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 Australian Cycling Team has been crowned overall 2018/19 UCI World Cup winners following an emphatic final World Cup round held at the Hong Kong Velodrome.

Australia claimed three gold, three silver and two bronze across the three days, highlighted by dual gold to Thomas Clarke, 23, in the sprint and team sprint with teenagers James Brister, 19, and Matthew Richardson, 19, plus omnium gold to Cameron Meyer.

Overall across the six-round World Cup series, Australia won 34 medals including 13 gold, 12 silver and nine bronze.
 
“It is a great team effort, a mixture of committed athletes, committed staff, everyone working together, I think it is a great thing to celebrate,” said Jon Norfolk, Head of Performance Pathways and People, Cycling Australia.

“Across this season we witnessed great results and performances from athletes within the Podium program and the Podium Potential Academy.  It is so great to have two separate tiers of our program able to perform on this kind of stage, to be able to refine and improve.

“It is also great to see both programs supporting each other as well, we have podium athletes supporting our younger athletes, and in turn, they are being inspired by racing and training with their heroes.  

“It is a really infectious environment.”

RECAPS: 

Sunday 

Forty-eight hours after teaming winning gold in the team sprint, Podium Potential Academy members Thomas Clarke, 23, and James Brister, 19, battled each other for gold in the individual sprint with Clarke taking the top step of the podium.

In a heartbreaking end to the men’s 30km Madison, Sam Welsford, 23, and Kelland O’Brien, 20, were edged into the silver medal position by New Zealand in the final sprint of the 120-lap race.

Alexandra Manly staged an epic comeback inside the final twenty laps of the points race to win bronze in women’s omnium.  

Teenage debutant Alexandra Martin-Wallace shone in the scratch race, coming over the top of a fast finishing bunch to win silver.

Read full Sunday report

Saturday

A calculated performance from Cameron Meyer, saw the 31-year-old claim an emphatic gold in his first international omnium competition.

In her first race at the World Cup level since 2016 after suffering a broken foot and chronic back injuries, Caitlin Ward, 24, netted her best World Cup performance finishing eighth with a competition personal best 11.022seconds in the flying 200m.

Read full Omnium & Women's Sprint report
​
Friday

The Australian Cycling Team’s Podium Potential Academy riders stole the show on the opening day of competition with teenagers James Brister, 19, and Matthew Richardson, 19, bolting from the gates on their World Cup debut, with Thomas Clarke, 23, to win gold in the men’s team sprint.

In the team pursuit, the teenage quartet of Jarrad Drizners, 19, Godfrey Slattery, 18 Conor Leahy, 19, and Luke Plapp, 18, won bronze in just their second World Cup event.

The women’s endurance quartet of Maeve Plouffe, 19, Alexandra Manly, 22, and World Cup debutantsAlexandra Martin-Wallace and Sophie Edwards, both 18, finished fifth overall.

Read full Team Pursuit & Team Sprint reports

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

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