursuit - Qualifying 11pm AEDT
    
Fri 28/2: 430am - 730am
W - Team Pursuit - Ashlee Ankudinoff, Georgia Baker, Annette Edmondson, Maeve Plouffe
    
Sat 29/2: 430am - 815am
W - Omnium - Georgia Baker
    
Sun 1/3: 230am - 6am
W -  Madison 30 km - Annette Edmondson/Amy Cure
W - Individual pursuit - Ashlee Ankudinoff; Maeve Plouffe
    
Mon 2/3: 12am-3am
W - Points race 25 km - Alexandra Manly

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Live on FOXSPORTS Australia Channel 506
https://www.foxtel.com.au/tv-guide/search?q=world%20championships 

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Photos - John Veage, Hikari Media
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TRACK | Team Australia Guide for Berlin Track Worlds

20/2/2020

 
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Photo - Hikari Media
The 17-member Australian Team departed Adelaide on Wednesday evening bound for the 2020 UCI Track World Championships in Berlin, Germany. 

The five-day Championships, to be held from 26 February - 1 March, offers the world's best a final opportunity to refine and rehearse ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. 

In all, 20 titles will be decided in Berlin, with particular interest on the six Olympic events - Team Pursuit, Madison, Omnium, Team Sprint, Sprint and Keirin. 
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Photo - Casey Gibson
ENDURANCE 

  • Ashlee Ankudinoff - St George CC, NSW - 2019 individual & team pursuit world champion
  • Georgia Baker - Northern Districts CC, TAS - 2019 team pursuit world champion
  • Amy Cure - Mersey Valley Devonport CC, TAS - 2019 team pursuit world champion
  • Annette Edmondson - Norwood CC, SA - 2019 team pursuit world champion
  • Alexandra Manly - Central Districts CC, SA - 2019 points race & team pursuit world champion
  • Maeve Plouffe - Port Adelaide CC, SA - World Championship debut
  • Leigh Howard - Geelong CC, VIC - 2019 team pursuit world champion
  • Cameron Meyer - Midland CC, WA - 9-time career world champion 
  • Alexander Porter - Scotch College CC, SA - 2019 team pursuit world champion
  • Cameron Scott - St George CC, NSW - 2019 team pursuit world champion
  • Samuel Welsford - Northern Beaches CC, WA - 2019 scratch & team pursuit world champion
  • Luke Plapp - Brunswick CC, VIC - World Championship debut
​
Australia heads into the Championships as the defending champions in five events - men's and women's team pursuit; men's scratch, women's points race and women's individual pursuit. 

Australia's title defence in the men's team pursuit will begin in the opening session and will feature world record holders Sam Welsford, Alexander Porter, Leigh Howard, plus Cameron Scott. 

Podium Potential Academy member Luke Plapp comes into the team to replace world champion and world record holder Kelland O'Brien who will not race the World Championships as he continues his recovery from a broken collarbone sustained in January. Plapp, a dual 2018 junior world champion, will make his elite Worlds debut in the individual pursuit and is listed as a reserve for the team pursuit. 

Nine-time career world champion Cameron Meyer will take on the omnium, and the Madison with Sam Welsford, while Welsford will take to the track in defence of his scratch race world title. 
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Photo - Hikari Media
Reigning women's world champions Ashlee Ankudinoff, Georgia Baker, Annette Edmondson will team with World Championship debutant Maeve Plouffe in the team pursuit. 

Ankudinoff will look to defend her individual pursuit crown with Plouffe also set to ride the individual race against the clock. Alexandra Manly will line up to defend her title in the points race and will also contest the scratch race. 

Edmondson and Amy Cure will pair up for the Madison, while Baker will tackle the omnium. 
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Photo - Casey Gibson
SPRINT 

  • Stephanie Morton - South Coast CC, SA - 2019 team sprint world champion
  • Kaarle McCulloch - St George CC, NSW - 2019 team sprint world champion
  • Nathan Hart - ANU CC, ACT - 2018-19 Track World Cup gold medallist  
  • Matthew Richardson - Midland CC, WA
  • Thomas Cornish - Southern Cross CC, NSW - World Championship debut

Reigning world champions Stephanie Morton and Kaarle McCulloch begin their team sprint title defence on Wednesday's opening day of competition. Triple World Championship sprint silver medalist Morton will also race the individual sprint and keirin.  

McCulloch, a triple medallist in 2019, will take on three events; the team sprint, individual sprint and 500m time trial. 

2018 sprint world champion Matthew Glaetzer is a late withdrawal from the Championships after sustaining a leg injury at training last week. With his 2020 focus on a third Olympic Games selection, Glaetzer, who was slated to ride the team and individual sprint plus the keirin, will remain in Australia to focus on his recovery. 

Podium Potential Academy member Thomas Cornish will replace Glaetzer for the team sprint, scheduled for the opening day of competition, where he will team with Nathan Hart and Matthew Richardson. 

Hart and Richardson will also contest the sprint, while Cameron Scott and Alexander Porter will line up in the 1000m time trial. 
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Photo - Hikari Media
SCHEDULE - DATE (IN AUS); TIME (AEDT)

Thurs 27/2 430am - 8am
  • W - Scratch 10km    Alexandra Manly
  • W - Team Sprint    Stephanie Morton/Kaarle McCulloch
  • M - Team Sprint    Nathan Hart, Matthew Richardson, Thomas Cornish
  • M & W Team Pursuit    Qualifying 11pm AEDT
    
Fri 28/2  430am - 730am
  • M - Team Pursuit   Leigh Howard, Sam Welsford, Cameron Scott, Alexander Porter
  • M -  Scratch 15km    Sam Welsford 
  • M - Keirin   NA
  • W - Team Pursuit   Ashlee Ankudinoff, Georgia Baker, Annette Edmondson, Maeve Plouffe
  • W - Sprint   Qualifying 1230am 
    
Sat 29/2   430am - 815am
  • M - Points race 40km   TBC
  • M -  Kilometre Time Trial   Cameron Scott, Alexander Porter
  • M - Individual Pursuit    Luke Plapp
  • W - Omnium    Georgia Baker
  • W - Sprint    Stephanie Morton; Kaarle McCulloch
    
Sun 1/3   230am - 6am
  • W - 500m Time Trial    Kaarle McCulloch
  • W -  Madison 30km    Annette Edmondson/Amy Cure
  • W - Individual pursuit    Ashlee Ankudinoff; Maeve Plouffe
  • M - Omnium    Cameron Meyer
  • M - Sprint    Qualifying 9pm 
    
Mon 2/3   12am-3am
  • W - Points Race 25km    Alexandra Manly
  • M -  Madison 50km    Cameron Meyer/Sam Welsford 
  • W - Keirin    Stephanie Morton
  • M - Sprint    Nathan Hart, Matthew Richardson

​​WATCH 

Live on FOXSPORTS Australia Channel 506

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TRACK | Morton cycling fine line in Berlin

18/2/2020

1 Comment

 
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Morton v Lee - Brisbane, December 2019. Photo - John Veage.
Reigning world champion Stephanie Morton will have one eye on rainbows and one on the Olympic rings when she hits the track at the 2020 UCI Track World Championships in Berlin from February 26. 

While the World Championships offers the world’s best their final opportunity to refine and rehearse ahead of August’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Morton knows the fight for rainbows will be as fierce as ever. 

“While this is the last opportunity to rehearse the things we want to get right at the Games, at the same time, it is a World Championships and the rainbows are on the line,” said Morton. “It is a fine line of practising and going hard. You can’t lose sight of the big picture of the Games, but you can’t use that as an excuse not to go hard. 

“I will be going to win gold, that is why we are all there. Everyone wants rainbows.”

In the team sprint, reigning world champions Morton and Kaarle McCulloch will line up on day one of competition in Berlin in defence of their rainbows. It has been an interrupted season for the pairing who opened with gold at the Oceania Championships last October before McCulloch was forced to miss December’s World Cups in Brisbane and New Zealand due to a back complaint. 

“I don’t feel any athlete really ever has a perfect run into a Worlds, so it also becomes about how you deal with things like this as you head into the racing,” said Morton, who went on claim team sprint bronze and fourth with Podium Potential Academy member Caitlin Ward in McCulloch’s absence.

“Kaarle and I are both really positive and are very hungry to bring the rainbows back home again. 


“And that mindset is going to be the difference, not thinking about the couple of training or racing opportunities we might have missed.”
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Morton & McCulloch - 2019 world champions | Photo Casey Gibson
In the individual events during the 2019-20 season, Adelaide’s Morton claimed the Oceania crown, dual World Cup bronze in the sprint and keirin in New Zealand, before upgrading to the silver medals in the same two events at Brisbane’s World Cup. 

And with three consecutive World Championship sprint silver medals under her belt, Morton will be one of the favourites for the rainbows in the individual event. But as the 29-year-old continues to shine, she is anticipating her rivals will be just as bright in Berlin. 

“Just getting to the final will be tough work as there are so many riders who are stepping it up coming towards the Games. The top ten is so strong at the moment. It is anyone’s race,” said Morton, who took sprint silver behind Hong Kong's Wai Sze Lee at the 2019 World Championships, and December's World Cup in Brisbane. 

“So it is about taking it one race at a time and trying to learn from everyone you race. Lee is in the form of her life, she is the one to beat, and an opportunity to race her before the Games is another great opportunity to learn and to try things.”
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Morton leads at the World Championships | Photo Casey Gibson

While she has established herself as one of the masters of women’s sprinting over the past four years, Morton taps into knowledge gained while racing as an apprentice under Anna Meares at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. 

“It is a different experience leading into these Games, ahead of Rio I was the new kid on the block with Anna (Meares) who had all that experience and four years later I am one of the more experienced ones,” said Morton, who awaits the Australian Olympic Team announcement scheduled for March 18. 

“But I think that is why I feel like I am in such a good place because there are no unknowns for me. 

“I can take comfort and confidence knowing I have done this before, I know what the emotions are, what my body does, and that experience is what I am banking on.” 

Morton and McCulloch will take on the team sprint on Wednesday’s opening day of competition. The women’s sprinters will be in action across all five days with Morton to also contest the individual sprint and keirin.  McCulloch will race the team sprint, individual sprint and 500m time trial. 

And they will do so on the team’s soon to be launched new Argon and Zipp bikes. 

“Argon and Zipp have produced a great new bike. The transition has been really straightforward as it can be quite daunting to change so close to Worlds and the Games,” said Morton. “But it is a great bike, a fast bike, and looking forward to christening it in Berlin.”

#Berlin2020

🌈 Track Cycling World Championships 2020 Berlin
🗓 February 26 - March 1
🇦🇺 Team Australia
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Photo - Cycling Australia
1 Comment

A message regarding Kai Sakakibara from his family; Martin, Yuki and Saya

12/2/2020

13 Comments

 
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Firstly we would like to thank everyone for the kind messages, prayers and thoughts regarding Kai. It’s amazing to know he has touched so many people.

This is a very difficult time for all of us, but we felt it is important to share what we know at this moment. We need you all to be with us and with Kai throughout the next weeks and months.

As many of you are aware, Kai was involved in a serious racing accident on Saturday at the UCI BMX World Cup event in Bathurst. Medics and a doctor were on site and were able to manage the situation and provide support to assist with his breathing. They sedated Kai and he was airlifted by helicopter to Canberra Hospital where he was placed in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit).

Kai has suffered a severe head injury which will need time to settle before we have a more accurate understanding of his prognosis. An operation on Sunday morning relieved some pressure on his brain and he has been placed in a medically induced coma to help his body relax.

Kai’s condition is described as critical but stable, he is in good hands and under 24-hour monitoring. We are expecting he will remain in a medical coma for the next two weeks or so.

We (Martin, Yuki and Saya) are in Canberra with Kai right now and the best thing for us is to keep busy and continue doing everyday things so please feel free to contact us as you normally would.

We understand the road ahead will be a long and difficult one, we are staying positive and taking things day by day. There isn’t much we can do at this point but Kai needs your support and your positive energy sent his way. Please keep thinking of Kai #KaiFight77 and stay with us on his journey for the months ahead.

For now, we are waiting to see how things progress and our focus is on his long-term rehabilitation. Kai’s BMX career will be put on hold for now.

#KaiFight77

Martin, Yuki and Saya 

Further Updates

As mentioned above no further updates are expected to be provided for at least the next two weeks. 
​

Please note that Kai's family will not be available for media interviews at this time as they focus on Kai's rehabilitation.
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Photos - Craig Dutton, Sakakibara Family. 
13 Comments

PARA | Australian Team for 2020 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships

11/2/2020

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Cycling Australia is pleased to announce the athletes selected to the Australian Team to contest the 2020 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships to be held in Belgium in June. 

The 2020 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships will be held in Ostend, Belgium, from 4-7 June with the time trial and road race held across four disciplines Handbike (H), Cycle (C), Tri-cycle (T) and Tandem. 

The team features nine-time world champion Carol Cooke (VIC), who claimed both road and time trial world titles in 2019, and reigning time trial world champions Emily Petricola (VIC), Alistair Donohoe (VIC) and Darren Hicks (SA). 

2019 World Championship medalists Meg Lemon (SA) and Stuart Jones (NSW), 2016 Paralympic Games silver medalist Stuart Tripp (VIC) and Grant Allen (SA), round out the eight-member team. 

The Championships will be one of the final stops for Australia’s para-cyclists ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. 

“In line with our Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games strategy, we have selected a strong team to compete in Belgium,” said Warren McDonald, Para-cycling Technical Director, Cycling Australia. 

“After our recent success at the 2020 Para-cycling Track World Championships in Canada, I am confident we can continue this trajectory through Belgium as we close in on the Paralympic Games.”

The road cycling competition at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games will be held 1-4 September. 
​
Australian Team for 2020 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships 
  • Carol Cooke (VIC) T2 - 2019 road & time trial world champion 
  • Alistair Donohoe (VIC) C5 - 2019 time trial world champion
  • Darren Hicks (SA) C2 - 2019 time trial world champion
  • Stuart Jones (NSW) T2 - 2019 World Championships time trial silver medallist 
  • Meg Lemon (SA) C4 - 2019 World Championships road & time trial bronze medallist  
  • Emily Petricola (VIC) C4  - 2019 time trial world champion
  • Stuart Tripp (VIC) H5 - 2019 World Championships 5th road; 4th time trial 
  • Grant Allen (SA) H4 - 2019 Canada World Cup silver &2019 Italian World Cup bronze
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PP ACADEMY BLOG | Martin-Wallace WorldTour debut

5/2/2020

 
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For each Summer of Cycling, Cycling Australia prepares endurance development racing teams for the Santos Tour Down Under, Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (CEGORR) including Race Torquay, and the Herald Sun Tour.  
 
The development opportunity allows athletes within Australia's High-Performance Network and National Road Series teams to contest UCI events within Australia.
 
Sunshine Coast teenager Alexandra Martin-Wallace is a member of the Australian Cycling Team’s Podium Potential Academy^ and in January, she switched from the track to the road when she lined up in the Team KordaMentha outfit for Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (CEGORR) including Race Torquay.
 
A Junior Track World Championship medallist in 2018, Martin-Wallace joined the Academy in the same year, made her elite World Cup debut in Hong Kong a few months later, and also took part in a winter road racing program in Belgium. 
​
Martin-Wallace penned her thoughts on her week at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race below. 
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Heading into Race Torquay and Cadels Road Race I was very excited but also nervous. They were going to be by far the biggest races I’ve lined up for in my career. 

Race Torquay was up first and it was a scorcher of a day. With temperatures up to 44 degrees, the whole team was trying to stay as cool as possible pre-race by stuffing ice down the fronts and backs of our jerseys. 

The course was eight laps of a 13.3km loop with a few small climbs. The heat was detrimental in our race, especially on the main climb which was also the feed zone. While lots of girls picked up water bottles others were attacking which strung out the field. The highlight of the race was Ruby coming second in the bunch kick and sixth overall. Unfortunately, our team captain Rachel crashed after the line when a heat-affected rider accidentally ran into the back of her. 
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After lots of food and Netflix on the rest day, it was time for the Cadel Evans / Deakin University Great Ocean Road Race, the first Women’s World Tour race in the Southern Hemisphere. Geelong put on a good demonstration of typical Victorian weather going from scorching hot to freezing cold and windy.

The aim of the race was to protect Ruby as much as possible and the most crucial moments of the race was in the crosswinds and before the first climb. We were really happy with how well we rode as a team, staying together and positioning well, which was something we had been working on all summer.  

Unfortunately with about twenty kilometres to go there was a huge crash at the bottom of a descent (before the drag towards the final QOM) and Anya, Nicole and myself came down. Anya and I were lucky enough to get back up unscathed and finish the race. Nicole, unfortunately, crashed hard and was taken to hospital. Once again, just like Torquay, Ruby showed she’s one of the best, pulling off an incredible twelfth in her first race against the World Tour Professionals. 

Looking back on my week, it lived up to a lot of my expectations and I was pleasantly surprised with how I handled the hype of world tour racing. I was lucky enough to have some experienced girls around me and the incredible staff whose support I am very grateful to have. 

I’m keen to take what I’ve learnt to the Herald Sun Tour with ARA Pro Racing Sunshine Coast!
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^ About the Podium Potential Academy - Launched in November 2018 with an inaugural class of thirteen athletes across both endurance and sprint disciplines, the PPA programme, which is supported and partly funded by Commonwealth Games Australia, focuses on the long term development of athletes orientated around success at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and through to the 2024 Olympic Games and beyond

BMX | Aussies find home soil BMX Supercross World Cup podium

3/2/2020

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The opening two rounds of the 2020 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup were held in Shepparton on February 1-2 with Saya Sakakibara and Anthony Dean finding a home soil podium.  

The World Cups will be one of the last chances for riders to perform and grab qualifying points before the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Eyeing a maiden Olympic selection, Saya Sakakibara, 20, kickstarted her 2020 season with silver in round one behind reigning world champion Alise Willoughby (USA) and 2016 Olympic gold medallist Marian Pajon (COL). Watch Round 1.
 
In round two, Sakakibara grabbed fourth after fighting back following a tangle at the first berm of the race won by Willoughby. Watch Round 2.

"First home World Cup, Saturday for round one I was feeling really good, running lane one all day. In the final, I knew I had a good gate but just couldn't execute. Stuck in second. Close, but not close enough," said Sakakibara. "On Sunday for round two, it was tough conditions, but I felt I adapted really well. I almost went down in the first corner, but just held it and when I saw I was still in third I thought I was ok, but just couldn't catch back up when I dropped to fourth.  Fourth is not too bad, definitely wanted a lot more than that but we have next weekend in Bathurst."


2016 Olympic finalist Anthony Dean was edged by world number one Niek Kimmann (NED) in round one to take silver - Watch Round 1. A bad gate start hampered his winning chances in round two despite moving through the field from eighth to finish just off the podium in fourth. Watch Round 2.

"Little mistake in the final and I hit the start, was looking for the win after a flawless day to that point. But I am still happy with the weekend and really looking forward to next weekend.  Really want to get that win," Anthony Dean. 


Dual Olympian and eight-time world champion Caroline Buchanan continued her comeback with a quarter-final appearance in round one before progressing to her first semi-final in four seasons in round two. 

"Straight in the deep end, felt a lot of nerves being out two and a half year from the WorldTour," said Buchana. "The level of the sport has progressed so far, from the quarterfinals onwards it feels like a final. Being in the mix of the racing felt different but I took a lot of wins from Saturday's racing and I wanted to make it into the semi finals for Sunday which I did. 

"I had a big smile on me face when the camera came across me in that semi final, it has been a hell of a journey to get back here."


A tough weekend for Kai Sakakibara who made it through to the semi finals on Sunday. 

"A bit of a rough weekend for me, finishing Saturday in the 1/8th final, and then coming unstuck in the semi final today. I tiis a little bi of a disappointing weekend knowing how good I have been going. My biggest upset is not being able to replicate what I have been doing in training. But I am happy with where I am heading and I am really looking forward to the next two rounds in Bathurst."

The action moves to New South Wales town of Bathurst on February 8-9 for rounds three and four. 


  • World Cup Website https://www.bmxworldcup.com/ 
  • UCI BMX Results https://www.uci.org/bmx-racing/results 
View this post on Instagram

4th place today in World Cup round 2.. Absolutely gutted to have hit the gate in the final after a flawless day of not loosing a lap. ??? 2 & 4th for the weekend is awesome despite my mistake and we have momentum into next weekend to give it another shot. I wouldn’t be in this shape if it weren’t for @swilloughby91_ dedication to helping me day in day out. I thank you bro and I am excited to have found our formula that works together ??! - - Thank you to everyone for the amazing support in the crowd and my family’s for coming ❤️???? Again to all my team behind me, thank you! Re-group and recover ready for more. ? #BMX #WorldCup ? by @navadanet @ucibmxsx @craigdutton @auscyclingbmx

A post shared by Anthony Dean (@anthonydean44) on Feb 1, 2020 at 11:20pm PST

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PARA | Australia secure eight world titles at 2020 Para-cycling Track World Championships

3/2/2020

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Photo - Casey Gibson
The Australian Cycling Team has finished third on the medal tally at the 2020 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships held in Milton, Canada, January 30 to February 2. 

The Australian Team's eight athletes won a total of eight gold, one silver and one bronze, with powerhouse China the only nation to win more gold with nine. Only China (21), Great Britain (14) and the USA (12) won more total medals.

Triple rainbows for Emily Petricola (VIC), dual crowns for Amanda Reid (NSW), and gold to Paige Greco (SA), David Nicholas (QLD) and Alistair Donohoe (VIC) highlighted the Championships.

"I am very pleased from the solid performances from the targeted group of athletes we selected," said Warren McDonald, Para-cycling Technical Director, Cycling Australia. 

"To finish so high on the medal table, while competing against teams over twice our size, is a testament to the hard work and commitment from all of our athletes and staff. 

"While we recognise there is still work to be done, I am confident the athletes and the high-performance team behind them are on a trajectory for a successful campaign at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games."

Medals (8 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)
​
  • Emily Petricola (VIC) C4 - Gold individual pursuit, scratch race, omnium
  • Amanda Reid (NSW) C2 - Gold time trial, omnium 
  • David Nicholas (QLD) C3 - Gold individual pursuit 
  • Alistair Donohoe (VIC) C5 - Gold scratch race 
  • Paige Greco (SA) C3 - Gold individual pursuit 
  • Meg Lemon (SA) C4 - Silver individual pursuit
  • Gordon Allan (NSW) C2 - Bronze time trial

Event Summaries

Head to https://www.australiancyclingteam.com/2020paratrackworlds.html 
Photos - Casey Gibson
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PARA | Six rainbows highlight weekend in Milton

3/2/2020

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Triple rainbows to Emily Petricola, dual rainbows to Amanda Reid and rainbow redemption for Alistair Donohoe highlighted the weekend at the 2020 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Milton, Canada. 

It was a triple Canadian treat for Victoria's Emily Petricola who stunned the Track World Championships by winning three rainbow jerseys in one day. Full recap. 

Amanda Reid defended her 500m time trial title in sensational style by breaking her own world record en route to rainbows. Reid stopped the clock in 39.035secs, half a second ahead of her own world mark (39.505) set at the 2019 World Championships in The Netherlands.

After the race, Reid dedicated her victory to her grandfather who passed away on the morning the team were scheduled to depart Australia. 

“This race was one of the hardest races I’ve had to do, this race was for him,” said Reid, who soared to the world record in his honour.  “My first lap was fast, and I just had to hold on all the way to the end. 

“The world record was just the icing on top of the cake after the last few weeks. 

“I would like to thank my coach Tom (Skulander) and Zsolt, as well as many other people who work hard behind the scene to make this possible for me.” 

Reid then took victory in the scratch race to join Petricola as a multiple rainbow jersey winner at the 2020 Championships. 

Unfortunately, Alistair Donohoe (VIC) was unable to defend his C5 individual pursuit crown after crashing in his qualifying heat after clipping a foam pad. Although only suffering abrasions after sliding on the boards, Donohoe was unable to finish his heat and did not progress to the finals. 

Donohoe found redemption however on the final day of competition when he stormed to the scratch race gold. 

“After the disappointment of the individual pursuit, today I was out for redemption and I think that’s what got me across the line first, I just wanted it that bit more than the rest,” said Donohoe. “It was a brutal race from the start and I had to take two laps on the field just to stay on winning terms, but I really love that aggressive style of racing so it played Into my hands perfectly. 
“Every athlete knows the frustrations of something going wrong In their event or not being able to compete so to end the worlds trip on this note takes the pain away from my wounds and puts a smile back on my face.”
Gordon Allan (NSW) claimed bronze in the C2 1000m time trial, less than two seconds behind France’s Alexandre Leaute (1:11.373) who set a new world mark on his way to winning gold. Allan’s time of 1min 12.789secs also eclipsed the old world record before Leaute leapfrogged him to victory. 

‪David Nicholas (QLD) finished sixth in the C3 scratch race, while in the C2 final Darren Hicks (SA) was ninth and Allan twelfth. Hicks was also seventh overall in the omnium. 

Follow #Milton2020 

  • www.2020uciparatrack.com 
  • Results https://tracktiming.live/eventpage.php?EventId=2003 
  • Live Streaming via uci.org or https://www.flobikes.com/ 

Follow #AusCyclingTeam 
  • https://www.australiancyclingteam.com/2020paratrackworlds.html 
  • Facebook - @AustralianCyclingTeam
  • Instagram - @australiancyclingteam
  • Twitter - @AusCyclingTeam

Australian Team for 2020 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships 

Athlete (State) Classification

  • Gordon Allan (NSW) C2 - 2019 World Championship medalist
  • Alistair Donohoe (VIC) C5 - 2019 individual pursuit & scratch race world champion
  • Paige Greco (SA) C3 - 2019 individual pursuit & time trial world champion (dual world record holder)
  • Darren Hicks (SA) C2 - 2019 individual pursuit world champion
  • Meg Lemon (SA) C4 - dual 2019 World Championship medalist
  • David Nicholas (QLD) C3 - 2019 individual pursuit & scratch race world champion
  • Emily Petricola (VIC) C4 - 2019 individual pursuit world champion (world record holder)
  • Amanda Reid (NSW) C2 - 2019 time trial world champion (world record holder)
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#PARA | Petricola’s triple rainbows in Canada

3/2/2020

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Photo - Casey Gibson
It was a triple Canadian treat for Victoria's Emily Petricola who stunned the 2020 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Milton by winning three rainbow jerseys in one day. 

Petricola, 39, took gold in her pet event, the individual pursuit, before storming to win the scratch race gold only two hours later, which in turn secured her overall victory in the omnium. 

"Today was a pretty unbelievable day, I still can't believe that it has worked out like this!," said Petricola, who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis twelve years ago at the age of 27. 

Petricola opened her 2020 Track Worlds campaign by finishing just two tenths off a second off the 500m time trial podium in fourth, before taking second in the 200m time trial (not a World Championship event). Notably, Canada's Kate O'Brien won gold in both events in world record time. 

Petricola then defended her 3000m individual pursuit world title by catching teammate Meg Lemon inside the final two laps of their final clash. Despite having to negotiate her way around Lemon, Petricola powered home over the final few laps to post a scorching time of 3mins 44.146secs, just three seconds outside of her (still to be ratified) world record set at the Brisbane Track World Cup last December. 

"I really wanted to defend my title from last year in the IP, and was so excited that it was an all Australian gold medal ride with Meg in the ride-off.  It was a win/win for the team, regardless of the result," said Petricola.

With only two hours separating the 
individual pursuit and the scratch race, Petricola revealed tips from dual world champion Sam Welsford - who won team pursuit and scratch race gold inside an hour at the 2019 World Championships - paid dividends. 

Petricola won the scratch race which, when combined with IP gold, plus fourth and second in the time trials, secured her victory in the four-event omnium. 

"I had mentioned to my coach Cam a few weeks ago that I wanted to win the scratch race, and I think he thought I was joking," revealed Petricola. "I got a few tips from Sam (Welsford) before I left Adelaide about how best to back up the IP into the scratch race and was lucky enough I could implement his strategy and get away with the win, which in turn sealed the omnium."

Petricola paid tribute to the entire team following her triple victory. 

"I feel so grateful to be a part of such a great, strong team. We are so lucky to work with such amazing staff and coaches who support every part of our preparation," she added. 

"There is no way I could do this without any single one of them - our team's strength is a reflection of the hard work and dedication of not just the athletes, but every person associated with our team."

Meg Lemon (SA) was fourth overall in the omnium after winning silver the in the individual pursuit, sixth in the scratch race and 200m time trial and seventh in the 500m time trial. 

Follow #Milton2020 

  • www.2020uciparatrack.com 
  • Results https://tracktiming.live/eventpage.php?EventId=2003 
  • Live Streaming via uci.org or https://www.flobikes.com/ 

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Australian Team for 2020 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships 

Athlete (State) Classification

  • Gordon Allan (NSW) C2 - 2019 World Championship medalist
  • Alistair Donohoe (VIC) C5 - 2019 individual pursuit & scratch race world champion
  • Paige Greco (SA) C3 - 2019 individual pursuit & time trial world champion (dual world record holder)
  • Darren Hicks (SA) C2 - 2019 individual pursuit world champion
  • Meg Lemon (SA) C4 - dual 2019 World Championship medalist
  • David Nicholas (QLD) C3 - 2019 individual pursuit & scratch race world champion
  • Emily Petricola (VIC) C4 - 2019 individual pursuit world champion (world record holder)
  • Amanda Reid (NSW) C2 - 2019 time trial world champion (world record holder)
Photos - Casey Gibson
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ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN CYCLING TEAM

The ‘Australian Cycling Team’ encompasses the Olympic and Paralympic cycling discipline athletes, coaches and performance support staff who will receive program support for Track and Para, and Individual Athlete Performance Support for Road and BMX.

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