With five months until they will wear the green and gold together at the Tokyo Olympic Games, the Australian Cycling Team battled each other for the national champion jerseys in the Madison at the weekend.

Ashlee Ankudinoff & Alexandra Manly, plus Leigh Howard & Sam Welsford claimed the 2021 AusCycling Madison crowns in thrilling races held at the Adelaide Super-Drome.
​
The Madison is one of only six track cycling disciplines on the Tokyo Olympic Games program, with the women's event set for its Olympic debut.  

The event features two-riders teams looking to secure points throughout the race, including exciting changeovers between the pairings completed by a hand-sling. 

QUOTES  
 
Ash Ankudinoff: “We knew that coming into this race that we just had to be consistent and be present in all the sprints and that was how we were going to win it. We made sure in the last 50 laps we made sure to put each other in strong positions so we could make the most of the opportunities to get those 5 points.”  
 
Alex Manly: “It was nice to pair up with Ash, because in the past she’s beat me for the title. It was really nice to be able to do it together. By the time we came to the final sprint we were pretty stoked to have done it!” ​

QUOTES 
 
Sam Welsford: “Gnarly race! I think everyone was still questioning the scoreboard at the end as you saw. We knew Plapp and Jensen were up the track and we knew we didn’t have to worry about the last sprint, just get around the pack and score a point to win on count-back. I just knew there was another lap, so I had to keep going again. I think the best thing about it is that it could have gone either way in the top three teams, so it just shows the depth we have in the Madison.”  
 
Leigh Howard: “Sometimes it’s difficult when you’re competing against your own teammates but we all try and walk away happy with each other. It’s pretty easy to have arguments in races, and so far, we’ve always walked away mates at the end of it and that’s far more important than any results.”   ​

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 

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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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. 

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

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Double team pursuit gold medals for Australia highlighted the opening day of the 2019-2020 TISSOT UCI Track Cycling World Cup on Friday at the Anna Meares Velodrome in Brisbane. 

Reigning world champions Georgia Baker, Ashlee Ankudinoff, Annette Edmondson, Alexandra Manly, plus Podium Potential Academy member Maeve Plouffe, guided Australia to gold in the women’s event. In the men’s, world champions Sam Welsford, Leigh Howard, Kelland O’Brien, Alexander Porter plus Podium Potential Academy member Luke Plapp secured Australia’s second gold.

In the women’s team pursuit, little separated Australia and New Zealand in qualifying with the all-black skinsuits quartet of Holly Edmondston, Bryony Botha, Michaela Drummond and Racquel Sheath setting the fastest time (4:16.573), just two-tenths ahead of Australia’s Baker, Ankudinoff, Manly and Plouffe. 

With Edmondson replacing Ankudinoff for their first-round matchup against the United States, the team booked their place in the gold medal final (4:12.889) with a scorching ride was just half a second outside their national record set at last week’s World Cup.

Ankudinoff returned for Manly in an enthralling final with the Australians stopping the clock at 4mins 13.237secs to take the gold medal by three-tenths of a second over their Trans-Tasman rivals (4:13.553). 

The result evened the ledger between the two teams after the Australians took silver behind New Zealand at last week’s Cambridge World Cup.

“We don’t get the opportunity to race in front of a home crowd, especially at a World Cup, so we wanted to go out firing and win gold,” said Edmondson. 

“I think we are heading in the right direction, and we have been working pretty hard behind the scenes, we wanted to do some fast times here in Brisbane, we have ticked some boxes, and will use it as inspiration to keep the momentum for the Olympics.

“Maeve is only 20 years old and has a lot of power behind her considering she is so young. She has only been in training with us for the last month so to be able to ride three strong rides today and also a couple of rides over in New Zealand last week is promising. 

“We also have Amy Cure at home, so we know that we have the numbers here and it is very exciting moving forward.”

In another race of rivalries, Canada (4:17.509) defeated the United States (4:21.540) for bronze. 

One gold, one silver and two bronze medals for Australia on the second night of the fourth round of the TISSOT UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Cambridge, New Zealand. 

Georgia Baker and Alexandra Manly got Australia’s night off to the perfect start, winning gold in the women’s madison in dominant fashion, while Matthew Glaetzer claimed a remarkable bronze medal in the men’s keirin, little over a month after having surgery to remove a thyroid cancer.

Stephanie Morton secured Australia’s second bronze of the night in the women’s sprint, while Nine-time world champion Cameron Meyer snatched silver in the men’s omnium.

Women’s madison

Georgia Baker and Alexandra Manly got Australia’s night off to the perfect start, winning gold in the women’s madison in dominant fashion.

They sealed victory by winning the double points final sprint, after building an early lead by winning four of the first six.

“It was a pretty tough madison actually. Not too many teams out there, but it was definitely a tough mado for Alex and I,” Baker said.

“We were just focusing on trying to get a consistent ride. Trying to get our changes and our timing right, trying to break the Madison down and just get all the basic things right and hope to come out with a result.

“That just goes to show all of our hard work in Adelaide paid off here.”

Baker, who claimed silver in the madison at the world championships earlier this year, and Manly finished 10 points clear of Poland, with the Subway New Zealand trade team a further 13 points back in third.
​

The Australian Team opened the 2020 track season last weekend at the 2020 Oceania Track Championships in Invercargill in New Zealand. 

The Oceania Championships opened the busy 2019-20 summer of international track cycling which continues in November and December with the six-round Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup. 

Members of the Australian Team will contest the World Cup's second round in Scotland, round four in New Zealand, before a blockbuster round five on home soil at Brisbane's Anna Meares Velodrome from 13-15 December. 

"Overall these performances were good for the riders and coaches to assess how the preparation has been progressing," said Simon Jones, Performance Director, High Performance, Cycling Australia. "It is also pleasing from my perspective to see the progress from both the Podium and the Academy athletes with the World Cup season just about to start." 

Oceania Recap

Reigning scratch and team pursuit world champion Sam Welsford claimed dual gold the omnium and the Madison with Kelland O'Brien. Welsford dominated all four events in the omnium, before sealing Madison gold with victory on the double points final lap.

"The Australia and New Zealand showdown is always really intimate and personal, they throw it all at us, so they were really tough races," said Welsford. "Coming into Oceania, I had a bunch focus, targeting a couple of events like the Omnium and Madison, so to execute and nail some good results, is important for me."

Welsford will now turn his focus to a busy 2019-2020 UCI Track World Cup season in which he will contest three rounds - Scotland (November), New Zealand (December), Brisbane (December).  

"To get back on the track and set up a good season ahead is pretty vital for me," Welsford added. "I have a big World Cup season ahead, there will be a lot of racing, but I am looking forward to getting more and more accustomed to racing the World Cup races in the Madison and the omnium." 

O'Brien took silver in the 15km scratch race. 

In a dominant performance across the bunch races, Amy Cure claimed three gold at the Championships in the omnium, points race and Madison with Alexandra Manly. The three-time world champion Cure was all class on the way to winning all four events in the omnium, while in the Madison, Cure and Manly dominated the 30km final.

"I wasn't sure how I was going to go here as I've been a bit up and down lately, but I set myself up early by getting some wins, and I had a good buffer going into that points race," said Cure. "I don't mind a points race, it's always tough, but I just went in there and treated it like any other points race."

Reigning team sprint world champions Stephanie Morton and Kaarle McCulloch broke their Oceania Championship record (32.591secs) en route to gold. 
Morton then powered to gold in the sprint while Kaarle McCulloch, who posted a personal best to top sprint qualifying (10.759secs), won bronze. 

“I exceeded my expectations of where I was going to be at. I am not firing on all cylinders yet, but am ahead of where I thought I was going to be," said Morton after the Championships, her first competition since February's Track Worlds and since undergoing off-season knee surgery.  

“I haven’t raced the team sprint in a while and off the back of the surgery, I knew I didn’t have the strength and fitness traditionally I would have at Oceanias. Kaarle was great in giving me confidence in our ability as a team and it just showed that being able to work together and rely on your teammate, you will get the job done even when you’re not in the best form.”

Morton will now head back to Adelaide for six weeks of training before contesting the New Zealand (December) and Brisbane (December) rounds of the World Cup. 
“I am going to be training pretty hard leading into the World Cups as my offseason was pretty interrupted, but as per this week, I will be confident I will be able to go out there and still be competitive.

“But it is a great time to rehearse everything now, there are so many things behind the scenes that you have to get right to be a champion, whether it is nutrition or recovery, it is not just race day.” 

Nathan Hart, and Podium Potential Academy duo Matthew Richardson and Thomas Clarke, took silver in the team sprint (43.360secs) with New Zealand breaking the Oceania record (42.508) on the way to the gold medal. 
 
The Australian Cycling Team's Podium Potential Academy enjoyed strong results at the Championships with gold in the team pursuit, scratch race and individual pursuit.  
Conor Leahy, Godfrey Slattery, Lucas Plapp teamed with guest rider Joshua Duffy, to produce a dominant display to take gold in the team pursuit, catching a young New Zealand team in the final. 

"It was awesome, we had a pretty hefty goal in the way we were going to do our turns, and we stuck to it 100 percent, we couldn't have asked for a better outcome," Leahy said. "We took it conservatively in qualifying and then let it all out in the final. Once we got a sniff of them (New Zealand), it was a matter of hunting them down and catching them. 

In the women's team pursuit, Maeve Plouffe, Sam De Riter, Sophie Edwards and Alexandra Martin-Wallace (4:22.057) claimed silver. 

Plouffe's comeback following wrist surgery in July saw her grab four medals at the Championships including silver in the individual pursuit, bronze in the points race, plus a superb effort in the scratch race which saw her lap the field twice to win gold. 

"I was not expecting that at all. I had a pretty big ride with my teammates in the team pursuit earlier, and I have a pretty full schedule," said Plouffe. "Once I lapped the field, it was all about protecting myself and making sure the final sprint was perfect, and the end couldn't have gone any more perfectly."

Top qualifier Leahy took out the 4000m individual pursuit, with the Western Australian fending off New Zealand's former world champion Jordan Kerby in the final.
​
"I always tend to back up pretty hard, so I had good confidence that I could put it to Kerbs - he's a renowned IP, so I knew I had a good challenge ahead of me, but I just went out hard and tried to stick to as good a time as possible."

In the sprint, Matthew Richardson (9.797) clocked a personal best in qualifying, while Thomas Clarke (9.896) finished just off the podium in fourth.

​Australia has finished the 2019 UCI Track World Championships in Poland in second place overall with ten medals, tying the Netherlands for the most gold medals with six. Underlining this consistent display across the Championships, the team boasted a result inside the top six in all but one Olympic event.  
​
“Fantastic results, ten medals is tremendous, but more importantly it is about the performances,” said Cycling Australia Performance Director Simon Jones. “We saw some really good results across the board. The men’s team pursuit stands out clearly, a world record performance and by such a margin.

“The women’s endurance squad’s performance was outstanding, there has been through quite a big change in the program and the girls have really bought in, there is good energy.

“The women's team sprint gold which equally shows that they keep getting better as a team. Matt [Glaetzer] had a big season and to perform the way he did here, to finish fourth is a good result considering what we are trying to achieve at the moment.

“From here we stop, to try to learn, not just from the World Championships, and to keep asking ourselves what we need to do. I think it the trick to this is to make sure we get the fundamentals right and we don’t make it too complicated because I think we are where we need to be at the moment.”

Alexandra Manly claimed her second rainbow jersey of the 2019 World Championships with an electrifying victory in the 100-lap points race.

“I can’t believe what just happened just then, it is still a blur, it is so super special,” said Manly, who announced her race intentions early by figuring in the points in the opening two of ten sprint competitions.

A conservative next thirty laps ensued before Manly launched a decisive move at the halfway mark. Together with Yang (KOR), Manly took a lap on the field and with it twenty bonus points and the race lead.

Boylan (IRE) and Badykova (RUS) teamed to try to put a halt to Australia’s third women’s endurance world title of the week when they took a late lap, pushing Manly into third overall.  

Manly’s smart tactical race paid dividends as she finished among the points in the final sprint which elevated her to the top of the podium.  
“The plan worked out perfectly. I conserved energy at the start but still managed to get points,” Manly explained. “Then I recovered, recovered, recovered and when the moment was there I attacked.

“I knew I had to go for a lap as I knew I would need a big chunk of points if I wanted to be in the mix for the medals. I just needed to stay composed for the final sprint, and I did.”

The win was the women’s endurance squad’s third of the week, with Manly joining Ashlee Ankudinoff (NSW), Amy Cure (TAS), Annette Edmondson (SA) and Georgia Baker (TAS) to claim the team pursuit title, while Ankudinoff won the individual pursuit. Cure and Baker also claimed Madison silver, while Edmondson finished fifth in the omnium.

“This week has been super special, Ash getting the rainbows yesterday was so inspiring. And the girls in the Madison last night, they fought all the way, they almost had it. And also to Nettie, she only had one mistake which cost her but she fought to the end.”

The Madison always promises and never fails to deliver, with the Australian pairing of Leigh Howard and Cameron Meyer edged off the podium in the dying stages of the 50km Madison final in which riders averaged an astonishing 59.2km/h.
​
The Aussie duo set the tone early, duelling with the Polish pairing and an excited crowd to sit atop the rankings equal with the home team after 5 (of 20) sprints.

At this point, eventual gold medallists Germany made their first serious play for a medal, taking a lap on the field. This move was immediately answered by Australia, Denmark, Great Britain and Belgium.

Second overall at the halfway mark, Howard and Meyer took another lap and for the rest of the race they desperately fought for a spot on the podium.

However, the Aussie pairing was pushed out of the medals in a see sawing final fifty laps which saw multiple laps taken by the German, Belgian and Danish outfits in a thrilling end to the race.    ​

Cycling Australia is pleased to announce a 17-rider team for the 2019 UCI Track World Championships to be held in Poland from 27 February to 3 March.

Team pursuit world record holders Leigh Howard (VIC), Kelland O’Brien (VIC), Alexander Porter (SA) and Samuel Welsford (WA) feature in the men’s endurance selections with Cameron Scott (NSW) who will make his World Championship debut. Nine-time world champion Cameron Meyer (WA) is also confirmed.

Commonwealth Games champions Ashlee Ankudinoff (NSW), Amy Cure (TAS), Annette Edmondson (SA) and Alexandra Manly (SA), plus Georgia Baker (TAS), comprise the women’s endurance selections.  

Reigning world champion Matthew Glaetzer (SA) headlines the men’s sprint quartet with Patrick Constable (SA) and Nathan Hart (ACT), with nineteen-year-old Podium Potential Academy member Matthew Richardson (WA) named to his maiden elite World Championship team.

Sprint silver medallist at the past two World Championships Stephanie Morton (SA), and Kaarle McCulloch (NSW) complete the women’s sprint selections.  

“These World Championships provide a great opportunity to benchmark where we are at against the world’s best,” said Simon Jones, Performance Director, Cycling Australia.

“However the focus will be about learning rather than winning. As we build towards Tokyo the focus will increasingly be on performance, but performing with a clear strategy and winning processes.”

The team will finalise preparations in Adelaide before departing Australia on February 20.

Australian Team

Endurance

• Ashlee Ankudinoff   
• Georgia Baker
• Amy Cure   
• Annette Edmondson   
• Alexandra Manly   
• Leigh Howard   
• Kelland O’Brien   
• Cameron Meyer  
• Alexander Porter  
• Cameron Scott   
• Samuel Welsford  

Sprint

• Kaarle McCulloch
• Stephanie Morton    
• Patrick Constable
• Matthew Glaetzer       
• Nathan Hart    
• Matthew Richardson    

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The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Track competition will take place at the Anna Meares Velodrome (Brisbane) from Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 April.

It will feature 20 events - eight endurance, eight sprint and four para-cycling - with the eight track endurance events to include the points race and scratch race, and the team and individual pursuits.  The team pursuit is set to make its Commonwealth Games debut for women.
 
The 2018 Games is likely to provide a milestone for team, with Australia having won 96 Commonwealth Games cycling gold medals.

 A six-member women’s endurance squad with a rich blend of World Championship, Olympic and Commonwealth Games experience will line up for Australia at the Games.
 
Reigning Games scratch race champion Annette Edmondson, 26 (SA) is back on the track for her second Games, with the dual world champion eyeing a spot in Australia’s team pursuit quartet for the event’s debut.
 
Edmondson’s 2015 team pursuit world champion teammates Amy Cure, 25 (TAS) and Ashlee Ankudinoff, 27 (NSW) will provide tremendous experience and multiple options for all four events.
 
Cure, a dual 2014 Games medallist and 2014 points race world champion, is fresh from two national championship crowns in the scratch and points races. Ankudinoff, Australia’s only dual world champion in the team pursuit, boasts two World Championship medals in the individual format.
 
Dual individual pursuit world champion Rebecca Wiasak, 33 (ACT), who narrowly missed selection to the 2014 Commonwealth and 2016 Olympic teams, will make her major Games debut.
        
2016 Olympian Georgia Baker, 23 (TAS) overcame heart surgery in November to make her first Games team, while Alexandra Manly, 22 (SA) will also make her debut.  Manly, with Cure, Ankudinoff and Wiasak claimed silver at the 2017 World Championships, less than half a second behind world champions USA.

The seven-member men’s endurance squad might feature six Games debutants, but the team enjoys a wealth of experience, collectively boasting 19 rainbow jerseys and countless options for the pursuit and bunch races.
 
Triple 2010 Games gold medallist Cameron Meyer, 30 (WA) returns to the Australian team and enters fresh from claiming the points race world crown last month, his ninth career rainbow jersey.
 
Like his fellow Perth native, Olympic team pursuit silver medallist and reigning individual pursuit national champion Samuel Welsford, 22 (WA) will be a threat in any race, as will three-time world champion Leigh Howard, 28 (VIC) who receives his first Games nod.  
 
Hometown fans will be eager to see Jordan Kerby, 25 (QLD) in action, with the 2017 individual pursuit world champion rocketing to cult hero status after riding to the third fastest time in history just months after returning to track cycling.    
 
Rounding out the side is 2017 world champions Alexander Porter, 21 (SA), Nicholas Yallouris, 24 (NSW), plus Kelland O’Brien, 19 (VIC) - the youngest member of Australia’s 36-member cycling team.
 
While the men’s, and women’s, track endurance teams bypassed March’s World Championships a part of the Australia Cycling Team strategy to focus on the Games, the quartet of O'Brien, Yallouris, Kerby and Howard soared to Oceania gold last November in 3min 52.421secs - one of the top ten fastest pursuit times in history. 
 
The focus for both squads lies firmly with the team pursuit on day one, with the exact line up for each of the four events, to be confirmed closer to the competition start date.

WHEN ARE THEY RACING? 

• Day 1 - April 5: Women's 4000m Team Pursuit; Men's 4000m Team Pursuit  
• Day 2 - April 6: Women's 3000m Individual Pursuit; Men's 4000m Individual Pursuit  
• Day 3 - Sat April 7: Women's 25km Points Race; Men's 15km Scratch Race  
• Day 4 - April 8: Women's 10km Scratch Race; Men's 40km Points Race  

HOW CAN I WATCH?
​

• ​TV - Channel 7 will broadcast GC2018 on three free-to-air channels – 7, 7TWO & 7Mate
• Mobile - download the 7CommGames app from both Google Play & Apple store
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Photos © Kevin Anderson, and Cycling Australia. 

Commonwealth Games Australia is pleased to announce a strong 36-member team to contest the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Reigning Commonwealth Games champions Stephanie Morton, Matthew Glaetzer and Annette Edmondson headline the track selections, in addition to the return of 2010 Gold medallists Cameron Meyer and Kaarle McCulloch.  

Reigning road national champions Alexander Edmondson and Shannon Malseed, triple world championship medallist Katrin Garfoot and 2006 Commonwealth Games road race gold medallist Mathew Hayman feature in the road selections. 
The team will vie for 26 gold medals - track (16), para-cycling track (4), road (4), and mountain bike (2) competitions in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast from 4-15 April. 

Australian Team Chef de Mission Steve Moneghetti welcomed the athletes on to the Australian Team.

“We enjoyed strong success at Glasgow 2014 from the Cycling team, so with the depth and experience we have in this team we look forward to more success at Gold Coast 2018,” he said.

“The cycling program is an incredibly exciting one for fans, with competition at the new Anna Meares Velodrome, road cycling events that are free and open to all spectators and mountain biking at the Nerang trails.

“With many of these athletes spending a lot of time abroad, Gold Coast 2018 provides a unique chance for these athletes to compete in front of a home crowd,” Moneghetti said. 

With the announcement of the 36 cyclists today, the Australian Team currently numbers 222, or just under half the anticipated total of 470 athletes.

TEAM OVERVIEW

The men’s track endurance squad is replete with rainbow jerseys, with reigning team pursuit world champions Samuel Welsford, Kelland O’Brien, Leigh Howard, Alexander Porter and Nicholas Yallouris, plus individual pursuit world champion Jordan Kerby; named in their first Games’ team.  

Three-time world champion Leigh Howard will also debut, with eight-time world champion and triple 2010 Games Gold medallist Cameron Meyer rounding out the strong line up.  

Defending scratch race Gold medallist and dual world champion Annette Edmondson, dual 2014 Games medallist and world champion Amy Cure and 2010 representative Ashlee Ankudinoff will lead the women’s endurance squad. 
Dual world champion Rebecca Wiasak, Rio Olympian Georgia Baker and rising star Alexandra Manly all receive their first Commonwealth Games’ selections.

“It’s really not that often someone gets to represent their country in a home Commonwealth Games in their career, so for me, it’s something very special that I’ll never forget,” said Cure, a dual medallist from 2014. 

“(I am) super excited to have the team pursuit on the calendar at the Games. I’m really excited to see what the team can achieve; as one of our three Olympic events, it’s great to get another opportunity to race this race in front of big crowds.”

Australia’s sprint crew is awash with Commonwealth Gold with defending sprint champion Stephanie Morton to form a formidable women’s sprint duo with 2010 team sprint champion Kaarle McCulloch. 

2014 keirin Gold medallist Matthew Glaetzer will spearhead an impressive men’s sprint quartet with Rio Olympians Nathan Hart and Patrick Constable, and Jacob Schmid. 

A host of Australia’s WorldTour elite highlight the road selections, with reigning national champion Alexander Edmondson, 2006 Commonwealth Games road race Gold medallist Mathew Hayman, Steele Von Hoff, Mitchell Docker, Callum Scotson and Meyer, forming a versatile six-member men’s road squad.

“I have very fond memories of the 2014 Commonwealth Games from Glasgow, so I am really excited about lining up in the road race in 2018,” said Edmondson, who won Gold and Silver in the pursuit events on the track four years ago.
“Of course being a home games there’s a bit of added pressure, but we are going to have a home crowd cheering us on which is going to be huge.

“I’m really looking forward to the opportunity of racing in the green and gold on home soil!”

Triple world championship medallist and 2014 Commonwealth Bronze medallist Katrin Garfoot will head the six-member women’s team with reigning road national champion Shannon Malseed, dual national road champion Gracie Elvin and 2010 Games Bronze medallist Chloe Hosking, who gains a third team selection.

2010 team member Tiffany Cromwell returns while Sarah Roy makes her debut. 

“It's a bit of a pinch yourself moment,” said Hosking who becomes just the third Australian female cycling behind Anna Meares and Kathy Watt to be named to contest three Commonwealth Games. 
“To think I represented Australia at 20 in Delhi and I'm still racing and still getting stronger and still pulling on the green and gold. I would never have dreamt this growing up.”  

The Tandem Para-cycling selections are led by 2016 world champions Jessica Gallagher and Pilot Madison Janssen, while Bradley Henderson will make his debut with Pilot Thomas Clarke who won Bronze at the 2014 Games. 
2014 Bronze medallists and dual Olympians Daniel McConnell and Rebecca McConnell (nee Henderson) will contest the mountain bike cross-country competition.

“I'm very excited about the upcoming Games, to have a home Commonwealth Games is going to be a great experience,” said McConnell who grabbed a top ten finish at last year’s World Championships in Cairns. “I have pretty high expectations going into the Games.

“I really like the course, I think it suits my strength pretty well. I just want to get to the start line 100% fit and ready to go, if I can do that anything is possible.”
Similarly, Rebecca McConnell is hoping the home course advantage plays into her hands when she lines up against a world-class field.

“I have been fortunate enough to race on the course at the Nationals Series in January, it's a great course, with technical climbing and descending and the strongest rider will win,” said Henderson.  
“With world champions and World Cup winners in both the men's and the women's field the racing is going to be fast and exciting so we hope to see lots of spectators in April!”

Australia has enjoyed strong success at recent Games with a 24-medal haul including seven gold in Glasgow in 2014, and 21 medals (14 gold) in Delhi in 2010. 

Tickets still available to 12 sports across the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games competition schedule. 

Commonwealth Games Australian Cycling Team

ROAD

• Tiffany Cromwell                                
• Gracie Elvin                                       
• Katrin Garfoot                        
• Chloe Hosking                         
• Shannon Malseed*                
• Sarah Roy*                            
• Mitchell Docker*                     
• Alexander Edmondson                      
• Mathew Hayman                    
• Cameron Meyer                                 
• Callum Scotson*                                
• Steele Von Hoff*                    

MTB   

• Daniel McConnell                              
• Rebecca McConnell (nee Henderson)

TRACK ENDURANCE          

• Ashlee Ankudinoff     
• Georgia Baker*
• Amy Cure       
• Annette Edmondson  
• Alexandra Manly*
• Rebecca Wiasak*      
• Leigh Howard*           
• Jordan Kerby*
• Cameron Meyer         
• Kelland O’Brien*
• Alexander Porter*      
• Samuel Welsford*      
• Nicholas Yallouris*    

TRACK SPRINT

• Kaarle McCulloch      
• Stephanie Morton 
• Patrick Constable*     
• Matthew Glaetzer 
• Nathan Hart   
• Jacob Schmid*           

PARA TRACK (TANDEMS)

• Jessica Gallagher* / Madison Janssen* - Pilot         
• Bradley Henderson* / Thomas Clarke - Pilot

​* Commonwealth Games debutant