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ROAD | Team Garmin-Australia for 2021 Santos Festival of Cycling

13/1/2021

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

TOKYO 2020 | Track Cyclists on Target for Tokyo

19/3/2020

Australian Olympic Committee Release

Fifteen track cyclists have been announced on the Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo 2020 today, featuring six Olympic debuts, seven athletes making their second Olympic Team and Annette Edmondson and Matthew Glaetzer returning for their third Games.

Matthew Glaetzer, Nathan Hart, Matthew Richardson, Kaarle McCulloch and Stephanie Morton will compete in the sprint events, with Ashlee Ankudinoff, Georgia Baker, Amy Cure, Annette Edmondson, Maeve Plouffe, Leigh Howard, Kelland O’Brien, Lucas Plapp, Alex Porter and Sam Welsford selected for the endurance events.

With athletes who have medalled at the Olympics and claimed World Championship titles in their career, the 15-strong squad will compete from 3-9 August in Tokyo’s Izu velodrome over 12 events, including the Olympic return of the two-rider Madison event for the first time since Beijing 2008.

Australian Chef de Mission for Tokyo 2020 Ian Chesterman welcomed the cyclists to the Australian Olympic Team, acknowledging the current unprecedented uncertainty around international sport.

“Athletes have waited four years, and in some cases longer, for this opportunity,” Mr Chesterman said. “We are in uncharted waters, but we want to set a course to ensure they can prepare for the Games in the best possible environment and they can get to the Games safely. Part of that process is to announce athletes as they are nominated and selected to the Australian Olympic Team.

“Australian track cyclists have a phenomenal Olympic legacy and I want to congratulate the fifteen athletes selected today to continue that tradition.

“This is the result of more than a decade of unrelenting hard work by our athletes and it is worth celebrating. This is an achievement for the athletes, the whole Cycling Australia team, coaches, family, friends and supporters.

“The resilience these athletes have already shown is inspiring – Matt Glaetzer’s named to his second Games despite the challenge of thyroid cancer; Kaarle McCulloch overcoming the disappointment of missing Rio 2016 to become World Champion in 2019 and make her Olympic return; each athlete selected today has a story of perseverance and we’re proud to select them to the Australian Olympic Team today.

“There’s certainly disruption in preparing for the Games for many sports, but I encourage the fifteen cyclists announced today and all athletes pursuing their dream of competing at Tokyo 2020 to continue taking care of what they can control – training and preparing as best as possible to be ready for Tokyo.”

2019 World Champion and London 2012 bronze medallist Kaarle McCulloch was proud to be selected for her second Games, just weeks after she secured a 2020 World Championships Team Sprint silver with Steph Morton off limited preparation.

“The dream I had when I was 12 watching the Sydney Olympics with my dad feels as real as yesterday,” McCulloch said. “I’ve always had the Olympic spirit within me and I’m ecstatic to be able to be back competing.

“My motto into the world championships was “perfect preparation doesn’t predict”. This is the same kind of attitude I’ll be taking with me into Tokyo amidst all the uncertainty and nervousness in the world right now.

“Nothing changes for me in terms of my application to my training but a lot is changing in the way we train. As athletes, we are role models for everyone for health. We are taking quite serious steps in our training to ensure we are being responsible athletes but also people. We are following all the guidelines as set out by our medical professionals and we are prepared to face this challenge.

“We as humans are facing a challenge but we have also shown we are able to overcome. The world will recover from this and I believe everyone has within them part of the Olympic spirit, this is why the Olympics are so special - it brings the world together when we need it the most.

At just 19, Lucas Plapp will make his Olympic debut as the youngest member on the 2020 Track Team after a monumental rise in the past 12 months.

“I had a little tear in my eye when I found out I made the Tokyo Team, it was a pretty special moment and I was just speechless,” Plapp said.

“After the Brisbane World Cup [December 2019] I really started to believe I could make this Team.

“I’ve learned so much from [teammate] Sam Welsford from his experiences four years ago and the rest of the team create such a good environment to learn and train in – it helped me realise it’s where I want to be and helped me take my own performance to a new level.

After the Danish team broke the World Record held by Australia at the World Championships in February 2019, Plapp is looking forward to the challenge.

“It’s a new scenario now to be the hunter and not the hunted, we’ll be using that to our advantage to try to come out and show the world what we’re capable of.”

Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Cycling Australia Steve Drake congratulated the athletes on their selection to Tokyo 2020.

“It is exciting to see a team with a rich blend of experienced Olympians and a number of rising stars set to make their debut, with all selections a testament to the hard work and performances of our athletes and to the commitment and dedication of our coaches, and performance support staff,” Mr Drake said.

“These are unprecedented times, with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic impacting communities across the world. The impacts to sports including cycling are widespread, but we will continue to work through these challenging times to ensure our athletes and staff remain healthy and prepared for the Games.”

With individual event determinations expected closer to the Games, the endurance athletes will compete across the Team Pursuit, Omnium and Madison events with sprinters taking on the Individual Sprint, Team Sprint and Keirin events.

Today’s selection takes the selected Team size for Tokyo 2020 to 43 athletes. Cyclists in the road, BMX, BMX Freestyle and Mountain Bike disciplines are expected to be nominated and selected in the coming months.

Find out more with full Australian Olympic Team athlete bios at www.olympics.com.au/olympians

TRACK | Tokyo strategy on target

29/2/2020

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.

TRACK | Team Australia Guide for Berlin Track Worlds

20/2/2020

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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Live on FOXSPORTS Australia Channel 506

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TRACK | World record nudged as men claim Brisbane gold

14/12/2019

Photo - John Veage

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.

In the men’s team pursuit, world champions Sam Welsford, Leigh Howard, Kelland O’Brien, Alexander Porter plus Podium Potential Academy member Luke Plapp secured Australia’s second gold with an emphatic victory over New Zealand.

The quartet of Welsford, Howard, O’Brien and Porter claimed the honours in the qualifying stage with the best time (3:50.017), one second ahead of New Zealand.

Plapp came in for Porter in the first round, with the Australians clocking their second-fastest time behind their world record (3:48.282) and New Zealand (3:48.244) nudging the world record to set up a mouth-watering final.

In front of the packed crowd, the two teams arm-wrestled over the first two kilometres, before the Australians rode away to take the gold (3:49.776), four seconds ahead of New Zealand (3:53.601).

“Wearing our rainbows in front of a hometown was awesome. After winning the silver in New Zealand last week, it was so good to have a win on the boards. It just shows that we have some good talent heading into the Olympics next year,” said Welsford.

“The conditions this evening were very fast, and they just tapered off with the storm passing through so we were lucky enough to go 48.2 in the first round, which is the second-fastest time we have ever done.

“We are pleased with how we performed today.”

Podium Potential Academy member Lucas Plapp was ecstatic with the result and the overall team effort.

“The culture of the team is pretty amazing, Tim has been with us the whole way, and Matty Gilmore stepped up for this weekend. We can’t thank our support staff enough,” said Plapp.

In the women’s team sprint, Poland’s Marlena Karwacka and Urszula Łoś claimed the gold over the Russian Federation pairing of Ekaterina Rogovaya and Anastasiia Voinova in an exhilarating final which was decided by a photo finish.

Poland was the team to beat all day after topping qualifying before going on to beat Ukraine in the first round heats to book their spot in the gold medal race.

“We are very thrilled to race in front of such an enthusiastic crowd, this is the first World Cup medal that we have won, so we are very excited to take home a medal and some koalas,” said Łoś.

Reigning world champion Steph Morton teamed with Caitlin Ward to win the bronze medal (33.164) over New Zealand (33.511).

In the men’s team sprint, the Japanese trio took the gold medal (42.912) beating Poland by three seconds. After topping the qualifying and beating Gazprom Rusvelo by half a second in the heats, New Zealand (43.406) defeated Great Britain (44.177) in the bronze medal race.

The Australian trio Matthew Richardson, Nathan Hart and Thomas Cornish qualified fourth before falling to Great Britain in the first round heats.

Photo - John Veage

TRACK | Team pursuit world record holders hit the NRS

26/8/2019

Sam Weslford at #ToGSC18 - Photo Con Chronis.

Australia’s men’s world record-breaking team’s pursuit track cycling squad will hit the roads this week for the Cycling Australia National Road Series.

The team will contest the Visit Victoria-Campolina Tour of the Great South Coast, a six-day, eight-stage Tour that will cover 541.2 kilometres of stunning terrain across Victoria and South Australia.

Team pursuit world champions, world record holders and Commonwealth champions Sam Welsford, Leigh Howard, Kelland O’Brien, Alex Porter and Cameron Scott will race under the Australian Cycling Academy colours. At the 2018 Tour, Welsford claimed stage three honours, while Scott won the Tour's Rising Star award.

The team, which will also feature Zack Gilmore and Jonathon Noble, will be one of the teams to watch in every stage, in particular the ground-breaking teams time trial at Naracoorte on Thursday.

The 16.4km time trial, from Naracoorte Showgrounds to the world heritage-listed Naracoorte Caves, will see teams take off at two-minute intervals in a contest billed as “the race of truth.”

“The Great South Coast tour is a tremendous race because there’s something in the course for everybody,” said Australian Cycling Team Track Endurance Coach Tim Decker. “It’s an important build-up event for us, with the Tokyo Olympics looming.

“You’ve got to be a good bike rider to win this race – there’s nowhere to hide, whether it be in the hills around Casterton, the open windswept flats at Port MacDonnell or the three crits.”

Founded in 2012, the eighth Tour of the Great South Coast is backed by the Victorian State Government and four municipalities – the City of Mount Gambier, District Council of Grant and Naracoorte Lucindale Council in South Australia, and Victoria’s Glenelg Shire Council.

The NRS Facebook page and Kayo / FOX SPORTS will bring daily highlight shows with race coverage, rider interviews and more.

Cameron Scott at #ToGSC18 - Rising Star Award - Photo Con Chronis.

TRACK | Six rainbows in ten-medal haul for Australia

5/3/2019

Image: Casey Gisbon

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.”

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TRACK | Men's team pursuit claim gold and smash world record in poland

1/3/2019

Photo © Casey Gibson

April 2018 - Commonwealth Games - Australia - 3:49.804.

February 2019 - World Championships - Poland - 3:48.012.

Australia’s Leigh Howard (VIC), Kelland O’Brien (VIC), Samuel Welsford (WA) and Alex Porter (SA) smashed their own world record by nearly two seconds on the way to reclaiming the rainbow jersey at the World Championships in Poland on Thursday.

The Australian quartet, guided by Tim Decker, brought the Polish crowd to its feet as they scorched the Pruszkow Velodrome in a new world record time of 3mins 48.012secs (averaging 63.155km/h), bettering the astonishing ride at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (3:49.804) where they became the first team in history to crack the three-minute fifty barrier.

“I am lost for words, this team is proving to be more and more special every time we come together,” said O’Brien.

`“What can I say except thank you, I am so grateful to be a part of this team,” said Howard. “I am fortunate that I have come back into the program with such a fantastic group, not just the riders but the staff has developed so much since I was last in the program and I couldn’t be more thankful to everyone.”

“Its a bit surreal to be honest,” said Porter. “I knew the boys were going quick, but I didn’t think we were going that fast. I can’t put this into words properly, its crazy.

“It has been a rough season, I missed the first half rehabbing. Ten weeks ago when I broke eight bones and punctured a lung, I was just hoping to be here.”

Welsford, Howard, O’Brien, and debutant Cameron Scott (NSW) opened the team’s 2019 World’s campaign in style on Wednesday with the fastest qualifying time (3:52.152).

With Porter coming in for Scott, the quartet set a cracking near world-record pace in their first round matchup against New Zealand. However, they lost momentum when they were forced to navigate a splintered New Zealand after catching them with three laps to go before posting a time of 3mins 51.529.

Traditional rivals Great Britain didn’t stand a chance in the battle for the gold when the Australians pulled the throttle from the gun and never let go. Great Britain post a time of 3mins 50.810secs to win silver.

The team’s coach, Tim Decker was almost lost for words after the win.

“I’m a bit emotional,” revealed Decker. “It’s been a fantastic night and we probably exceeded our expectations in regard to time in the TP.

“We came in here with a real focus to nail our ride and try to execute a good, skilled ride and try to find a way to make it happen and give those guys a chance to chase the rainbow bands and they were hungry to chase.

“Yesterday we had a few challenges thrown at us, but we made our way into the final but they brought it together and came away with a pretty magical time.”

Less than half an hour ride and still dripping with sweat following the team pursuit world record ride, Welsford claimed a dramatic late victory in the scratch race.

“It has been a crazy thirty minutes, I am gobsmacked,” a shocked Welsford said. “To do a forty-eight with my boys Kel, Cam, Leigh, Porter, that’s the best thing I could ever imagine.

“To break our own world record and leading into the Olympics next year is bloody awesome.

“The icing on the cake is the win in the scratch race. It’s a dream come true for us.

Track | Australian Team for 2019 UCI Track World Championships

30/1/2019

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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Australian Cycling Team #AusCyclingTeam

2019 UCI Track World Championships

German glory: Four gold for Australia at third round of UCI Track World Cup

3/12/2018

Photo © Guy Swarbrick

The Australian Cycling Team grabbed four gold and two silver medals at the third round of the UCI Track World Cup in Berlin, Germany at the weekend.

World record holders Samuel Welsford, Alexander Porter, Leigh Howard and Kelland O'Brien, plus Cameron Scott claimed team pursuit gold, reigning world champion Matthew Glaetzer continued his unbeaten run in the sprint, Stephanie Morton claimed her first individual gold of the season, while Sam Welsford took omnium gold.

It continues the team’s strong start to the six-event World Cup series which began in October. The team topped the medal tally in Paris with eight medals including three gold, three silver and two bronze before adding four medals, including two gold at round two in Canada.

"This World Cup was another good benchmark for the Australian Cycling Team and shows we are progressing well and currently on track," said Simon Jones, Performance Director, Cycling Australia. "There is still a lot of work to do, but it’s good to score UCI points and be competing well."

Recap

World record holders Samuel Welsford, Alexander Porter, Leigh Howard and Kelland O'Brien, lined up in the team pursuit for the first time since April’s Commonwealth Games where they stunned the world with the first sub three minute-fifty second ride in the event’s history.

In Berlin, the quartet topped qualifying (3:53.426), and with Cameron Scott coming into the team for the first round and progressed to the final with a strong win (3:53.033) over rivals and Olympic champions Great Britain.

With Howard returning for Scott for the final, the world’s fastest team held off a challenge from a strong Danish outfit (3:54.703) to take the gold in a superb time of 3 minutes 51.210 seconds.

“It was great to line up again with the boys,” said Welsford. “We gel so well and to come back together and post a good time is a good sign we are on the right path.”

It was a successful weekend for Welsford who claimed dual gold in Germany with a come-from-behind victory in the final race of the four-race omnium.

“The omnium was a bit of a surprise; I haven't raced one at the world level since the World Championships in 2017, so to come away with the win was surreal. It came down to the last points race and luckily enough, I had good legs to take it out.”

In the women’s team pursuit, Amy Cure and Annette Edmondson rejoined the squad for the first time since April’s Commonwealth Games, and with Ashlee Ankudinoff and Georgia Baker, won silver.

Fastest qualifiers (4:19.073), the quartet moved to the final (4:18.083) by defeating Canada in the first round. In a heartbreaking final, the Australian quartet led for the first fifteen of sixteen laps, before the Great Britain outfit (4:16.153) caught their traditional rivals (4:16.413) inside the last half lap to take the gold.

Stephanie Morton topped sprint qualifying with her first career sub 10.5 second ride in the flying 200m (10.484seconds) before riding away to her first individual gold at World Cup level.

After knocking out Katy Marchant (GBR) and Daria Shmeleva (RUS), Morton took gold in two straight rides over Anastasiia Voinova (RUS) in the final to complete an undefeated campaign.

“After a few silvers, to finally turn it around and get my first sprint win at a World Cup, it is unreal,” said Morton, who collected five medals from six events across the first two rounds of the 2018/19 season in October.

“With Matt and me in a heavy training block at the moment, I went into the day relaxed with no pressure on myself and was prepared for a big "shut up legs" kind of day.
“So when I looked up and saw the time of 10.4, I was speechless, and anyone who knows me knows that is very rare!

“I knew backing up was going to be tough with training in the legs so I took it one race at a time, focusing on the skill or tactic that Ross (Edgar) and I wanted to work on, knowing that crossing the line first would be the bonus.”

Reigning world champion Matthew Glaetzer’s unbeaten run in the sprint this World Cup season remains intact with his third gold medal.

Third fastest in qualifying (9.659secs), Glaetzer moved through to the quarterfinals with ease where he defeated Denis Dmitriev (RUS), before knocking Rayan Helal (FRA) out in the semi-finals. Glaetzer’s World Cup sprint reign continued as he took gold in two straight rides over Matthijs Buchli (NED) who had edged the Australian for keirin gold the previous night.

“Today was one of the hardest sprint competitions I have done,” said Glaetzer, who revealed he is in the middle of a training block. “The semi-final went to the best of three after I didn't execute my race plan properly, but I fixed it for the decider which took a lot out of me. It was at this point that I was wrecked and joked to Ross Edgar that I would try and keep up with Buchli in the final and not get dropped!

“We had our first race for gold, and when I was able to roll him up the front straight, it showed I still had just enough legs left to get the job done, so I made sure I didn't go to the best of three again!”

In other results, young guns Kelland O’Brien and Cameron Scott claimed fifth in the Madison, while Annette Edmondson was fourth in the omnium, and Ashlee Ankudinoff and Amy Cure finished sixth in the women’s Madison.

Morton and Glaetzer will now move on to the UCI Track World Cup's fourth round to be held in London from December 14.

All other members of the Australian Cycling Team will be back in action on home soil at the 2019 Cycling Australia Track National Championships which begin in Melbourne on Thursday 13 December at DISC Velodrome with the Para-cycling Nationals.

The Omnium Nationals cap the week on Friday 14 December, with Melbourne Arena to host a massive night of racing on Saturday 15 December headlined by the Madison, Team Sprint and Team Pursuit Nationals. >>> tracknationals.org.au

2018 JLT Australian Cycling Moment of the Year.

9/11/2018

What was your favourite cycling moment in 2018?

There were so many incredible moments for Australian cycling in 2018 it was difficult to narrow it down, but we have twelve amazing moments which make up our 2018 JLT Australian Cycling Moment of the Year.

The Australian Cycling team figures prominently in the list via Rohan Dennis, Alistair Donohoe, Matthew Glaetzer and Luke Plapp's world titles, Steph Morton's triple gold at the Commonwealth Games, our team pursuit's stunning 3:49.804 ride at the Commonwealth Games, Logan Martin’s BMX-factor at the FISE World Series, and Amanda Spratt's stellar silver at the UCI Road Worlds!

Choose your favourite moment via the survey and you could be celebrating another fantastic year at the 2018 Cycling Australia Awards in Melbourne on Friday 23 November.

Terms & Conditions

#GC2018 - TRACK ENDURANCE - GUIDE

28/3/2018

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.

WOMEN'S TEAM

Photo - Cycling Australia

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.

MEN's TEAM

Photo - Kevin Anderson

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
Web - 7commgames.com.au

HOW DO I FOLLOW?

Follow all the action at commonwealthgames.com.au, or via the official CommGamesAUS social media channels / #TeamAus

PHOTOS

Photos © Kevin Anderson, and Cycling Australia.

36-member Australian Team for 2018 Commonwealth Games

20/2/2018

Image via Kevin Anderson

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

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.

ABOUT AUS CYCLING

AusCycling represents over 52,000 members across BMX, BMX Freestyle, Cyclo-Cross, E-Sport, Mountain Bike, Para-Cycling, Road, Track and Lifestyle (recreational and commuter) riding throughout Australia. More at auscycling.org.au

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Location

Adelaide Super-Drome
State Sports Park
50 Anna Meares Way (off Main North Road)
Gepps Cross SA 5094