The AusCycling Track National Championships was contested over five days of cycling action at the Anna Meares Velodrome from 24-28 March.

Clonan claims triple crown on hometrack

Queensland’s sprint queen Kristina Clonan notched a trifecta of individual national titles after winning the elite women’s keirin, sprint and time trial, plus grabbing silver in the team sprint. 

In the keirin, the Podium Potential Academy's Clonan hit the front early in the keirin 1-6 final and never wavered in speed despite a valiant effort from Felice Beitzel, who would finish second, as well as Lara Tucker. The sprint sensation has a chance to win a fourth gold medal today in the elite women’s team sprint as a member of the Queensland team.

“I saw Lara come around and thought, oh, this is going to hurt, and it did – but yeah, it was good. It was a proactive race with people trying things. This is the place to try it, and I just think that’s great. I just love when people are gutsy.”

In the sprint, the Queenslander overcame her idol and mentor Kaarle McCulloch in the semi-final before defeating South Australia’s Breanna Hargrave in the gold medal final.

​“Kaarle is my idol, and when I switched over (to sprint), she was a really great mentor for me and really took me under her wing so I’m forever grateful. To race against her is just awesome.”

Cornish powers under a minute; claims dual crowns 

Thomas Cornish, a member of the Australian Cycling Team’s Podium Potential Academy, scorched the track with a time of 59.598secs en route to winning the elite men’s 1000m time trial title.

The history books were rewritten on the opening night firstly through the Victorian under 19 women’s team pursuit outfit smashing the clock with a time of 4mins 32.984secs.

“I’m absolutely stoked to have gone under (the minute) by half a second almost … it’s unbelievable – I can’t really describe it to be honest. I was not expecting it.” 

A scintillating performance from sprint Cornish  catapulted New South Wales to the elite men’s team sprint title.

Cornish, the third and final rider in the New South Wales team sprint train, overturned a seemingly unreachable deficit of 1.4 seconds to South Australia in the final pulsating lap of the gold medal final ignited the Anna Meares Velodrome crowd.

The Sutherland Shire speedster posted the fastest final lap split of the day when it mattered most, with a time of 12.748secs.

“Full credit to the boys, they delivered me pretty well, and we were within distance with one to go, and I just went through and managed to bring it home, which was good.

Richo defends sprint crown; double up in keirin

Matthew Richardson successfully defended his Australian sprint title at the 2021 AusCycling Track National Championships in dominant fashion.

The Western Australian’s undefeated run to gold was a display of pure speed and sprinter’s instincts that highlighted his potential to be Australia’s next big star on the track.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic games team member defeated Malaysian and former keirin world champion Mohd Azizulhasni Awang in the gold medal final.

In the keirin, the Malaysian one-two punch of Mohd Azizulhasni Awang and Muhummas Shar proved too much to handle with Shar taking gold and Awang the silver. Richardson finished in the bronze medal position and was crowned the national champion.

Cycling's next-generation dreaming of a potential home Olympic Games in 2032 will also be in action, including a dozen from the Australian Cycling Team's Podium Potential Academy. 

​Brisbane's own Kristina Clonan continues her rise through the sprinter's ranks and hopes the home-town track knowledge and crowd support will spur her to defend her sprint crown.

"I'm really excited to be in Brisbane defending my sprint title. Track Nationals was postponed to December last year, so this has been a quick turnaround, but I'm excited," Clonan said.

Clonan will headline the sprint events with Kaarle McCulloch, the London 2012 Olympic Games bronze medallist and four-time world champion who continues her preparation towards Tokyo.

"To be here amongst riders such as Kaarle, she's been my idol for such a long time, and it's just awesome to get amongst it," Clonan added.

The Queensland Government supports the AusCycling Track National Championships through Tourism and Events Queensland, and the Brisbane City Council through Brisbane Economic Development Agency, and features on the It's Live! in Queensland events calendar.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the Track Nationals peddling into town was a great way to showcase Brisbane as Australia's home of cycling.

"As Australia's urban adventure capital with an enviable outdoor lifestyle, Brisbane is the perfect location to welcome Australia's top cycling talent," Cr Schrinner said.

"Our strong cycling culture, safe network of cycle and bike paths, and internationally recognised Anna Meares Velodrome help to cement Brisbane's reputation as a world class events and cycling destination.

"We look forward to the economic boost this event will bring to our city, driving our economic recovery by attracting visitors to stay at our hotels, dine at cafes and restaurants and spend up with local businesses."

About #TrackNats21

​The AusCycling 2021 Track National Championships will feature 38 national titles contested over five days of cycling action at the Anna Meares Velodrome from 24-28 March and headlines the 2021 Brisbane Cycling Festival schedule, which will run 24 March – 12 April.

The Queensland Government supports it through Tourism and Events Queensland, and the Brisbane City Council through Brisbane Economic Development Agency, and features on the It's Live! in Queensland events calendar.

Live Streaming The Championships will be live-streamed via the AusCycling YouTube channel and SBS Cycling Central's Facebook Page:

• Thursday 25 March 2021 6.30pm AEST (7.30pm AEDT)
• Friday 26 March 2021 6.30pm AEST (7.30pm AEDT)
• Saturday 27 March 2021 6.30pm AEST (7.30pm AEDT)
• Sunday 28 March 2021 11am AEST (12pm AEDT)

Official website Visit the official website at tracknationals.org.au

Tickets Available at the door or online tracknationals.org.au/tickets.

Live Results Via the official results page.

Schedule - Gold Medal Finals

Wednesday 24 March 2021

• Elite - Time Trials (M&W), Team Pursuit (M&W)
• Under 19 Team Sprint (M&W), Team Pursuit (M&W), Scratch Races (M&W)

Thursday 25 March 2021

• Elite - Individual Pursuit (M&W), Sprint (W)
• Under 19 - Time Trials (M&W), Madisons (M&W), Keirin (M&W)

Friday 26 March 2021

• Elite – Omnium (M), Team Sprint (M), Points Race (W)
• Under 19 – Sprint (M), Omnium (W), Points Race (M)

Saturday 27 March 2021

• Elite - Sprint (M), Keirin (W), Omnium (W), Scratch Race (M)
• Under 19 - Individual Pursuit (W), Omnium (M)

Sunday 28 March 2021

• Elite - Team Sprint (W), Keirin (M), Scratch Race (W), Points Race (M)
• Under 19 - Points Race (W), Individual Pursuit (M)

Follow via AusCycling social media:

• facebook.com/AusCyclingAus
• twitter.com/AusCyclingAus
• instagram.com/AusCyclingAus
• AusCycling YouTube

A mix of world champions and rising stars make up the Australian Team set to contest round two of the 2019-20 Tissot UCI Track World Cup in Glasgow from 8-10 November.

Reigning team pursuit world champion Sam Welsford will leave the pursuit bars back in Australia as he targets the bunch races in Scotland. Welsford will race the omnium and the Madison with three-time Madison world champion Leigh Howard at the Glasgow World Cup, his first trip back to the track since racing as part of the Australian Junior Team in 2013.

“Really keen to go back to Glasgow and give it a big crack, I have a busy schedule, and a bunch race focus,” said Welsford, who is looking forward to racing with Howard in the Madison. “Leigh has won countless World Championship and World Cup Madison events so to be able to draw on experience from him, I am really looking forward to that.

Howard will sport his rainbow jersey when he leads a youthful team pursuit quartet which includes Podium Potential Academy duo Conor Leahy and Godfrey Slattery, plus guest rider Joshua Duffy.

“I’m super excited, the knowledge you gain from these World Cup experiences can’t be compared to anything else,” offered Slattery, who with, Leahy, Duffy and Lucas Plapp teamed to win Oceania Championships team pursuit gold in October. “I’m really excited to be lining up alongside world champion Leah Howard in the team pursuit and I feel like we’ll learn quite a bit from his experience.”

Kristina Clonan and Macey Stewart will join Podium Potential Academy members Alexandra Martin-Wallace and Sophie Edwards in the team pursuit.

One year ago, Clonan and Stewart teamed with veterans Ashlee Ankudinoff and Georgia Baker to win team pursuit gold in the 2018-19 World Cup's opening round in France. At what will be Team Australia's opening World Cup for season 2019-20, Clonan is excited to offer her knowledge to two of Australia’s rising stars.

“It is amazing to think last year I was racing with Ash and Georgia at the World Cup in France and I was the young one. Now, Macey (Stewart) and I have Alexandra Martin-Wallace and Sophie Edwards,” said Clonan, now 21, who lauded the depth of the team’s program. “It is super exciting ahead of Glasgow, as we have been training really hard and super excited to see what we can do.

"But, with the inclusion of the Podium Potential Academy, we have huge prospects for 2020, 2024, 2028. We have plenty of cycles ahead, that’s for sure."

Martin-Wallace is eager to contest her second-career World Cup after racing the final round of last season in January.

“I’m really looking forward to it, it’s been a really big year building up to it, we’re coming together so well as a team, so I’m really excited,” said Martin-Wallace.

In the other women’s endurance events, 2015 omnium world champion Annette Edmondson will tackle the four-event omnium in addition to teaming with Georgia Baker in the Madison.

It will be an all Podium Potential Academy line up in the sprint competition with Matthew Richardson, Tom Cornish, Tom Clarke and Caitlin Ward set to race.

The Australian Cycling Team Podium Potential Academy (PPA) Endurance riders will race in support of the Sport Australia #findyour30 campaign.

Following the Scottish round, members of the Australian Team will contest the World Cup's second round in New Zealand from December 6-8.
​
Brisbane’s Anna Meares Velodrome will host round five the 2019-2020 TISSOT UCI Track Cycling World Cup from 13-15 December. ​

Team Australia for 2019-20 Tissot UCI Track World Cup in Glasgow from 8-10 November

Sprint

• Matthew Richardson
• Tom Cornish
• Tom Clarke
• Caitlin Ward

Endurance

• Annette Edmondson
• Georgia Baker
• Kristina Clonan
• Macey Stewart
• Sophie Edwards
• Alexandra Martin-Wallace
• Sam Welsford
• Leigh Howard
• Conor Leahy
• Godfrey Slattery
• Joshua Duffy​​

Follow

• trackworldcup.co.uk
• facebook.com/trackworldcup
• twitter.com/trackworldcup
• instagram.com/trackworldcup
• tissottiming.com/Results

Tissot UCI Track World Cup #1 - Paris, France

​The Australian Cycling Team has opened the UCI Track World Cup season in Paris in style by topping the medal tally with eight medals including three gold, three silver and two bronze. 

Sprint 

Resplendent in his rainbow jersey, reigning world champion Matthew Glaetzer won the sprint gold.

Glaetzer opened his account with a scorching 9.502secs in qualifying - just 0.05secs off his personal best set at altitude - before defeating Dmitriev, Carlin, Hoogland and Lavreysen to take the win. 
👊🏼
"It has been a great start to the season with both individual wins at Oceanias and my World Cup Sprint win today so I am quite happy," Glaetzer told Cycling Australia. "Through the rounds I felt good and was racing well. The semi final onwards was intense though, I don't think I had beaten Hoogland before so that was a good fight to make the gold ride.

"I went to three rides again in the final which always tests you and your opponent to see how much is left in the tank. I backed up stronger in the third ride and took the gold."

Stephanie Morton scorched qualifying with a personal best 10.516secs before defeating Kobayoshi, van Reissen and Shmeleva on her way to the final where Hong Kong's Wai Sze Lee ended her run. 

"After a huge week at Oceanias, then a long haul flight, then three rounds of the team sprint, to come out and ride a 10.5 was awesome," Morton told Cycling Australia. "I knew it would be a tough fight to make the finals but I took it one race at a time and stoked to walk away with the silver."

Women's Team Pursuit

Dual world and reigning Commonwealth champion Ash Ankudinoff led Georgia Baker, and team newcomers Macey Stewart and Kristina Clonan to gold in the team pursuit. 

Fastest qualifiers (4:20.154), the team progressed to the final with the best first round time (4:18.441), before posting a stellar time of 4mins 16.957secs to win gold over New Zealand. 

Scratch 

Ashlee Ankudinoff claimed her second gold of the World Cup with victory in the scratch race, while Leigh Howard took bronze in the men's final. 

Madison 

Dual Madison world champion Leigh Howard and Kell O’Brien took bronze on 17points with gold going to Hansen/Morkov. The medal was Kell’s first one at World Cup level.

Macey Stewart and Georgia Baker took the double points on offer in the final sprint to grab a podium finish in the women's final.

Team Sprint 

Fastest qualifiers (32.845) Stephanie Morton and Kaarle McCulloch progressed through the first round (32.763) but were pipped by just .001 seconds in team sprint final by Russia's Voinova and Shmeleva (32.820).

In the men's, Jacob Schmid, Patrick Constable and Nathan Hart finished just outside the medals in fifth. 

>>> Official Results

Kristina Clonan, 20, will make her debut as part of the Australian Cycling Team women’s endurance program, joining Olympians Annette Edmondson, Amy Cure, Ashlee Ankudinoff, Georgia Baker and Macey Stewart.

Clonan’s star has been on the rise over the past couple of seasons, with the Queenslander claiming the 2018 Oceania and National Madison titles with Macey Stewart, in addition to a host of national podium appearances. The pair will look to defend their Madison crown in Adelaide this week. 

“Last season was a huge stepping stone, and I'm grateful to be racing alongside such strong girls that continually bring their A-game. It was a great confidence booster and experience, but I still have much work to do again this year,” said Clonan.  

“The last few months have been pretty busy for me. Japan was a great experience. I was able to race with Macey in the Madison, under the guidance of Tim Decker, who has so much knowledge and gave Mace and myself some good insight.

“It is very motivating now to go back and race with Macey and try to defend our (Oceania) Madison title.”
​
2019 Oceania Track Cycling Championships

• 10-13 October 2018, Adelaide Super-Drome
• 40 events - elite & under 19 categories - men & women
• Tickets $10/day.  Buy Tickets online or at the door. 
• Live Results
• Championships website