Tissot UCI Track World Cup #2 - Milton, Canada

Stephanie Morton completed a set of medals at the second round of the UCI Track World Cup in Canada with day three keirin silver adding to team sprint gold with Kaarle McCulloch and sprint bronze.

It was a new Australian Record for Morton and partner Kaarle McCulloch on the opening day as they took gold in 32.456secs, eclipsing their own mark set at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in April. 

For the second straight World Cup, Morton set a personal best in the sprint qualification (10.514secs), but was edged by eventual gold medallist Wai Sze Lee (Hong Kong) in the semi finals before winning the bronze final.  Morton then took silver in her final event behind the USA's Madalyn Godby. 

"I am really happy with my results here, to firstly get the Aussie record with Kaarle in the team sprint was amazing, then pull out another 10.5 for the third week in a row and snag the bronze was good assurance that I'm on the right track," said Morton. 

"It was a big day in the office for the keirin having to come through the repechage but I kept focusing one race at a time and really happy with how I rode to finish with silver."

The World Cup completes a huge block of racing across three continents for the sprint crew which began with the Oceania Track Championships in early October, and has included two World Cups. The crew will return home before heading to round three and four in Germany and England in December. 

"It’s a good feeling that on our eighth team sprint in three weeks, in three different continents that we have been able to ride our best time," said Kaarle McCulloch. "We are tired, that is a given after what we have been thrown the last three weeks and so we went in with the mindset today to show a bit of mongrel in us which I think we both showed.

"We were a little speechless with our last time which got us the Aussie record and for us seeing what we have been through and seeing where we can potentially go is really exciting." 

In the men's sprint, Matthew Glaetzer fired to win his second straight sprint gold after winning the title in round one in Paris last weekend. 

In almost a repeat of the French affair, fastest qualifier (9.517secs) Glaetzer defeated Harrie Lavreysen (NED) in three heats in the final. 

Nathan Hart won sprint bronze, while Hart plus Patrick Constable and Jacob Schmid finished fifth in the team sprint for the second straight World Cup. Constable was seventh in the keirin. 

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. 
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"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

Madison future in good (sets of) hands


With the Madison set to feature at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games after being reintroduced to the programme for men and added for women, the Australian chances in just under two years from now looks promising. 

Macey Stewart and Georgia Baker teamed to take the women’s crown, while Cameron Scott and Alex Porter dominated the men’s event. 


It continues a strong year in the event for Stewart, who came into the Australian Cycling Team program last month, with the Tasmanian claiming the 2018 Oceania and national titles with Kristina Clonan.  
 
"A big confidence boost to go back to back in my favourite event,” said Stewart, who on her way to Paris for this weekend’s opening Tissot UCI Track World Cup series where she will race the Madison with Clonan. 


“It is exciting it [the Madison] is an Olympic event now, as it has always been my favourite event. It is exciting to be able to focus on it over the next couple of years towards Tokyo."

Long haul celebration


There was little time for celebration following the Championships, with a 13-member contingent checking in for a long haul flight to Paris on Sunday night. 


The team will have a few days to acclimatise and shed the jet lag ahead of this weekend’s opening Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup Series in Saint Quentin en Yvelines.


The team set to contest the opening round is:
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• Sprint - Patrick Constable; Matthew Glaetzer, Nathan Hart, Jacob Schmid, Kaarle McCulloch, Stephanie Morton
• Endurance - Kelland O'Brien, Leigh Howard, Macey Stewart, Ashlee Ankudinoff, Georgia Baker, Kristina Clonan, Maeve Plouffe

Following Paris, the sprint crew is set to race on a third continent in three weeks at the Series’ second round in Canada. The endurance contingent will head to the London Six-Day event.

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.”
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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

The Australian Cycling Team begins a colossal summer of international track cycling in October with the 2019 Oceania Track Cycling Championships at the Adelaide Superdrome. 

The four-day Championships will run October 10 to 13 and will pit Australia’s best against trans Tasman rival New Zealand’s best, with 40 events will be decided in the elite and under 19 categories.  Live Results
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It will be the first hit out on Australian soil for the team since the record-breaking 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in April and starts a summer of cycling which includes the UCI Track World Cup Series and World Championships sandwiched between National Championships.

Four of Australia's current team pursuit world record holders will be in action across the points, scratch, omnium and Madison events including Kelland O'Brien, Alexander Porter, Samuel Welsford and Leigh Howard.

The men’s team pursuit competition is set to showcase some of the sport’s rising stars including members of the recently announced Australian Cycling Team Podium Potential Academy such as dual 2018 junior track world champion Luke Plapp.

The women’s team pursuit will feature dual world and reigning Commonwealth champion Ashlee Ankudinoff, Olympian Georgia Baker plus Macey Stewart and Kristina Clonan who make their debut as part of the Australian Cycling Team program. Former world champion and Olympic medallist Annette Edmondson will feature in the bunch races.

A full sprint contingent will be headlined by reigning sprint world champion Matthew Glaetzer and triple Commonwealth champion Stephanie Morton.  Three-time world champion Kaarle McCulloch, Olympians Patrick Constable and Nathan Hart, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Jacob Schmid, and 2017 Oceania champion Holly Takos are also confirmed.
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Oceania Track Cycling Championships Overview

• 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

Copyright Craig Dutton