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

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

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

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

Oceania Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Australian Team wrapped up the Oceania Champs in Invercargill on the weekend with five gold medals highlighting the team's results:

• Madison - Amy Cure & Alexandra Manly - Gold
• Madison - Sam Welsford & Kell O'Brien - Gold
• Points Race - Amy Cure - Gold
• Sprint - Steph Morton - Gold
• Sprint - Kaarle McCulloch - Bronze
• Individual Pursuit - Conor Leahy - Gold
• Individual Pursuit - Maeve Plouffe - Silver
• Points Race - Maeve Plouffe - Bronze

Stephanie Morton powered to gold in the women's sprint over hometown favourite Olivia Podmore. 

"Off the back of knee surgery backing up is pretty tough so I just wanted to go out there and get the set up right and then whatever happened at the end happened, so to get the win. I'm really happy."

Kaarle McCulloch, who rode a personal best to top qualifying in 10.759secs, won bronze.

In the Madisons, Amy Cure and Alexandra Manly dominated the elite women's 30km final ahead of the New Zealand combination of Michaela Drummond and Jessie Hodges.

Kelland O'Brien and Sam Welsford won gold in the men's 40km event, sealing the win after Welsford took victory in the double points final lap.

Amy Cure made it three gold for the Championships after claiming points race gold to add to her scratch race victory earlier in the week.

Top qualifier Conor Leahy took out the elite men's 4000m individual pursuit, with the Western Australian fending off New Zealand's former world champion Jordan Kerby in the final.

"I always tend to back up pretty hard, so I had good confidence that I could put it to Kerbs - he's a renowned IP, so I knew I had a good challenge ahead of me, but I just went out hard and tried to stick to as good a time as possible."

Maeve Plouffe's comeback following wrist surgery continued with silver in the elite women's 3000m individual pursuit and bronze in the points race.

MORE

• Event: Oceania Track Championships
• Date: 16 -19 October 2019
• Location: SIT Zero Fees Velodrome Surrey Road Invercargill
• Live Stream: Watch all sessions live via Cycling Southland
• Results: Results by event
• Program: Complete 2020 event programme​

Dianne Manson.

Amy Cure and Sam Welsford’s omnium victories highlighted day two action at the Oceania Track Cycling Championships at Invercargill’s SIT Zero Fees Velodrome.

Three-time world champion Cure was all class on the way to winning the elite women’s omnium won the scratch race, tempo and elimination rides before comfortably accounting for the field in the points race.

“I wasn’t sure how I was going to go here as I’ve been a bit up and down lately, but I set myself up early by getting some wins and I had a good buffer going into that points race,” said Cure, the reigning team pursuit world champion and a former points race world champion. 

“I don’t mind a points race, it’s always tough but I just went in there and just treated it like any other points race.”

Like Cure, reigning scratch and team pursuit world champion Welsford dominated the elite men’s omnium, winning the first three events and then taking out the final sprint in the points race ahead of Stewart to secure victory.

Welsford was made to work by the New Zealand trio of Campbell Stewart, Regan Gough and Corbin Strong, with only nine points separating the top three riders heading into the final ten laps of the points race.

“I enjoy racing against the New Zealanders. It is always good and fair racing between us and it is really enjoyable. I was happy with my form so early in the season,” said Welsford.

In the men’s sprint, Nathan Hart (9.755) topped qualifying with Matthew Glaetzer (9.782​), Matthew Richardson (9.797) and Thomas Clarke (9.896) ensuring four Australians finished inside the top six. 

The quartet progressed to the quarterfinals where Clarke edged Glaetzer in three heats, Sam Webster (NZL) defeated Richardson and Hart’s run was ended by Jordan Castle (NZL). 

In the semi finals, Eddie Dawkins (NZL) pushed Clarke into the bronze medal ride off against Castle which the kiwi took in straight heats.

MORE

• Event: Oceania Track Championships
• Date: 16 -19 October 2019
• Location: SIT Zero Fees Velodrome Surrey Road Invercargill
• Live Stream: Watch all sessions live via Cycling Southland
• Results: Results by event
• Program: Complete 2020 event programme​

Aussie sprinter Matthew Glaetzer is ready to rip up the boards at Brisbane’s Anna Meares Velodrome when it hosts the 2019-2020 Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup from 13-15 December.

“This season for us is Oceanias and then the World Cups and that finalises with the Brisbane World Cup so that will be exciting for us to host a world cup and we’re excited to really rip for that one,” said 2018 sprint world champion Glaetzer.

Glaetzer will be joined by a host of the Australian Cycling Team’s best as they battle for gold and valuable qualifying points for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

“Racing is the best preparation for a big event like the Olympics and the World Cup in Brisbane is exactly that,” said Glaetzer, who claimed two gold on the Anna Meares’ Velodrome at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. 

At December’s World Cup, Glaetzer is anticipated to line up in the team sprint, sprint and keirin, giving fans the opportunity to catch the world’s fastest in action each of the three days of racing. 

“It is us preparing and trying to dial in on things we need to focus on and that’s different for each person. So it’s a great dress rehearsal for us to really get in some good form and perform with the pressure of the crowd and everything going on around that.”

The World Cup

The 2019-2020 TISSOT UCI Track Cycling World Cup will host the world’s best track cyclists as they battle for gold and valuable qualifying points for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The 2019-2020 UCI Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup was secured by the Queensland Government via Tourism and Events Queensland in partnership with Brisbane City Council via Brisbane Marketing and Cycling Australia.

Tickets

Ticket prices start at $10 for morning sessions, while fans can get along to the evening’s finals action for as little as $30. Family and Series passes are also available so you can catch the action with your friends. 

>>> Ticket options 

Schedule

• FRI 13 DEC: Team Pursuit and Team Sprint
• SAT 14 DEC: Men’s Omnium, Women’s Madison, Men’s Keirin, Women’s Sprint
• SUN 15 DEC: Women’s Omnium, Men’s Madison, Women’s Keirin, Men’s Sprint

Follow

• brisbanetrackworldcup.com
• Facebook.com/UciWorldCupAus
• Twitter.com/UCIWorldCupAus
• Instagram.com/UCIWorldCupAus

The Australian Cycling Team has opened the 2020 Oceania Track Championships with three gold medals. 
 
​Reigning world champions Kaarle McCulloch and Stephanie Morton broke their Oceania Championship record on the way to taking out the elite women's team sprint. The pair clocked 32.591secs to fend off the challenge from the young New Zealand pairing of Olivia Podmore and Ellesse Andrew (33.540). 
 
"It definitely did go to plan tonight. I think we were both surprised by the time as we are in pretty deep training.  So to come out and do a 32.6, only four-tenths of a second off our Worlds time, it shows we are in good shape," said McCulloch. 

"Not the ideal offseason for me with knee surgery, so I had to rely on Kaarle a lot tonight to get me through. But as a team, we executed what we wanted to and put a great time on the board," said Morton. 
 
Podium Potential Academy members Conor Leahy, Godfrey Slattery, Lucas Plapp teamed with guest rider Joshua Duffy, to produce a dominant display to take gold in the elite men's team pursuit, catching a young New Zealand team in the final. 
 
"It was awesome, we had a pretty hefty goal in the way we were going to do our turns, and we stuck to it 100 percent, we couldn't have asked for a better outcome," Leahy said. "We took it conservatively in qualifying and then let it all out in the final. Once we got a sniff of them (New Zealand), it was a matter of hunting them down and catching them."
 
In the elite women's team pursuit, the Podium Potential Academy quartet of Maeve Plouffe, Sam De Riter, Sophie Edwards and Alex Martin-Wallace (4:22.057) claimed silver as New Zealand (4:19.040) won gold. 
 
Later in the session, a daring moving from Plouffe paid off when she lapped the field to win the elite women's 10km scratch race.
 
"I was not expecting that at all. I had a pretty big ride with my teammates in the team pursuit earlier, and I have a pretty full schedule," said Plouffe. "Once I lapped the field, it was all about protecting myself and making sure the final sprint was absolutely perfect, and the end couldn't have gone any more perfectly."

Nathan Hart and Podium Potential Academy duo Matthew Richardson and Thomas Clarke took silver in the men's team sprint (43.360) with New Zealand breaking the Oceania record (42.508) on the way to the gold medal. 
 
Kell O'Brien took silver in the men's 15km scratch race.

MORE

• Event: Oceania Track Championships
• Date: 16 -19 October 2019
• Location: SIT Zero Fees Velodrome Surrey Road Invercargill
• Live Stream: Watch all sessions live via Cycling Southland
• Results: Results by event
• Program: Complete 2020 event programme

The Australian Cycling Team will open the 2020 track season at the 2020 Oceania Track Championships from October 16-19. 

• Event: Oceania Track Championships
• Date: 16 -19 October 2019
• Location: SIT Zero Fees Velodrome Surrey Road Invercargill
• Live Stream: Watch all sessions live via Cycling Southland
• Results: Results by event
• Program: Complete 2020 event programme

The Championships opens a busy summer of track cycling which included a 2019-2020 UCI Track World Cup season that will take in Brisbane for Round Five from 13-15 December.  
 
Reigning world champions in action include Steph Morton and Kaarle McCulloch will sport their rainbow jerseys in the team sprint, while also contesting the keirin and sprint. 

In the endurance events, points race world champion Alex Manly and team pursuit world champion Amy Cure will line up in the points race, Omnium and will team up in the Madison. 

Sam Welsford will don his rainbow bands in the scratch race and will pair with team pursuit world champion Kell O'Brien in the Madison. The duo will also take on the Omnium. 

Matt Glaetzer, Nathan Hart and Podium Potential Academy (PPA) athlete Matt Richardson will comprise the men's team sprint outfit, and will also line up in the keirin and sprint. 

The team pursuit outfits for Australia will be comprised of PPA riders in Luke Plapp, Godfrey Slattery, Conor Leahy, Alexandra Martin-Wallace, Sophie Edwards, Maeve Plouffe and Samantha De Riter.

Fellow PPA members Holly Takos and Tom Clarke will be in action in the sprint events. 

In addition to continental honours, riders will compete for valuable UCI points that will go towards Olympic qualification. 

A live results link and live streaming details will be available closer to the event. 

Australian Team

Sprint 

• Matt Glaetzer
• Nathan Hart
• Matt Richardson* 
• Tom Clarke*
• Steph Morton
• Kaarle McCulloch
• Holly Takos*

Endurance

• Amy Cure                             
• Alex Manly
• Alexandra Martin-Wallace*
• Sophie Edwards*
• Maeve Plouffe*
• Samantha De Riter*  
• Kell O'Brien*
• Sam Welsford*
• Luke Plapp*
• Godfrey Slattery*
• Conor Leahy*

* Podium Potential Academy

Details

• Event: Oceania Track Championships
• Date: 16 -19 October 2019
• Location: SIT Zero Fees Velodrome Surrey Road Invercargill
• Live Stream: Watch all sessions live via Cycling Southland
• Results: Results by event
• Program: Complete 2020 event programme

Victoria's Kelland O'Brien (Pro Racing Sunshine Coast) clinched the overall victory at the Cycling Australia National Road Series event, the eight-stage 541-kilometre Visit Victoria-Campolina Tour of the Great South Coast. 

Dominating from the opening stage, the Australian Cycling Team world champion ladened Pro Racing Sunshine Coast outfit showed they were all business as they took a clean sweep of the podium in the opening stage. 

Sam Welsford pushed teammate O’Brien for the overall Tour victory after featuring in six podiums and picking up two stage wins in the first three stages, while Cameron Scott claimed the Stage 4 win.

Welsford held the leader's jersey heading into the penultimate Stage 7, unfortunately however, the dual 2019 world champion Welsford lost 32 seconds to O'Brien on the stage  around Bridgewater meant he also conceded the leader's jersey to the Victorian heading into the final stage criterium.

“I didn’t expect to win the tour when I arrived, but I bought some good form home from Europe," said the team pursuit world record holder and world champion after winning his maiden National Road Series Tour. "Now I will have a rest and continue my training towards the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games”.

Podium Potential Academy member Jarrad Drizners (InForm TM Insight MAKE) won the Tour's Rising Star Award and took over the lead in the Cycling Australia National Road Series individual standings.

Members of the Australian Cycling Team headed to Izu in the  Shizuoka Prefecture for the 2019 Japan Track Cup, a two-day carnival held on a training track near to the official venue for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. 

Three-time Madison world champion Leigh Howard teamed with Cameron Scott to win gold and silver in the two Madison finals held across the weekend.  

Familiar with Japan having spent the last few seasons entrenched within the Japanese Keirin season, ​Matthew Glaetzer celebrated his twenty-seventh birthday during the Cup with two wins in the sprint competitions. 

"Any opportunity to ride a brand new track is awesome because it rarely happens these days and I had fun racing on it over the past three days," said Glaetzer, who edged Nathan Hart in the final of the first sprint competition. "One aspect of this new velodrome that I really enjoyed was the fact it was built in Keirin School grounds which allowed me to share the rarely seen facilities with the team."

For Stephanie Morton, the race signified her return to racing following minor surgery on her knee earlier in 2019. 

"It was great to be back out there racing, it was a good chance to blow the cobwebs out." said Morton, who took silver behind world champion Wai Sze Lee in the sprint in a rematch of the 2019 World Championship final. "I love coming to Japan, and after having to pull out of the Japanese keirin this year (after the surgery) I was excited to be back here as it feels like a second home.

"With less than a year to go, I know the whole team is buzzing and really enjoyed racing out here."

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.  

The Australian Cycling Team won five medals, comprising one gold to Ella Sibley (SA) and four silver, at the 2019 UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships held in Germany from 14-18 August.

Sibley claimed dual medals for the Championships after winning the scratch race and silver in the keirin, while Sam Gallagher (SA) raced to dual silver in the team sprint and keirin. In the omnium, Graeme Frislie (VIC) overcame two crashes to take silver.

Medal Snapshot

• Scratch - Gold - Ella Sibley (SA)
• Team Sprint - Silver - Sam Gallagher (VIC), John Trovas (NSW) and Carlos Carisimo (SA)
• Keirin - Silver - Sam Gallagher (VIC) 
• Omnium - Silver - Graeme Frislie (VIC)
• Keirin - Silver - Ella Sibley (SA)

The versatility of South Australia's Ella Sibley was on show as she celebrated on the podium in Germany in both the endurance and sprint categories.

On the opening day of competition, a superbly executed race plan from Sibley saw her claim the rainbow jersey in the scratch race before the Adelaide cyclist capped her World Championship debut by sprinting to keirin silver on the final day of racing.

​A fearless performance from Graeme Frislie (VIC) saw him overcome two crashes to take silver in the four-race omnium event. After finishing third in the scratch and tempo races, Graeme came down in no less than two separate crashes in the elimination race before amazingly claiming third. Frislie then staged an epic battle in the points race to move up in the standings to take home the silver medal.

In the team sprint, John Trovas (NSW), Sam Gallagher (VIC) and Carlos Carisimo (SA) clocked the second-fastest time in qualifying (45.162), before defeating the Greek outfit (45.023) in round one.

In the final, the trio scorched the German track in 44.681secs, the fastest time ever ridden by an Australian Under 19 outfit, however, they were pipped for gold by just six hundredths of a second by India (44.625). 

Sam Gallagher's red hot form continued on day two, with the Victorian winning two heats on the way to winning silver in the keirin. 

On day three, Gallagher clocked a personal best in the sprint qualification (Flying 200m) to qualify second fastest (10.159), as did John Trovas who qualified tenth (10.375). Trovas won his round 1/16 heat, but his campaign came to an end in the next round which would see him finish tenth overall. Sam ended the competition in fifth after being knocked out by the eventual silver medallist in the quarter-finals.

In a disappointing team pursuit competition for Team Australia, crashes ended the green and gold assault on the podium.

In the men's, the quartet Graeme Frislie (VIC), Bill Simpson (VIC), Liam Walsh (QLD) and James Moriarty (QLD) finished fourteenth after crashing in their qualifying round (4:17.944).

Francesca Sewell (QLD), Lauren Robards (QLD), Ashlee Jones (VIC) and Ella Sibley (SA) clocked the seventh fastest time (4:39.222) in women's qualifying before a crash in round one brought down three riders. Sewell and Robards escaped with bumps and bruises, however, Jones was withdrawn from any further competition (Omnium).

It was an energetic and aggressive performance by Sewell who finished a gallant 18th as Jones' replacement in the women's omnium. 

In the individual pursuits, personal bests to Queenslanders Lauren Robards (2:22.971) and Francesca Sewell (2:24.453) ensured two Australians in the top eight in the women's event. In the men's, Liam Walsh (14th - 3:19.251) and Bill Simpson (19th - 3:22.471) finished inside the top twenty. 

James Moriarty (QLD) shone in the men's points race as he lapped the field twice, before finishing just three points off the podium in fifth. Rohan Haydon-Smith (NSW) finished tenth in the scratch race. 

In the time trials, Ella Sibley's four-event World Championships ended with 15th (36.657), while Rohan Haydon-Smith (10th - 1:03.315) and Graeme Frislie (12th - 1:03.540) finished inside the top twelve in the men's. 

Unfortunately, illness forced the withdrawal of our women's Madison team, while James Moriarty (QLD) and Bill Simpson (VIC) finished eighth in the men's final.
 
Event Information

The 2019 UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships was held in Frankfurt, Germany, from 14-18 August 2019.  

• Team Australia Guide australiancyclingteam.com/juniortrackworlds
• Results jrworlds2019.veloresults.com
• Live Stream via Sportdeutschland

Meet the 2019 Australian Junior Team which will contest the 2019 UCI Junior Track World Championships in Germany from 14-18 August.

We caught up with Ashlee Jones (VIC), Lauren Robards (QLD), Francesca Sewell (QLD), Ella Sibley (SA), Graeme Frislie (VIC), Bill Simpson (VIC), Liam Walsh (QLD), James Moriarty (QLD), Rohan Haydon-Smith (NSW), Carlos Carisimo (SA), Sam Gallagher (VIC) and John Trovas (NSW). 

Watch the play list below to learn more about each of our team members! 

Watch the UCI Junior Track World Championships 2019 Live Online here.

“It is always great to work with a fresh group of athletes, we have learned a lot about them of individuals and they have gelled as a team really quickly,” said Gilmore during the team’s final training camp at the Australian Cycling Team Headquarters at the Adelaide Superdrome. 

“We have been working hard we don’t apologise for that, it is a really good stepping stone for them to understand what it is like to be a national team member. 

“Ultimately, we have focussed on the processes, get the process right, nine times out of ten, the outcome will be there as well.” 

VIS Sprint Coach Kelly is excited about the wealth of knowledge and experience the pair can provide to the athletes. 

“Between myself and Matt, there is a bit of experience and we work well together, it has been a really good partnership,” Kelly said. “We draw on the experience and how can we get them best prepared for the big show.”

The 2019 UCI Junior Track World Championships will be held in Germany from 14-18 August 2019.  

>>> Visit the Team Hub.

With one year to go until the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Kaarle McCulloch is gearing up for the ride of her career.

The London 2012 Olympic Games team sprint bronze medallist with Anna Meares is enjoying some of the best form of her career in 2019 with a triple World Championship medal haul including the team sprint world title with Stephanie Morton. 

"Things are going really well for me this time around," said McCulloch, 31. "I became World Champion in February with Stephanie Morton in the Team Sprint, and we're just getting faster and faster every time we get on the track together. I think we're in a good spot."

McCulloch is hoping to claim her second Olympic team nod and is hungry after narrowly missing selection for the 2016 Rio Games.  The veteran knows the task ahead is tough and long, but will be using all of the experience gained over the past twelve years within the Australian Cycling Team program. 

"Everything seems to be coming together for me, I feel in a good position, everything I have learned from my experiences over the last three Olympic cycles is holding me in a good place," she added. "Really looking forward to seeing what I can do in Tokyo. When it comes to race day in Tokyo, I will know I have done everything I possibly could have done and whatever happens, happens." 

McCulloch, along with Morton, Matthew Glaetzer and Nathan Hart will head to Colorado in the USA in late July for a three-week altitude training camp.

The track cyclists will then turn their attentions to the Oceania Track Championships in New Zealand (October), 2019-20 UCI Track World Cups in Hong Kong and Brisbane (November/December), followed by the 2020 UCI Track World Championships in Germany (February), 

Cycling Australia is pleased to announce the athlete selections for the Australian Team for the 2019 UCI Junior Track World Championships (14-18 August, Frankfurt, Germany) and the 2019 UCI Junior Road World Championships (22-29 September, Yorkshire, Great Britain). 

2019 Junior Track World Championships

Track Endurance

• Ashlee Jones (VIC)
• Lauren Robards (QLD)
• Francesca Sewell (QLD)
• Ella Sibley (SA)
• Graeme Frislie (VIC)
• Bill Simpson (VIC)
• Liam Walsh (QLD)
• James Moriarty (QLD)
• Rohan Haydon-Smith (NSW)

Track Sprint

• Carlos Carisimo (SA)
• Sam Gallagher (VIC)
• John Trovas (NSW)

2019 Junior Road World Championships

• Patrick Eddy (VIC)

 Jonathan Norfolk, Head of Performance Pathways and People. 

"The Junior World Championships provides a privileged opportunity to represent Australia on the international stage and we are pleased to be able to select a number of athletes who have a genuine opportunity to challenge for a podium performance. 

"The performance level at the Road World Championships is set very high and this is reflected in our selection criteria where the focus is on the ability of the athlete to achieve a podium performance at the World Championships as well as giving them an experience which will positively contribute to their long term development.

"This long term development of our up and coming athletes is our priority and we are invested in creating additional opportunities for meaningful endurance development through a number of European based road racing camps in those categories where the Road World Championships is currently not able to create this developmental impact. 
​
"To all the athletes who have been selected, we wish you the best and hope you enjoy the honour of representing the green and gold."

After this extensive and always difficult review process it has been decided that two sprint athletes will not have their Australian Cycling Team membership renewed.
Those athletes are:

• Jacob Schmid
• Patrick Constable

As noted, this process of categorisation is not easy and we thank both riders for their positive contribution to the team and to our sport.
As part of our ongoing commitment to athletes well being, we are providing human resources and financial transition support to both men and our dedicated staff are available to guide them through their exit from the team.

They are:

• Ruth Anderson, Head of Performance Psychology and Behaviours
• Mark Gregory, Senior Athlete Career Development Adviser
• Murray Lydeamore, Welfare Officer
  
  

​All three are available to assist the athletes on an immediate basis and over the next 12-months.

The next major event for the Australian Cycling Team track members is the 2020 Oceania Championships in New Zealand in October, followed by the 2019/2020 UCI Track World Cup season which runs from November 2019 to January 2020, including round #5 in Brisbane,  December 2019.
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​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.  
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“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.”

​Matthew Glaetzer wrapped up his 2019 UCI Track World Championships with a fourth in the men’s sprint, his second result just off the podium after also finishing fourth in the keirin.
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Since winning the world title in the Netherlands twelve months ago, it has been a packed schedule for Glaetzer which took in both National and Oceania Championships, Commonwealth Games, the Japanese keirin season, plus four rounds to open the recent 2018/19 World Cup season which netted three gold and one silver.

On Saturday, fifth fastest qualifier Glaetzer looked on track for a successful title defence with strong rides sending him to the semi-final against Jeffrey Hoogland (NED).

However, on Sunday, the Dutch rider was too strong for the South Australian in their clash in two straight rides, ending the reigning champion’s hope of becoming just the second Australian to defend a sprint world crown.

Up against hometown hero Rudyk (POL) and a parochial crowd in the bronze medal final, Glaetzer took the win in their first heat, before later being relegated for entering the sprinter’s lane. Riding a wave of red and white flags, Rudyk overcame Glaetzer in the front straight in their second heat to take the bronze medal.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In just her fifth international competition in the new four-race format, Annette Edmondson finished fifth in the women’s omnium.

The South Australian opened her campaign with a controlled second place in the scratch race before a tenth place in the tempo race placed fourth overall at the halfway mark of the competition.

 Edmondson’s run at the podium took a dent after finishing fourteenth in the elimination race which dropped her down to sixth overall, twenty-eight points reigning world champion Kirsten Wild (NED) heading into the final event, the points race.

Early in the 80-lap race, Edmondson dropped to seventh however she launched herself midway through the race into medal contention after taking a solo lap and with it twenty bonus points.

Despite her best efforts in the final thirty laps, Edmondson could not gain an advantage on the four riders ahead of her and finished fifth overall, just five points off the bronze medal.

“I would have liked to have had a different result today, but I made a big mistake, and there was nothing I could do about it,” said Edmondson, referring to her elimination race result. “But you just have to put your head back on and think about the last race to come and how to change the result.

“I had to do something in the points race, I managed to take a lap, but in the end, it took it out of me. I gave it everything I could and fifth was the best I could manage on the day.”

The 2012 Olympic medallist and 2015 world champion in the now-defunct six-race format, Edmondson is still finding her feet in the four-race program.

“I like that it is in one day, but I am still getting used to it and there is still a lot to learn of the new format,” said Edmondson, who took gold at the World Cup in New Zealand in January. “I need to get better at the tempo race, so it wasn’t like I had a perfect race other than the elimination race today.

“But practice makes perfect and I will have a lot more opportunities out there before the big one in Tokyo.

“Yes, it is disappointing today, but it makes you hungrier.”

Two days after pulling on the team sprint rainbow jersey, South Australia’s Stephanie Morton (SA) claimed a third consecutive World Championship sprint silver medal.

“You can never be upset with three straight podium appearances at a World Championships,” said Morton, “Yes, it wasn’t the gold, but you have to put it into perspective that I am actually being consistent at a standard enough to get medals at a World Championships.”

At the Pruszkow Velodrome on Thursday, Morton topped the flying 200m qualifying for the fourth-straight World Championships with a time of 10.546secs (averaging 68.272km/h). She then progressed unscathed to the semi-finals with wins over Madalyn Godby (USA) and Olena Starikova (UKR).

Morton was dominant in her semi-final defeat of rising star Lea Sophie Friedrich (GER) , beating the German in straight heats, setting up a tantalising clash with Lee, with the pair claiming five of the six World Cup sprint gold on offer this season.

In the first heat, Lee turned on her speed to reel in Morton on the home straight for the win. Morton took it to Lee in the second heat with a surprise attack with two laps to go, however, it wasn’t enough to hold Lee claimed her maiden world title.

“She is absolutely on fire at the moment, she was amazing when I raced her at the World Cups and I knew it was going to be some tough racing,” said Morton, who celebrated her maiden elite world title on Wednesday in the team sprint with Kaarle McCulloch. “I ticked boxes today, but I also made mistakes.  The first ride in final I wasn’t too happy with, I made one small mistake and it was race over. Not unhappy with the final, still yet to go over it. 

“But we will go through and see what we got right and what we didn’t.”

 For the 28-year-old Morton, it continued a consistent 2018/19 season which saw her top the sprint qualification, while claiming two gold, silver and a bronze in the four World Cups she entered.

“I feel like every race I go into now I am more confident, am racing better... the exposure we are getting consistently racing at this higher level I feel more prepared going in,” Morton said. “When I first started racing at this level, I was so nervous.

 “Now it is cool calm and collected. You have a job to do and you get it done, simple as that.”

 Morton will now have a day off before contesting the keirin on the final day of the Championships on Sunday.

“Kick the heels up tomorrow (Saturday), have a bit of rest and recovery, and we will see what happens in the keirin on Sunday.  We all know what that is like, it is unpredictable, so bring it on.”

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.

Stephanie Morton (SA) and Kaarle McCulloch (NSW) surged to their first world title as a team sprint pairing in a stunning display of speed at the Pruszkow Velodrome on Wednesday.

The pairing topped the afternoon qualifying session (32.492), before setting a new national mark of 32.368secs in their first-round defeat of China.

In the final, the duo scorched the track once again, with McCulloch bolting from the gates and Morton powering home to record a time 32.255secs which eclipsed their new national mark.

“I am speechless, and it takes a lot for that to happen,” said Morton. “It is pretty surreal, we had pretty high expectations tonight, and we have absolutely exceeded them.  Gold was just a bonus.”

The win was Morton’s first at an elite World Championships, however, it is her fourth career rainbow jersey after she piloted visually impaired cyclist Felicity Johnson to three Tandem world titles in 2011 and 2012.  Morton and McCulloch’s previous best was silver at the 2017 World Championships.

“We had set a couple of things to focus on, the plan was to build on every ride and get faster and faster, regardless of conditions,” Morton revealed. “And we did, and that is the most important thing.

“Going back, reviewing the videos, seeing where can we get more gains and the fact that we pulled it off every time is the most important take home from today.”

For McCulloch, it was a fourth team sprint world crown after partnering Anna Meares to three straight titles (2009-11).

“We just got better and better with every ride, we were a bit nervous to begin with, but we just kept focussing on our processes which is what we were here to do,” said McCulloch, who in romantic circumstances celebrated the 2019 crown on the same velodrome she won her first world title in 2009. “Ten years on I am the world champion with Stephanie Morton and in a blistering time too.

“We are really proud, and happy that this is all building towards Tokyo.  This is a nice step in that direction we will take a lot of confidence out if this.

McCulloch also revealed she is relishing the switch to the position of first-wheel after spending her years with Meares in the second-wheel position.

“Anna and I worked really well together, but I feel a little relieved that I am only doing one lap now,” McCulloch joked. “So sucked in Steph, it was hard work chasing Anna in first-wheel, so I hope I am making it hard for Steph to chase me.”

Patrick Constable (SA), Nathan Hart (ACT) and teenage debutant Matthew Richardson (WA) finished sixth in the men’s team sprint.  Sixth fastest in qualifying (43.628), the trio was edged (43.518) out of the medal finals by eventual silver France (43.086) in the first round.

ABOUT The 2019 UCI Track World Championships will be held in Puruszkow, Poland. 

WATCH LIVE In Australia via FOXSPORTS Australia. VIEW GUIDE 

COMING UP The Championships run 27 February to 3 March. VISIT WEBSITE

• Thursday 28 February: Women’s Sprint begins with Flying 200m; Men’s Team Pursuit finals; Men’s Scratch 15km; Men’s Keirin; Women’s Team Pursuit first round & Finals
• Friday 1 March: Men’s Points race 40km; Men’s Kilometre Time Trial; Men’s Individual Pursuit; Women’s Omnium; Women’s Sprint
• Saturday 2 March: Men’s Sprint Flying 200m & rounds; Women’s 500m Time Trial; Women’s Madison 30km; Women’s Individual pursuit; Men’s Omnium
• Sunday 3 March: Women’s Points race 25km; Men’s Madison 50km; Women’s Keirin; Men’s Sprint

​FOLLOW 

• #AusCyclingTeam Facebook @AustralianCyclingTeam  |  Instagram @australiancyclingteam  |  Twitter @AusCyclingTeam
• #Pruszkow2019 www.pruszkow2019.pl  |  facebook.com/PZKol  |  twitter.com/pzkolarski

Photos © Casey Gibson

The Australian Cycling Team has completed its penultimate training session in Pruszkow, Poland ahead of the 2019 UCI Track World Championships which will be held from 27 February to 3 March 2019.

Team pursuit world record holders Leigh Howard (VIC), Kelland O’Brien (VIC), Alexander Porter (SA) and Samuel Welsford (WA), plus debutant Cameron Scott (NSW) and nine-time world champion Cameron Meyer (WA) will hit the training track on Tuesday for one last hit out ahead of the Championships which opens with the team pursuit on Wednesday afternoon.  

Back on the World Championship stage after Australia strategically skipped the 2018 World Championships in favour of the Commonwealth Games, Welsford is champing at the bit to claim a third team pursuit rainbow jersey in four years.

“We had the rainbows in 2017, so I’m pretty confident I can say on behalf of the boys that we want to go and get those back,” said Welsford. “Team pursuit times are getting so fast now, a lot of teams are getting down to that low (three minutes) 50 (second) barrier. I think we’re at a good level at the moment and in good form so we can produce a really good time that could go close to that world record.” Read full article.

2018 Commonwealth Games champions Ashlee Ankudinoff (NSW), Amy Cure (TAS), Annette Edmondson (SA) and Alexandra Manly (SA), plus Georgia Baker (TAS) have wrapped up their on-track preparations as they target the top step of the women's team pursuit podium. 

In ominous words for the rest of the competition, dual 2015 world champion Edmondson has revealed she has rediscovered her love of track cycling since returning to the Australian Cycling Team to focus on the track.

“I found that spark again, a spark I haven't had for a long time and I'm really excited to be back," said Edmondson. “It’s awesome (to be back), there aren’t many opportunities to represent your country at the World Championships." Read full article.

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) set to make his elite World Championship debut.

Glaetzer is aiming to take his sensational early season form into the World Championships after a near-perfect start to the 2018/19 World Cups in which he powered to three gold and one silver across the first four sprint competitions. 

“I haven’t had a better season, the World Cups were almost flawless, except for the last (fourth round) one which took its toll,” said Glaetzer. “There is some strong competition, it's tough. Yes, I won three out of four, but it was very close all the way through.” Read full article.

Stephanie Morton (SA) and Kaarle McCulloch (NSW) comprise the women’s sprint selections, with the pair setting a new Australian record in the team sprint last November, while Morton netted eight medals including four gold across four rounds of the World Cup season.  

Morton knows she will take career-best form into this week’s World Championships and as she strives to find the top step of the Worlds sprint podium after two straight silver medals, she is fully aware she will be a marked rider in Poland. 

“I am certainly not the underdog anymore that’s for sure,” admitted Morton. “I think there’s the potential to start letting those thoughts creep in like ‘I’ve got to back up like last year’ or ‘I’ve got to do better than last year’ but you just can’t put that pressure on yourself." Read full article.

WATCH LIVE In Australia via FOXSPORTS Australia. VIEW GUIDE 

SCHEDULE The Championships run 27 February to 3 March 2019. VISIT WEBSITE
​

• Wednesday 27 February: W - Team Pursuit Qualifying; M - Team Pursuit Qualifying; W - Scratch 10 km; W - Team Sprint; M - Team Sprint
• Thursday 28 February: W - Sprint Flying 200m & rounds; M - Team Pursuit; M -  Scratch 15 km; M - Keirin; W - Team Pursuit
• Friday 1 March: M - Points race 40 km; M -  Kilometre Time Trial.; M - Individual Pursuit; W - Omnium; W - Sprint
• Saturday 2 March: M - Sprint Flying 200m & rounds; W - 500m Time Trial; W -  Madison 30 km; W - Individual pursuit; M - Omnium
• Sunday 3 March: W - Points race 25 km; M -  Madison 50 km; W - Keirin; M - Sprint

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Australian Cycling Team #AusCyclingTeam  Facebook AustralianCyclingTeam  |  Instagram @australiancyclingteam  |  Twitter @AusCyclingTeam

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