The Olympic Fast Track program bolted from the gates in May as it welcomed its first athletes into the inaugural team camp held across Adelaide and the Gold Coast.  
 
An initiative of the Australian Cycling Team, the Olympic Fast Track program aims to identify and develop promising female talents in sprint cycling who have the potential to represent Australia at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.  
 
The first camp included athletes from three sports, including US collegiate football representative Indiana Lysaght, track and field sprint athlete and current beach sprint national champion Sophie Watts, and Adelaide Crows AFLW team member Jessica Sedunary.  

“While all three athletes had little or no previous cycling experience before this camp, they came into it as established elite athletes with well-developed high-performance attributes,” said Olympic Fast Track Head Coach Lynne Munro.   
 
“Our aim through this program is to dig progressively deeper into assessing their potential as Olympic podium candidates in sprint cycling while using innovative practice to fast track their development towards that end.” 

Key objectives for the camp included building the foundations of a unique performance environment, harnessing the opportunity of diverse athlete backgrounds and creating a shared learning experience between coach and athletes. 
 
The program included track training sessions, strength and power assessments, psychology and wellbeing sessions, and activities aimed at building squad culture.  
 
Athletes were guided through the camp by key Australian Cycling Team staff, including Kat Sutherland (PA), Jacqui Sandland (Psychology), Chris Lynch (Athlete Wellbeing Lead), Lachlan Hinds (Strength & Power), Michael Devitt (Mechanic and Bike Engineer).  ​

A partnership between the Australian Cycling Team and Griffith University also allowed athletes to be exposed to cutting-edge testing conducted on the Gold Coast. 
 
The testing, led by Associate Professor Clare Minahan and her team at Griffith University, used unique technologies provided by Phillips & Mermaid Beach Radiology to assess inherent physiological characteristics of the squad.   
 
“With the help of our support staff on the ground, we saw tangible results through the week, including progressing the athletes from having little riding ability to the full technical delivery of standing lap in a week,” Munro explained. “In addition, the sessions at Griffith University propelled our understanding of the athletes’ physiology and hence inherent physical potential.” 

Being immersed in the Australian Cycling Team headquarters daily training environment in Adelaide enabled the new athletes to be up close and personal with athletes who have already achieved their dream of Olympic selection.  
 
“It was also great to have the camp scheduled the same week as the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Squad announcement as it provided an opportunity for our Olympic Fast Track athletes to see what possibly lies at the end of their program journey,” Munro added. 
 
The program will operate monthly camps and continues to seek and assess prospective candidates.   
 
More at www.olympicfasttrack.com.au. ​​

It was ecstasy and agony for Australia at the 2021 UCI BMX Freestyle World Championships in France on Monday, with Logan Martin (Gold Coast, QLD) celebrating a second world title in four years while a knee injury sadly ended reigning world champion Brandon Loupos’ (Sydney, NSW) title defense.  

"It feels amazing. I came out here and wanted to pull a good ride and take the win," said Martin, who claimed the inaugural world title in 2017. "That is two times now, and I am super stoked. I am speechless." 

How it unfolded 

Twelve riders took to the Montpellier BMX Freestyle Park for the 2021 World Championships final, with Australia featuring four riders in Logan Martin (Gold Coast, QLD), Brandon Loupos (Sydney, NSW), Josh Matthews (Gold Coast, QLD) and Jaie Toohey (Gold Coast, QLD).  

BMX Freestyle Park, which will make its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, is an adrenaline-fueled mix of tricks and jumps over a series of ramps and obstacles. Athletes complete two one-minute runs each, with judges scoring on difficulty, originality, style, flow, risk, height and execution of tricks. The riders are ranked by the best score from their two runs.  

The start of the final was delayed for 45 minutes following the crash of a rider in training which would, unfortunately, set the tone for what turned out to be a crashed-marred final.  

Brandon Loupos (Sydney, NSW) was the first rider to take to course, with the 2019 world champion looking strong with a host of scorching tricks early in his first one-minute run. However, heartbreak followed when his foot slipped on the pedal, which sent the Sydney rider crashing to the floor. 

Clutching his right knee, Loupos was quickly stretchered off by event medical staff. Despite a brave second attempt at completing his opening run less than ten minutes later, still visibly in pain, Loupos retired just moments into his second run. His first run score of 39points placed him eleventh overall. 

2017 world champion Logan Martin (Gold Coast, QLD) stunned with an array of tricks in his opening one-minute run to rocket to the top of the standings with a score of 94.90points. In his second run, Martin chose fewer but more challenging tricks, with his near-flawless run judged to a score of 93.30points. 

Martin celebrated his victory in the Team Australia pits after watching the final two riders fall short of bettering Martin's opening run score of 94.90points.  Daniel Sandoval (USA) won silver, while Marin Rantes (Croatia) took bronze.  

The Championships was Martin's first international competition in over twelve months after spending the last 15 months in Australia, where he claimed the 2021 national crown in March.  

"While we have had a year and a half off, we have all put in so much hard work and the competition has stepped up so much," said Martin, 27. "The last year never really slowed down for me. I just rode as much as I could, stayed focus all the way up to this event. It has paid off today. It is such a good feeling.  

"The competition was tough out there today, I did just want to do my run, I had a good run planned. While I didn't do what I wanted to do completely, I still got a high score and next time, hopefully I will pull out the one I want to get done." 

"Going into this event we were trying to top America. But I came here just trying to do my best, I knew I had done all the work, and it all paid off today." ​

Matthews and Toohey impressed from the opening day while on their World Championships debut, finishing sixth and tenth, respectively.  

Matthews scored 74.40points in his first run and lifted in his second run to score 85.70points. Toohey crashed seconds into his first run but recovered to make a stunning comeback in his second run, which saw him attract a finals best score of 60.60points despite hitting the deck late.  

Team Australia will head fly out of France tomorrow and back to Australia to complete two weeks of hotel quarantine before resuming training on the Gold Coast. 

The BMX Freestyle selections to the Australian Olympic Team will be announced later in June.  

Final Results Elite Men

• 1. Logan Martin (AUS) 

• 2. Daniel Sandoval (USA)  

• 3. Marin Rantes (CRO)  

• 4. Justin Dowell (USA)  

• 5. Nick Bruce (USA) 

• 6. Josh Matthews (AUS)  
• 10. Jaie Toohey (AUS) 
• 11 Brandon Loupos (AUS)  

Complete Results ​

AusCycling is pleased to confirm the athlete selections for Cross Country and Junior Downhill for the 2021 UCI MTB World Championships to be held from 25-29 August in Italy, in addition to an AusCycling MTB High-Performance Camp to be held in Australia later in 2021.  
 
Due to the current COVID-19 Pandemic and AusCycling’s Position Statement on International Activities, only riders on UCI registered teams will be eligible to compete at the 2021 MTB World Championships in Italy. 
 
AusCycling explored various options to facilitate the travel and competition of athletes not on UCI registered teams. However, the arduous COVID-19 protocols, high cost of travel and insurance, and the requirement of a 14-day hotel quarantine on return to Australia are unacceptable impositions on individual riders, particularly juniors, in any activity where AusCycling assumes a duty of care. 
 
AusCycling can confirm the selection of four eligible athletes who will compete in the World Championships in Italy, with a further fourteen athletes recognised with selection after meeting the performance and selection criteria. 


All riders selected to the team who do not travel to Italy, along with additionally selected development riders to be announced in the coming months, will be invited to an AusCycling MTB high-performance camp scheduled for later in 2021. Several exciting trans-Tasman options for the camp are currently being explored and details will be confirmed in due course. 

Note the selections to the Elite Downhill team will be announced in early July. 

AusCycling continues to monitor the COVID-19 Pandemic situation and will provide updates to the Position Statement on International Activities when required.  

AusCycling MTB Sport Manager, Evan James  

"AusCycling recognises that 2021 has been a challenging year for athletes with exceptionally limited racing opportunities to meet performance standards and selection criteria. Australia is also facing limited athlete quotas at World Championships this year in some men’s categories."

"AusCycling believes it is important we recognise athletes that have achieved selection, even if they are unable to compete."  

"I’m excited by the opportunities that will come for the athletes at the high-performance camp later in the year, in addition to other significant development projects in 2022."

2021 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships Selections^
  
* Denotes riders on UCI teams and eligible to compete. 
​
Junior Men Downhill 

• Remy Meier-Smith (NSW) 
• Ollie Davis (NSW)* 

Junior Women Downhill 

• Elise Empey (VIC) 
• Lia Ladbrook
• Ashleigh Weinert (NSW) 

Junior Men Cross Country 

• Joel Dodds (QLD) 
• Isaac Fletcher (VIC) 
• Riley Corke (VIC) 

Junior Women Cross Country 

• Hayley Oakes (NSW) 

U23 Men Cross Country 

• Sam Fox (TAS)  
• Matt Dinham (NSW) 
• Cameron Wright (QLD)* 

U23 Women Cross Country 

• Zoe Cuthbert (ACT)  
• Katherine Hosking (NSW) 
• Isabelle Flint (TAS) 

Elite Women Cross Country 

• Rebecca McConnell (ACT)* 

Elite Men Cross Country 

• Daniel McConnell (ACT)* 
• Cameron Ivory (SA) 

​
^Selections to the Elite Downhill team will be announced in early July. ​

All four members of Team Australia have made it through to the final of the 2021 UCI BMX Freestyle World Championships in France.

The top 24 riders progressed through Saturday's qualification round to Sunday's semi finals and it was an entertaining affair in Montpellier, with riders pulling out elaborate tricks early.

2017 world champion Logan Martin (Gold Coast, QLD) was the pick of the Aussies, finishing third after an impressive second run which attracted a score of 91.94pts.

The USA duo of Daniel Sandoval (94.06pts) and Nicholas Bruce (92.64pts) taking the top two spots into Sunday's final.

Logan Martin

"Semi Finals today went pretty good, I ended up sort of messing up my first one a little bit but the score was enough to get me into the final. So my second run, I just wanted to play around with a couple of things that I had planned to do tomorrow, just to get them done in the run and in my second run I did a better run, qualifying third, so went really well."

"If the final is going to be anything like the semi finals, it's going to be crazy. Everyone was out there sending it, everyone was being super consistent and pulling all their bigger tricks as well, the final is only going to get bigger and better."

Australia will take a third of the final placings after all four Aussies progressed through the semi finals. 
 
Jaie Toohey (Gold Coast, QLD) finished seventh with 86.90pts, Joshua Matthews (Gold Coast, QLD) eighth (86.52pts).  

Reigning world champion Brandon Loupos (Gold Coast, QLD) was eleventh after crashing in his first run and scoring 83.70pts in his second. 

Live Timing and Results

AUS v USA as nations target Tokyo

It all comes down to the final day with eyes also on the battle of Australia vs USA.  

The Championships provide the final opportunity for nations to qualify points towards positions in the BMX Freestyle competition at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The nation that finishes on top of the Men's BMX Freestyle UCI Olympic Qualification Rankings at the end of the qualification period will secure two male athlete positions at the Tokyo Olympic Games. 

With Australia and the USA currently tied on points at the top of the rankings, Australia needs to contest the World Championships in order to stay in contention for top spot.

Watch Live online

The men's final will take place from midnight Australian EST on Tuesday 8 June, you can stream the final live via facebook.com/UCIBMXFreestyle

Team Australia has arrived in France ahead of the 2021 UCI BMX Freestyle World Championships, to be held in Montpellier from 4-8 June 2021.   

Reigning world champion Brandon Loupos (Sydney, NSW), 2017 world champion Logan Martin (Gold Coast, QLD), Josh Matthews (Gold Coast, QLD) and Jaie Toohey (Gold Coast, QLD) arrived on Wednesday.

The Championships provide the final opportunity for nations to qualify points towards positions in the BMX Freestyle competition at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The nation that finishes on top of the Men's BMX Freestyle UCI Olympic Qualification Rankings at the end of the qualification period will secure two male athlete positions at the Tokyo Olympic Games. 

With Australia and the USA currently tied on points at the top of the rankings, Australia needs to contest the World Championships in order to stay in contention for top spot. 

One of the most popular disciplines of cycling, BMX Freestyle 'Park' is defined by aerial tricks made possible by the shape of the course and the speed of the riders.

If the technicality of the tricks is very important in the scoring process, other criteria such as the use of the whole Park and the originality of the lines chosen make it possible to judge this discipline.

The Men's Finals will take place from midnight Australian EST on Tuesday 8 June.

Complete Program

Brandon Loupos - 2019 World Champion

I'm really looking forward to going back to defend my rainbow jersey.

It (the rainbow jersey) means everything to me, really.  I feel like I can go do my my normal routine that I do every day and go in with the rainbows, but at the same time, it's something that I'm not going to try and over achieve for it. I'm going to let it come to me. Because as long as I do my best performance, I know it's in the package.

To have no competitions for way over a year has been really, really disappointing for a lot of us. So finally have something to connect that warm up to the Olympics is awesome.

The BMX world is such a friendly community, regardless what country you're from, we're all one big happy family,, so it's gonna be really hard for all of us to be together after not seeing each other for nearly two years, and go within six feet of each other, or metre and a half. And, and, you know, stay within a distance of each other.

Logan Martin - 2017 World Champion

I'm super excited (to be off to Worlds) after a year and a half with no international contests. The last year and a half I've actually been putting in a lot of work, even though it was essentially downtime and staying home a lot. So I'm excited to go and put on a show and compete with my friends again.

We've just been training and working to the Olympics, we had a massive block, like a massive training block. But I found motivation to perfect old tricks, learn new tricks, and just keep on pushing.

It is super cool that the first event back we are traveling as a team, it is a World Championship. Our main focus going into the World Championships is to beat America as myself and Brandon need to do better than America so we can qualify Australia in the top spot and take take two riders to Tokyo.

I just want to go and plan out a good run and pull it and execute it to a high standard. And there was the results will, you know, the results will work out the way they work out. But I just want to go and do my best.

In the women's UCI Olympic Qualification Rankings, Australia is currently in position to secure one place at the Games. Regardless of whether Australia contests the World Championships, Australia's position on the rankings is unlikely to change, therefore Natalya Diehm will not travel to the World Championships in line with AusCycling's position statement on international competition activities. 

Australian National Team for 2021 BMX World Championships

• Logan Martin (Gold Coast, QLD) - 2017 world champion  
• Brandon Loupos (Sydney, NSW) - 2019 world champion 
• Josh Matthews (Gold Coast, QLD)   
• Jaie Toohey (Gold Coast, QLD) 

 
#AusCyclingTeam

• australiancyclingteam.com 
• www.facebook.com/AustralianCyclingTeam
• instagram.com/australiancyclingteam
• twitter.com/AusCyclingTeam​​

Australia's Women's Track Endurance squad will contest one final race in Adelaide this Friday night before heading to Brisbane to finalise preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games!

Ashlee Ankudinoff, Georgia Baker, Annette Edmondson, Alex Manly and Maeve Plouffe, who will line up for the Australian Olympic Team on the track at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in August, will take to the boards in the Adelaide Track League on Friday night at 6.30pm. 

The quintet will contest the Scratch Race in the middle of the program and then contest the headliner of the night – the Eliminator (a modified Elimination race) - as their final race in Adelaide, the home of the Australian Cycling Team Headquarters. 

After the race, the men's and women's endurance squads will pack their bags and head to Brisbane where they will join the sprint squad for the final preparations before departing Australian shores for Japan in mid July. 

WHAT'S ON

The headline race at this week’s Adelaide Track League will be The Eliminator, a modified Elimination race, and a monster Elite Women’s field including the full Australian Olympic Track Endurance squad!

There will be a Men’s and Women’s Madison featuring the ACT Academy squads and interstate state institute riders at the head of the night, with Junior and Sprint racing peppered through the program in between the Elites!

TICKETS

​If you’re local to Adelaide, head on over to AdelaideTrackLeague.com to get your tickets for this Friday night’s racing. 

Tickets to all this are just $10, with kids under 15 getting in free! You can book both paid and free tickets over at https://adelaidetrackleague.com. 

LIVE STREAM

If you can’t make it to Adelaide, never fear! Adelaide Track League’s Facebook page will play host to a livestream of the whole night’s action for free, no subscription required. Head on over and like the page so you get notified of the livestream going up!
​
LINKS

• Website: https://adelaidetrackleague.com
• Tickets: https://bit.ly/3eJsgEw
• Facebook (livestream): https://www.facebook.com/adelaidetrackleague

Nine cyclists have been selected to the Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo, with eight road cyclists and a track endurance rider announced by the Australian Olympic Committee today.
 
The road cycling team boasts a wealth of international experience headlined by two-time individual time trial world champion Rohan Dennis and dual World Championship medallist Amanda Spratt who return for their third Games.
 
Richie Porte, who reached the podium at the 2020 Tour de France podium, and Tour de France team time trial stage winner Cameron Meyer, have been selected for a second Games.
 
Grace Brown, Sarah Gigante, Tiffany Cromwell and Jack Haig will make their Olympic debut.
 
Track endurance rider Alexandra Manly will also make her Olympic debut after being selected to the team.
 
The men’s road race will cover a 244km course including 4,865m of elevation, with the women facing a 147km course with 2692m of elevation, in a course starting in Tokyo’s Musashinonomori Park incorporating incredible views of Mt Fuji. The Time Trial will see riders take on two laps of the 22.1km course for men and one for women, starting at the Fuji International Speedway.
 
Chef de Mission of the Australian Olympic Team Ian Chesterman welcomed today’s selections.
 
“Congratulations to all the cyclists selected today for the Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo,” Mr Chesterman said.
 
“The Team includes a vast array of experience and success at the highest levels, which will prove invaluable as they take on the best in the world in Tokyo.
 
“The road cyclists are all currently training and racing in challenging conditions around the world, and today’s selection is testament to the incredible effort and determination they have shown throughout their riding careers.
 
“While it’s a great day for the athletes, it’s also a day of celebration for the families, friends, supporters, teammates and coaches who have helped them achieve their Tokyo Olympic milestone. Thank you to Aus Cycling and all of the sport institutes who have helped train and develop these athletes to help bring the athletes to the level they are at today.
 
Today’s selection brings the number of selected athletes in the Australian Olympic Team to 111 of an expected 450-480.
 
Tasmanian Porte said it was an honour to represent Australia in Tokyo.
 
“The Olympics is a massive career highlight for me,” Porte said. “You don't take for granted to be selected for the team in a country like Australia as it has so many worthy guys to choose from, so to just make the team, it's a big honour.
 
“I think it's going to be a fantastic Games; I look forward to just getting there and racing. I think it's a fantastic course, it's going to be hard, but we can aim to be up there for the podium.
 
33-year-old Spratt is looking forward to the challenge of the hard Tokyo course in her third Olympics.
 
“We've got a really great team for Tokyo,” Spratt said. “We've got a great road Captain in Tiffany Cromwell, we've seen what Grace has been doing over in Europe and that youth of Sarah Gigante we've got a strong and well-rounded team that will really suit this course.”
 
“It’s such an honour to be selected for my third Olympic Games. That's been over a 10-year period, as well, it's something I've never complacent about. I'm really looking forward to being able to use what I've learned from those and really go there and performing Tokyo with a great team.”
 
20-year-old Victorian Sarah Gigante is still buzzing after receiving her maiden Olympic selection.
 
“It just feels so surreal to be named a member in my first Australian Olympic Team,” said Gigante, who has claimed three national road titles in three years (2019 road, 2020 and 2021 time trial). “Going to the Olympics is one of those things I always dreamed of...but it always seemed like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow - something I hoped really existed but certainly something very far away and a bit of a fantasy!”
 
Simon Jones, Performance Director at AusCycling welcomed today’s selections.
 
“I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge every rider who put their hand up for the Olympics.
 
“The selection process never gets easier and that’s because we have a strong and competitive team. For those who didn’t make the team this time; keep pushing - Paris is not far away.
 
“I’m immensely proud of the riders who will be representing Australia in Tokyo, and we are very excited to see how everyone in the team meets the challenge of what’s likely to be a unique Games experience.”
 
Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo – Road Cycling

​Track cyclists selected for the Australian Olympic Team – Alexandra Manly selected today, joining other track riders who were selected March 2020

Recently Hicks completed a presentation to AusCycling coaches and staff while also speaking to the Podium Potential Academy group as part of the holistic development sessions about his journey, his experiences on and off the bike and how he is developing himself beyond his sporting performances.

​"It has been unreal to have AusCycling get behind my public speaking aspirations and having a much clearer path to follow post my competitive racing career is really comforting," said Hicks.

"With their support, I was able to complete a really useful and relevant course whilst still fitting in all my training. The course has really helped me fast track my understanding of ways to implement skills such as body language, voice projection and emotion in my talks.

"I like to think I get as much out of my speaking engagements as my audience, and with each talk I remember more about my journey and continue to add depth to my key note speech.

"What I most enjoy about speaking and telling my story is the opportunity to give mention and thanks to all the people who have helped me get to where I am today. It isn't much but I think it's the best way for me to show my appreciation for everything they have done," Hicks added.

AusCycling's coordination of the holistic development of our athletes both on and off the bike comes through key staff in the Athlete Wellbeing & Engagement (AW&E) space who support athletes striving for sustained excellence in high performance and other significant aspects of their lives.

"Evidence shows that engagement in meaningful activities outside of sport can positively impact on wellbeing," said Chris Lynch, AW&E Lead, Australian Cycling Team. "There is also more emerging evidence that engaging in career and transition planning can support performance and enables a longer career in sport.

"The development of people in high-performance sport should not be limited to the skillset to win at major games but also to thrive outside the sporting environment. We are committed to providing an environment that allows our riders to thrive on and off the bike and in future careers."

Similarly, Keren Faulkner, Head of Performance Solutions and AW&E Manager Para‑cycling, Australian Cycling Team, is proud to be part of the supportive team around the athletes.

"Meg and Darren are great examples of athletes aiming to harmonise the commitments of high-performance sport and career progression," said Faulkner. "It is important that athletes have the safe space to explore themselves and their options, to develop and progress, and have access to resources that help them achieve their goals."

Australia’s Caleb Ewan,36, sprinted to victory in stage five of the 2021 Giro d'Italia, his first stage victory at the 104th Giro d’Italia and his fourth career win at the Corsa Rosa.  
Ewan was perfectly positioned heading into the final kilometre, before dropping back behind the jostling peloton. However, a trademark Ewan burst on the sprint to the line to overhauled Italians Giacomo Nizzolo and Elia Viviani who settled for second and third in Cattolica. 
  
“The sprint itself was reasonably straight forward. It was slightly uphill in the last few 100 meters. I went to the right side and got boxed in. I moved a bit to the left and I had enough time to come around in the end. I tried to take the line with the least wind possible,” said Ewan.  
“Winning like I did today was obviously my first goal of the three Grand Tours. It’s still too early to leave the Giro. I’ll definitely be here tomorrow and I’ll try to win more stages.” 
​
Ewan, from the New South Wales Southern Highlands, began cycling at eight and collecting national titles across all the junior age categories on both the road and track.  
He claimed a junior road national crown in 2010, and in 2011, he won multiple gold at the Junior Track National Championship before storming to win the world title in the Omnium at the 2011 Junior World Track Championships.  

Ewan joined the Jayco AIS World Tour Academy in 2013, before moving across the Orica Green Edge team in 2014. 
He joined Lotto Soudal in 2019 and since 2017, has claimed stage wins at all three Grand Tours including four at the Giro d’Italia, five at the Tour de France and one at the Vuelta a Espana.  

As they say, cycling is better with a friend. So, it must make it great when you share the love of cycling and riding bikes with a family member.   

For Queensland's Alexandra Martin-Wallace and her mother Tess, cycling has enabled them to share many experiences on and off the bike.   

Alexandra, now 21, started cycling when she was 12 and after spending years chasing her mum, dad and brother, her potential on two wheels became evident when she started beating them.   

Moving to Adelaide to join the Australian Cycling Team's Podium Potential Academy in 2018, Alexandra has since contested several UCI Track Cycling World Cups, UCI WorldTour events such as the Tour Down Under and collected multiple national titles on the track.  

After Alexandra left home to move to the Australian Cycling Team Headquarters in Adelaide, Tess realised her love for cycling went beyond just driving her daughter to training or watching her race.   

So, Tess joined a women's track program held at Brisbane's Anna Meares Velodrome, and drawing on her experience as a junior national representative in swimming for her native country of England as a junior, in addition to representing Australia in outrigging, plus and triathlon and indoor rowing, she quickly excelled.   

"It wasn't until after I left home that mum started competing, I think she got bored," joked Alexandra, who gifted her first road and track bikes to her mother to use as she started in the sport.  
​
"Alex moving to Adelaide left a gap for us and learning how to ride and race brings us closer in many ways," said Tess. "I am sure I was an absolute embarrassment to Alex when I first started racing, but she never showed anything but full support and encouragement."   ​

Despite being separated by distance, they have shared each other's memorable moments across Australia and the world. In 2019, Tess travelled to watch her daughter win silver at the Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Hong Kong, while in 2020, Alexandra cheered her mother to gold at the 2020 Masters Track National Championships.   

They have also shared the track in several races and events across the country.   

"I have loved watching mum compete, although I get very nervous for her when I'm watching, so it has made me understand how mum feels watching me race," said Alexandra. "It's great having mum doing the same sport. My parents love cycling, so it's great for them to be so passionate about the same sport as me."  

"But the only advice I give my mum is to take it easy because she trains nonstop!"   

For Tess, she enjoys the quality time with her daughter at the events on and off the bike.    

"We end up at the same events at times, and we have an opportunity to find some quality time together," said Tess. "It is good understanding the sport that your daughter is involved in, and we love watching the races, not just the ones Alex is competing in.   

"I race Alex sometimes in handicap races on the track, which is always heaps of fun. I'm always off first; she is last, and no guessing who wins. I think I need to have words with the handicappers!"
    
While Alexandra will be unable to travel to be with Tess for Mother's Day, the love and respect the pair have for each other will be felt across the country.    

"My mum had always been such an inspiration to me, she loves cycling and competing so much, and there is no way I would be the athlete I am without her," said Alexandra. "So even though I won't be seeing her for Mother's Day, she will always be a part of my love for the sport of cycling."  

"Alex is my inspiration on and off the bike," said Tess. 

And the question on many lips - who is the better cyclist?     

"Mum definitely has way more medals!" said Alexandra.    

"No tabs on medal counts. I just have more. Just kidding!" joked Tess. ​

AusCycling is pleased to confirm the selection of the nine athletes who will take part in a 2021 Junior Road World Championships National Team Road Camp later in 2021.  

Due to the current COVID-19 Pandemic, AusCycling will not send Junior (Under 19) National Teams to any 2021 UCI World Championships.  

In replacement of the Championships, athletes will participate in an Australian-based National Team Road Camp later in the year. The camp will also incorporate two competitions, including one of the 2021 AusCycling National Road Series.    

The athletes include 2021 road national champion Alyssa Polites (VIC), Lachlan Miller (QLD), Lucinda Stewart (VIC) and Dylan George (NSW), with Haylee Fuller (NSW), Isabelle Carnes (QLD), Aiden Sinclair (NSW), Zac Marriage (SA) and Tyler Tomkinson, (QLD) completing the selections.  

The athletes were selected by the AusCycling National Junior Selection Panel, which convened in April.  

Director of Performance Pathway for the Australian Cycling Team, Jesse Korf: 

“Part of the value of participating as an under 19 at the UCI Road World Championships is the opportunity to compete at an elevated level of competition.  

“While we are not able to contest the World Championships in 2021, we will provide a simulation of a higher level of competition for the athletes by having these under 19 riders contest events in the Under 23 AusCycling National Road Series in August. 

“Also, while it is exciting to announce the U19 selections and the camp, this forms part of a more extensive series of projects aimed towards the Wollongong 2022 Road World Championships on home soil.  

“While also forming part of a new approach where we will actively structure to combine track and road to enhance development and opportunity in both sports.” 

Athletes for 2021 Junior Road World Championships - AusCycling National Team Road Camp  

U19 WOMEN 

• Alyssa POLITES (VIC) 
• Haylee FULLER (NSW) 
• Isabelle CARNES (QLD) 
• Lucinda STEWART (VIC) 

​U19 MEN 

• Lachlan MILLER (QLD) 
• Dylan GEORGE (NSW) 
• Aiden SINCLAIR (NSW) 
• Zac MARRIAGE (SA) 
• Tyler TOMKINSON (QLD) 

AusCycling is pleased to confirm the 66 athletes who have been categorised as Emerging and Developing athletes in the disciplines of track endurance and track sprint for 2021-22.  

The categorisation is comprised of 32 Emerging (23 Endurance and 9 Sprint) and 34 Developing (25 Endurance and 9 Sprint) athletes from all state and territory institutes and academies of sport which form the cycling national High-Performance Network (HPN).   

The key objective of the HPN is to develop and prepare the athletes for a successful progression into the Australian Cycling Team's Podium Potential and Podium categories. About the Australian Cycling Team Pathway.      

Athlete Categorisation is used to identify, track, and prioritise athletes at each stage of the Performance Pathway and support the Australian Cycling Teams consistently winning medals at major international events.  

During the categorisation process, AusCycling compared performance progressions of athletes against the progressions of medal-winning athletes at World Championships and Olympic Games in the past ten years. 

This process is based on a national Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) framework called Athlete Categorisation, which provides sports with a method of assessing an athlete's performance trajectory to the elite podium.  

Athletes categorised as Emerging and Developing receive recognition by the AIS and receive support in their ongoing development in several formats, including access to state high-performance facilities, dedicated camps, and race support. 

Categorisation for Emerging and Developing athletes in BMX, MTB, Paralympic and Road will be announced later in 2021.  

Director of Performance Pathway for the Australian Cycling Team, Jesse Korf: 

"After undergoing the categorisation approach, it is very exciting to see that we have 66 athletes in our talent pool that are tracking towards highly aspirational outcomes of elite podiums at World Championships and Olympic Games.

"We wish to congratulate all that received categorisation. Having a thriving talent pool to underpin the elite National Team programs is a temperature gauge for the 
health of our sports and significant for the sustainability of our international performances in years to come." 

Emerging and Developing Athletes - Track Endurance, Track Sprint, Road Endurance   

Emerging
 

• Alexander Jones Endurance VIC 
• Alli Anderson Endurance NT 
• Aston Freeth Endurance SA 
• Ben Anderson Endurance NSW 
• Blake Agnoletto Endurance VIC 
• Claudia Marcks Endurance ACT 
• Dalton Stretton Endurance TAS 
• Deneaka Blinco Sprint QLD 
• Des’ree Barnes Sprint QLD 
• Dylan Eather Endurance NSW 
• Dylan Stanton Sprint SA 
• Ella Sibley Sprint SA 
• Emma Stevens Sprint QLD 
• Hamish McKenzie Endurance TAS 
• Haylee Fuller Endurance NSW 
• Isabelle Carnes Endurance QLD 
• Jack Menzies Endurance TAS 
• Jarrah Anderson Sprint ACT 
• John Carter Endurance WA 
• Keira Will Endurance NSW 
• Lauren Bates Endurance ACT 
• Leo Zimmermann Endurance SA 
• Lily Stratford Sprint ACT 
• Meg Marker Endurance SA 
• Noah Blannin Endurance QLD 
• Oscar Chamberlain Endurance ACT 
• Ryan Elliott Sprint QLD 
• Sarah Cliff Endurance NSW 
• Sophie Marr Endurance VIC 
• Tyler Puzicha Sprint NSW 
• Will Holmes Endurance SA 
• William Eaves Endurance TAS 

  
Developing 

• Alessia McCaig Sprint VIC 
• Alyssa Polites Endurance VIC 
• Amber Pate Endurance SA 
• Angus Miller Endurance SA 
• Ashlee Jones Endurance VIC 
• Bill Simpson Endurance VIC 
• Blake Quick Endurance QLD 
• Byron Davies Sprint QLD 
• Cameron Rogers Endurance ACT 
• Carlos Carisimo Sprint SA 
• Daniel Gandy Endurance NSW 
• Danny Barber Sprint NSW 
• Declan Trezise Endurance QLD 
• Devraj Grewal Endurance NSW 
• Emily Watts Endurance NSW 
• Francesca Sewell Endurance QLD 
• Georgia Whitehouse Endurance NSW 
• Henry Dietze Endurance VIC 
• John Trovas Sprint NSW 
• Jordan Villani Endurance VIC 
• Josie Talbot Endurance NSW 
• Kalinda Robinson Sprint NSW 
• Katarina Chung-Orr Endurance SA 
• Kurt Eather Endurance NSW 
• Liam Walsh Endurance QLD 
• Liliana McLennan Endurance QLD 
• Lucinda Stewart Endurance VIC 
• Maxwell Liebeknecht Sprint SA 
• Ned Pollard Sprint VIC 
• Oliver Bleddyn Endurance WA 
• Patrick Eddy Endurance VIC 
• Rohan Haydon-Smith Endurance NSW 
• Sam Gallagher Sprint VIC 
• Zac Marriage Endurance SA 

Melbourne to Warrnambool Release

The Australian Cycling Team's Luke Plapp ( Inform TM Insight MAKE ( was the star of the Australian cycling summer, emerging as the next big thing in the sport with a stage win and a top climbing performance on par with Richie Porte at the Santos Festival of Cycling and then going on to win the Australian national time trial championships ahead of four-time national champion Luke Durbridge (Team BikeExchange). 
 
Plapp fielded calls from international teams and was featured in global cycling media with the spotlight on the Victorian 20-year-old as he dazzled in late January and early February. That was set to continue at the Powercor Melbourne to Warrnambool but a COVID-19 outbreak forced the race to be rescheduled to May 1. 
 
“That was the end of the road block and we got back onto the track to do some rehearsals and trial some last things before the games,” said Plapp. “Since then for me, it has died down a bit, I guess we haven’t had the focus of the major races. There’s no TDU or nationals which was a big focus for me in trying to set up my career for the next few years after the Olympics.  
 
“At the moment, we’re doing the country carnivals, but it’s not the same as preparing for the TDU or road nats (Australian national championships).” 
 
Racing handicaps and country carnivals is the unlikely preparation for the bright lights of the Tokyo Olympics, from mainly having the eyes of uninterested cattle to the rapt attention of Australia and the world following Plapp and the rest of the Australian track team as they fight for gold. Racing long events on the road, culminating in the 267-kilometre Powercor Melbourne to Warrnambool might seem counterintuitive as the riders prepare for the 4-kilometre flat-out effort of the team pursuit, but it’s all part of a grand strategy. 
 
“For us, we can’t start out a full-gas track prep too early on,” said Plapp. “You’re not burnt out as much, and you might get there too early and just be trying to hold onto the speed. So for us it’s about building that base and the races help and give us that focus and that goal even on the road. That’s been good for us. 
 
“We’ve had such a big block on the road that when we start our track work we don’t have to tap into the track, we can build on what we have and really focus on the track. If this was any other cycle (Olympic 4-year cycle) we’d be doing up in altitude doing a road block or something similar, so we’re doing what we can in Australia.” 
 
With coronavirus restrictions still in place, the Australian Cycling Team has opted for an absolute minimum of overseas competition with normal preparations like team camps at altitude in places like Mexico not an option. Despite those limitations, the plan is working from the perspective of Plapp. 
 
“I do think it is,” said Plapp. “Obviously, I don’t know what the situation is with the other countries on the track or what they’re doing. The difference is that I’ve seen them doing a lot of road races, whether that’s WorldTour or the level below.  
 
“They’ve got a bit higher level of racing than us with the NRS or country carnivals. I still think we’re getting exactly what we need out of these races, we had our international level races at the start of the year. We’re doing what’s right for us and I don’t think we are missing anything.” 
 
Plapp races for Victorian team Inform TM Insight MAKE on the road and said he was looking forward to the Powercor Melbourne to Warrnambool and gave some tips for those watching along from afar on the SBS Cycling Central Facebook page, who will be livestreaming the race from 11.30am AEST on Saturday.  
 
Read more at ​www.melbournetowarrnambool.com.au 

The next generation of Australia’s track cyclists recently completed an intense week of training at the AusCycling Under 19 Track National Training Camp in Adelaide.
 
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and current international travel restrictions, the AusCycling determined early in the year that no National Australian Cycling Team would compete at the 2021 UCI U19 Junior Track World Championships scheduled for Egypt in April.
 
To ensure the ongoing development of Australia's best junior athletes, the Australian Cycling Team recently conducted alternative activities for twenty endurance and sprint athletes in place of the Championships.
 
Under the watchful eyes of coaches from the Australian Cycling Team and the High-Performance Network, athletes were immersed in a week-long camp at the Adelaide Super-drome featuring elite on-track training and racing simulations sessions.
 
The education continued off the bike through strength and conditioning programs and several workshops on the topics of race strategy, nutrition, mental health and wellness, sport psychology and more.
 
Director of Performance Pathway for the Australian Cycling Team, Jesse Korf, was pleased with the camp's success and is excited about the future of the athletes and the sport.
 
"The Junior World Championships is an important milestone for athletes in all cycling sports, and with the inability to compete in the 2021 edition due to the COVID Pandemic, the Australian Cycling Team is proud to have provided this program as a replacement," Korf said. 
 
"We were able to acknowledge the athletes, celebrate their selection and provide them with a meaningful development opportunity both on and off the track.
 
"We have some fantastic talent across genders in both sprint and endurance, and we are very excited to find out what the future holds for these riders.
 
"Moving forward, we are keen to increase the opportunities within our pathways and support promising cyclists on their journey towards becoming the world's best.
 
"This camp was a great step in that direction."
 
Athletes - AusCycling U19 Track National Training Opportunity 
 
Women:

• Alessia McCaig (Sprint, NSW)
• Kalinda Robinson (Sprint, NSW)
• Tyler Puzicha (Sprint, NSW)
• Ella Sibley (Sprint, SA)
• Alyssa Polites (Endurance, VIC)
• Lucinda Stewart (Endurance, VIC)
• Isabelle Carnes (Endurance, QLD)
• Sophie Marr (Endurance, VIC)
• Meg Marker (Endurance, SA)
• Haylee Fuller (Endurance, NSW)

Men:

• Danny Barber (Sprint, NSW)
• Danny Barber (Sprint, NSW)
• Maxwell Lieberknecht (Sprint, SA)
• Dylan Stanton (Sprint, SA)
• Ryan Elliott (Sprint, QLD)
• Dylan Eather (Endurance, NSW)
• Zac Marriage (Endurance, SA)
• Leo Zimmermann (Endurance, SA)
• Cameron Rogers (Endurance, ACT)
• Hamish McKenzie (Endurance, TAS)
• Dalton Stretton (Endurance, TAS)

Australia boasts a strong history of success in women's track sprint cycling, with Olympic champion and eleven-time world champion Anna Meares achieving stunning success for more than a decade.

In recent years Stephanie Morton and Kaarle McCulloch achieved repeated success on the world stage, including winning the team sprint World Championship in 2019.
​
2020 saw a significant step for equality in women’s sprint cycling, with the UCI adding a third rider to the women's team sprint which achieved parity with the men’s event.

With limited depth in the current pathway, the Australian Cycling Team is taking a novel approach to developing the women’s sprint team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.   

​As a core component of the Australian Cycling Team’s gold-medal strategy, the Olympic Fast Track Program will seek to recruit exceptional athletes from outside the sport of cycling. It will aim to deliver them to the top step of the Olympic podium within one Olympic cycle. 

The vision is to develop an Olympic gold-medal-winning women’s team sprint combination whose journey to success positively impacts the future and supports a tangible step forward for women in the sport.

As a world-leader in sprint cycling knowledge and practice, the Australian Cycling Team is excited about the opportunity to extend and drive-forward the program’s approaches, with athletes on the program experiencing an exciting culture of learning, challenge, and change. 

The program presents an alternative model to developing world-beating athletes, utilising innovative thinking and practices, including exploring and developing an environment purposefully designed for women.  

Lynne Munro - Head of Olympic Fast Track Program | Australian Cycling Team

“This is an exciting program, taking targeted action and using innovative approaches to ensure we deliver a world-beating women’s team sprint for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games while leveraging the opportunity to make a difference for the future of women’s sprint. 

“It’s a bold vision, but there is a big opportunity here to lead the way, not only for our sport but shaping the design of performance environments for women.
 
“As one of the most successful nations in track sprint, we have a depth of knowledge and experience to capitalise on, and we will be pushing the boundaries of our coaching and preparation practices within the program.

“We want to harness the excitement of the opportunity, have people involved who contribute to the unique energy around the program. 

“Taking athletes new to the sport to the Olympic podium in a single cycle is a lofty goal, and we are looking for athletes that thrive on this degree of challenge, people who want to step out and find the next level in who they are and what they’re capable of.”

Get Involved

The program presents the opportunity of a fast and direct pathway to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and the Australian Cycling Team is keen to hear from athletes who think they might be suited and want to be part of this exceptional program. 

Whether this offers you a new or additional challenge to your current sport or training background, we want to hear from athletes inspired by this opportunity. 

Ideal athletes will have high levels of leg power, speed or acceleration, for example, in running, jumping or weightlifting, be highly motivated to challenge beyond limits and drive themselves and their team forward. 

Appropriate candidates will be offered entry to initial testing to assess their profile and potential. Future stages will work with a selected squad of athletes through progressive assessment and development.

Express your interest online through our website: australiancyclingteam.com/olympicfasttrack

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

Plowright storms to triply gold in team pursuit, omnium and points races

Victorian powerhouse Jensen Plowright prevailed in three events, with an exciting skirmish with Queensland’s Liam Walsh to win gold in the elite men’s omnium.

Plowright, an Australian Cycling Team Podium Potential Academy member, hit the ground running from the get-go in the four-race omnium with a second place in the scratch race early in the day.

Walsh battled back in the tempo round courtesy of a spirited lap gain on the field. However, Plowright balanced the ledger with a win in the elimination race at the beginning of the night session.

A Queensland versus Victoria battle ensued in the deciding points race, but Plowright’s ability to find an extra turn of speed proved too much for Walsh, who settled for the silver medal.

The win gave Plowright a second gold for the Championships after he guided Victoria to team pursuit gold on the opening day.

Moran wins elite women’s point race on the final lap

A South Australian onslaught from Chloe Moran and Amber Pate in the 100-lap points race capped off an exciting night of racing on Day 3.

Pate led the points for most of the race, only to have Moran take the title away from her at the final double-points lap finish after an opportunistic surge off the front with fellow South Australian Kat Chung-Orr.

The win secured Moran’s maiden individual elite national title and added to the team pursuit title she claimed on the opening day with South Australia

Leahy wins race against a clock

​A nail-biting elite men’s individual pursuit gold medal final duel between the Australian Cycling Team Podium Potential Academy duo of Conor Leahy and James Moriarty captivated the Anna Meares Velodrome crowd.

Leahy, who broke his collarbone only five weeks ago, took command early in the 4000m battle, but Moriarty fought back to reduce the time split at the halfway mark. But the gap was too much of a mountain to climb for Moriarty in the back half of the race, as Leahy charged to back-to-back national titles.

The elite women’s individual pursuit was also a special occasion for a very different reason, with National Road Series rider Samantha de Riter claiming a maiden track national title.

Second-ranked qualifier De Riter proved too good for Australian Cycling Academy Podium Potential Academy member and former junior world champion Lauren Perry in the final as she stormed to her first green and gold jersey.

“I had a bit of a faster schedule in mind, but the legs weren’t quite there. I crashed five weeks ago and broke my collarbone … to come here and win that race, yeah, I’m pretty happy. I went out really hot maybe expecting a bit more than I had in the legs but to hold off in the end feels pretty special.” – Conor Leahy
​

Birthday joy for Martin-Wallace

Alexandra Martin-Wallace made it a birthday to remember on day 5 of the 2021 AusCycling Track National Championships, claiming a big win in the elite women’s scratch race.

Queensland’s Martin-Wallace had toiled hard all week-long for no podium reward but was able to turn her fortunes around in the final elite women’s race of the program.
Zipping up the green and gold jersey was a special moment for the Australian Cycling Team Podium Potential Academy member, who was celebrating her 21st birthday.

The South Australian duo of Moran and Breanna Hargrave rounded out the podium in the silver and bronze medal positions.

Edwards wins maiden individual national title

Australian Cycling Team Podium Potential Academy member Sophie Edwards scored a milestone win in the gruelling elite women’s omnium, the first individual national title of her career.

The South Australian was neck and neck with Queensland’s Alexandra Martin-Wallace in the scratch and tempo portions of the omnium but asserted her authority on the field with a classy win in the elimination race.

Edwards was then placed under the microscope by 2021 U23 national road champion Emily Watts’ unrelenting attacks in the final points race.

Watts persisted with attacks as the lap count dwindled, but Edwards' talent shone through to the finish to comfortably win the omnium green and gold jersey.

Edwards’ gold medal is her second of the Championships and continues South Australia’s dominance in this week’s elite women’s events.

The finish of the points race was heartbreak for Martin-Wallace, who lost her bronze medal finish to Tasmanian and fellow Podium Potential Academy member Lauren Perry on a countback after the final sprint.

Frislie triumphs in chaotic elite men’s scratch race

A frenetic elite men’s scratch race with entertainment from start to finish shut the curtains on a super Saturday at Anna Meares Velodrome.

Victorian Graeme Frislie emerged unscathed and first across the line in a ferocious scratch race that had the crowd on the edge of its seat.

From the gun, the pressure was on for the elite men courtesy of a daring but unsuccessful attempt to gain a lap from Haddon Kilmartin.

The intensity never wavered and would culminate in a series of courageous one-out attacks by firstly Jordan Villani and then Josh Duffy, who looked at one stage to have the win all wrapped up.

A rapid chase led by eventual silver medallist Oliver Bleddyn reeled Duffy back in on the final passing of the back straight, leading to a moment of chaos which ended with Frislie crossing the line for the national title and Blake Agnoletto, Declan Trezise and Jensen Plowright laying on the Anna Meares Velodrome boards.

All three riders were thankfully unscathed from major injuries in the incident.
​

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

Clonan claims triple crown on hometrack

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

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

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

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

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

Cornish powers under a minute; claims dual crowns 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Richo defends sprint crown; double up in keirin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About #TrackNats21

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

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

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

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

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

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

Live Results Via the official results page.

Schedule - Gold Medal Finals

Wednesday 24 March 2021

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

Thursday 25 March 2021

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

Friday 26 March 2021

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

Saturday 27 March 2021

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

Sunday 28 March 2021

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

Follow via AusCycling social media:

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

The Australian Cycling Team is seeking an experienced Bicycle Mechanic. The successful applicant will need to be based in Adelaide, South Australia, and be skilled in servicing Track and Road bicycles. This role is available to commence immediately and will be on an interim casual basis until the end of 2021. 

Expressions of Interest

The 2021 BMX Freestyle National Championships at Melbourne’s Rampfest Indoor Skatepark on Sunday delivered a high-octane event with world champions, Olympic hopefuls and a record entrant list across junior, elite and masters categories, energising the packed crowd!

WOMEN’S Diehm overcomes wrist fracture to defend title

PODIUM

• GOLD Natalya Diehm
• SILVER Sophie Hildebrand

World number six Natalya Diehm defended her title with a stylish and courageous display.

After suffering a broken wrist in training in February, Diehm was initially ruled out of the Championships. However, she received medical clearance on Thursday after arriving in Melbourne just forty-eight hours before the final.

After hosting a come and try clinic with the next generation of Australia’s BMX Freestylers, Diehm rode to gold while unable to perform at 100% and with a borrowed bike and helmet.

Quotes - Natalya Diehm

“I’m so happy I could actually ride even with a hand injury, just coming off a broken hand. I’m super excited to defend my title.”

“It wasn’t until the flight here that I got medical clearance for the ride, so I didn’t have my bike or my helmet, it was all borrowed, but I did my best and got the gold.”

“All a part of the journey, I’m super excited, can’t wait to get back to 100% and give it my best.”

MEN’S World champion tussle as Martin claims third straight

PODIUM

• GOLD Logan Martin
• SILVER Brandon Loupos
• BRONZE Joshua Matthews

2017 world champion Logan Martin claimed the green and gold national champion’s jersey for a record third time.

Martin’s experience was too good on the day, topping qualifying on the Saturday before delivering two spectacular one-minute runs in Sunday’s final.

Martin’s best score of his two runs was 93-points which gave him the crown, three points ahead of reigning world champion Brandon Loupos (90pts), with Joshua Matthews (87pts) rounding out the podium in bronze.

Quotes - Logan Martin

“It feels amazing to pull on the green and gold (jersey). I was going for the three-peat today, that’s the goal I had set out, to take home another gold. To be Australian champion three times in a row is amazing.

“I’m super stoked on the runs I pulled, pretty much did everything I had planned, one or two things in each run I had to sacrifice, but for the most part that was what I had planned.

“The standard of riding is really going through the roof. The progression rate on BMX Freestyle in Australia is amazing right now. We had an amazing turn out as well, especially after having the year we’ve had with minimal events. To see everyone get behind the 2021 Nationals is amazing.

“Amazing to be back out there after a year of training, we were at home trying to better ourselves to go to the next event and not to have many events over the last year was difficult. It’s really good to get out there and do what we have been practising in the last year.

Melbourne's Rampfest will host Australia's best riders for the 2021 BMX Freestyle National Championships this weekend, including a trio with their sights on the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The 2021 AusCycling BMX Freestyle National Championships is open for riders of any age or skill level with national titles and rankings on offer for male and females in Juniors Under 15; Amateur 15 & Over, Master 30 + and Pro/Elite categories.

What is BMX Freestyle?

BMX Freestyle sees riders perform a series of tricks during a '1-minute run' across a ramp-filled course, where tricks are judged based on difficulty, originality, style and execution.

BMX Freestyle will make its debut on the Olympic Games program in Tokyo later this year.

Riders to watch at Nationals

The 2020 AusCycling BMX Rider of the Year Loupos will sport the rainbow jersey as reigning world champion, while the 2017 world champion Martin will be aiming to defend his national crown.

World number six and current national champion Natalya Diehm suffered a broken wrist in training last month, and while originally ruled out of the competition, she has been cleared to ride. 

Event Snapshot
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2021 AusCycling BMX Freestyle National Championships

​Saturday

9am - 12pm - Open Practice (for all competitors)
12pm - 1pm - Am Practice
1pm - 2:30pm - Am Qualifying
2:30pm - 3:30pm - Pro Practice
3:30pm - 5:30pm - Pro Qualifying

Sunday

9am - 11am - Junior & Masters Practice
11am - 12pm - Junior Competition
12pm - 1pm - Masters Competition
1:15pm - 2pm - Am Finals Practice
2pm - 3pm - Am Finals
3:15pm - 4pm - Pro Finals Practice
4pm - 5:30pm - Pro Finals
6pm - Presentations

Rampfest Indoor Skatepark - 47 Hillary St, Braybrook, Melbourne​

Twenty-one-year-old Maeve Plouffe has etched her name onto one of Australia's most prestigious track cycling honour boards with a sensational record-breaking ride in Adelaide. 
 
Plouffe broke the Australian individual pursuit record while competing in the AusCycling Track Championships - South Australia, eclipsing the existing mark set by Ashlee Ankudinoff during her 2019 World Championships winning ride.  
 
"Being the fastest Australian woman in the history of the individual pursuit is still something I'm wrapping my head around," said Plouffe, who soared around the Adelaide Super-Drome in a time of 3mins 25.44secs to take half a second off the national mark.  
 
Plouffe's last effort in the 3000m individual pursuit came on her World Championship debut in Berlin in February 2020, where she clocked 3mins 26.742secs for the 12-lap event.  

Amazingly, Plouffe broke the record while in the middle of heavy training as part of Olympic preparations.  
 
"This record is something that I have had my eye on since Berlin last year, but in all honesty, I wasn't expecting to break it until at least after the Olympics on full preparation and taper. With Tokyo only six months away, we are training heavily, which means there are very few opportunities to freshen up and test the legs against the clock. 
 
"But when my coach Glenn (O'Shea) gave me the option to race the State champs, I jumped at the chance because I find that the individual and team pursuit skillsets translate across very nicely, so any opportunity to practice suffering against the clock is an invaluable one!  
 
"Racing an individual pursuit can be nerve-racking because it truly is a truth race — there's no hiding, hence why it's so beneficial to use it to assess how you're progressing."

Plouffe joined an exclusive list that have broken both the Australian record and the 3min 30-second barrier in the past two decades. It also includes a trio of world champions in Ankudinoff, Rebecca Wiasak and Katie Mactier, and multiple national champion Annette Edmondson.  
 
"With no specific prep, I was mostly interested in seeing where I was "at" in this phase of our prep, which makes the record even cooler because it shows that our Australian women's cycling squad has really stepped up to an unprecedented high in the last year.  
 
"We still have a lot of work left to do, so I'm eager to see how much we can improve as a squad between now and the Games!" 
 
After taking up cycling in 2015 at the age of 14 after taking part in long-distance ocean swimming, Adelaide's Plouffe claimed several medals on both the road and track in the under 17 endurance ranks. 
  
She made her debut in the green and gold for Australia at the 2017 Junior (Under 19) Track Cycling World Championships. In her first year in the elite ranks in 2018, Plouffe joined the Australian Cycling Team's Podium Potential Academy for its inaugural class.  
  
"Over the last two years, I've seen the most challenges physically and mentally than I think I ever have in my career, but they have also been the most rewarding. Although I have a long way to go, I think I've matured and come into myself as an athlete over the last year.  
 
"There is a big difference between training to be a generally good athlete in most areas to training to perfect a particular role or event. I've found that moving towards the latter has really caused my times to drop substantially. Being around my more experienced teammates and support staff has taught me the little things that really do separate the good from the best!  ​

Becoming a train-on member of the Podium endurance squad late in 2019, Plouffe excelled with five Oceania Championships medals in October before stepping up to the World Cup level where she won team pursuit gold and silver.  
 
But despite the success, Plouffe was considered an outside chance of receiving a Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games team selection due to the strength of Australia's women's endurance ranks.  
 
"It's been daunting at times — I wasn't originally in contention for an Olympic spot, but I knew deep down that if I would regret not pushing hard for an opportunity to put my hand up for selection. I'm grateful for the coaching staff at the Australian cycling team for giving me a chance.  
 
After a strong debut at the UCI World Championships in February 2020, Plouffe received her maiden Olympic team nod alongside experienced riders Ashlee Ankudinoff, Georgia Baker, Amy Cure and Annette Edmondson.  
 
"The selection process was brutal because the depth of talent in the women's track endurance field is outstanding — I was thrown into a new team racing 10+ seconds faster than I've ever been before, which took a lot of mental resilience.  

With the Games postponed just a few weeks later, Plouffe revealed the roller coaster ride, followed by the COVID-19 interrupted 2020, has taught her to be more relaxed.  
 
"Although a delayed Games due to COVID was a disappointment, a positive was that I at least had a few months to breathe and reset after what was a stressful selection period. A whole extra year to prepare as a young athlete is invaluable, especially for me because it gave me more time to mesh with my new team." 
 
And while she has a full schedule of training and racing with the Australian Cycling Team, and also ARA Pro Racing Sunshine Coast on the road, as she prepares for the Games, Plouffe still finds time to improve in other areas of life by completing a dual Science / Law degree. 
 
"During 2020, I also was able to take on a full-time study load in my double degree because I knew we wouldn't be travelling for races. Overall, I feel so much more relaxed and set up for Tokyo 2021 — there has been a lot of hard work put in, now it's up to us to execute as a team!" ​​

International Women’s Day is on March 8 and is a time to celebrate the extraordinary roles played, acts of courage and determination, and achievements by women across the world.

Across Australia, there are thousands of superwomen in the sport of cycling, from world-beating athletes, coaches, administrators, commissaires and local club legends who are the heartbeat of the cycling community.

For the first time, AusCycling has been united under one organisation for all the cycling disciplines and clubs, an organisation that will provide more opportunity for our women than ever, for equality, and for positive change.

Join Olympian and world champion Kate Bates as we celebrate International Women’s Day by chatting to seven of our amazing women in AusCycling.

Guests:

Marne Fechner: CEO of AusCycling - the first-ever female to run the sport of Cycling in Australia
Maeve Plouffe: Australian Cycling Team endurance cyclist - targeting Tokyo while studying a dual degree
Jessica McClelland: Vice President of the Hawthorn Cycling Club - is nurturing grassroots women’s participation
Lynne Munro: Australian Cycling Team Olympic Fast Track Program Coach championing for more female coaches
Natalya Diehm: BMX Freestyle trailblazer shining a light in a male-dominated discipline
Kimberly Conte: UCI Commissaire & World Tour Event Director, one of only a handful of female race directors worldwide
Rebecca McConnell: Aiming for a third Olympics, and has spent a decade on the world pro mountain biking tour
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#LetsRideTogether #IWD2021 #ChooseToChallenge