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Reigning World Champions Josephine Tomic and Sarah Kent teamed with Kate Bates to claim the first gold medal of the opening round of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics at Melbourne's Hisense Arena. Compatriots Cameron Meyer and Leigh Howard also lined up in the rainbow stripes and put on a spectacular show to win the Madison.

 

 

After breaking the all-comers record for the fastest time on Australian soil in qualifying with a time of 3minutes 24.244seconds for the 3000m distance, the women's trio shaved a further five tenths of a second off that mark in the final, crossing the line in 3minutes 22.171seconds.

 

 

In a nail-biting final against the German trio of Charlotte Becker, Lisa Brennauer and Madeleine Sandig, just four-hundredths of a second separated the two teams after the first kilometre. But the Australians picked up their pace over the final few laps to finish almost a second ahead of their rivals winning in a time of 3minutes22.171seconds.

 

 

"That time at this time of the year is pretty good," said Tomic, 21, "We were quite a few seconds ahead of where we have ever been at this time so that shows there are really good things to come for next year and the world championships."

 

 

For Bates, the 2007 points race world champion, the win marked her return to international track cycling. After the Beijing Olympic Games she focussed on road cycling until a crash in 2009 almost ended her career. But she fought back from a serious hip injury and decided to return to the track when the teams pursuit for women was included in the program for 2012 Olympic Games.

 

 

"In a way this is like my first World Cup, a new event and a new feeling after a little bit of time away so I am a bit reborn, but my birth certificate doesn't say that though," said Bates, 28, who took gold in the scratch race at last week's Oceania Championships in Adelaide.

 

 

"It's a whole new skills base and I have the world's best to learn from so I am really looking forward at what is to come and even though they are eight or nine years younger I can't have better people teaching me.

 

 

"With the incredible depth we have in Australia, tonight I am taking the place of a current world champion in Ashlee, so I certainly need to keep on my toes not just fitness wise but skills wise."

In the Madison reigning World Champions Meyer, 22, and Howard, 21, were the only team to take two laps in a sensational display in front of a home crowd.

 

 

The Dutch and New Zealand teams set the pace early in the 160 lap 40km race, but a calculated move from the Australians at the midpoint saw them take their first lap on the field.

 

 

New Zealand counter attacked to regain the lost lap and the lead. But recognising the threat from their trans-Tasman rivals the Aussie pair launched another attack to claim their second lap.

 

 

At the end the Australians were one lap up on ten points, New Zealand's Aaron Gate and Myron Simpson placed second with (14 points but a lap behind and the Netherland's Nick Stopler and Peter Schep (10 points) claimed the bronze medal.

 

 

West Australia's Meyer, who has been battling illness, was eager to perform in the rainbow jersey on home soil.

 

 

"I came in today feeling a little underdone, but I still mentally wanted to perform well for Australia, and I wanted to do it for Leigh as well" said Meyer.

 

 

"We have a bit of a presence now in the world in the Madison, in that we've got a style where we are taking it as one of the stronger teams in the second half of the race where we try and take laps," said Meyer, who with Howard claimed the world championship in March in Copenhagen in similar style.

 

 

"We have that presence now, and the confidence so when it does happen, we really push hard to make it happen and at the moment it's working for us," Meyer added.

 

 

In the men's team sprint, Great Britain's of Sir Chris Hoy, Matthew Crampton and Jason Kenny, recorded the only two sub-44 second times of the day on their way to winning gold.

The trio's time of 43.829seconds in the final was too good for New Zealand's Edward Dawkins, Ethan Mitchell and Sam Webster who crossed the line in 44.339seconds.

 

 

"Tonight was a good performance but not an exceptional one and I think a low-43 would be looking to win the world championships, so we probably have got another half a second to come off that hopefully," said Hoy, 34, the triple Olympic champion, who now turns his attention to Friday's keirin.

 

 

"I would like to try and dominate the keirin tomorrow and stamp my authority on it, that's the aim," Hoy said adding, "If you win then that's great but the important thing is to dictate the race."

 

 

Team Jayco-AIS' Daniel Ellis, Shane Perkins and Jason Niblett (44.545seconds) won the bronze medal ahead of Germany's Rene Enders, Stefan Nimke and Michael Seidenbecher (44.938seconds).

In the women's team sprint, China's Guo Shuang and Gong Jinjie set an all-comers record of 33.240seconds, on their way to upsetting Great Britain's Victoria Pendleton and Jessica Varnish (33.562seconds) in the final. France's Sandie Clair and Clara Sanchez (33.655seconds) claimed bronze over Yvonne Hjgenaar and Willy Kanis of the Netherlands (33.644seconds).

Reigning world champion Kaarle McCulloch was joined by Team Jayco-AIS team mate Emily Rosemond and finished sixth.

 

 

After the first three events in the men's omnium, the flying 200m, points and elimination races, Australia's Scott Law (32 points) is in eleventh place.

 

 

With the aim to complete the sixth events with the lowest points total, New Zealand's Shane Archbold (13 points) leads reigning World Champion Ed Clancy of Great Britain (19 points), with Canada's Zachary Bell (21 points) sitting in third. The omnium continues Friday with the individual pursuit, scratch race and time trial.

 

 

The Melbourne World Cup is the first round of the 2010-2011 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics series and will feature more than 300 cyclists from 41 nations in action in 12 events over three days of racing. For more details please visit the event website www.trackworldcup.com.au Results and official start lists are available at www.tissottiming.com.

 

They say good teams become great ones when the members trust each other enough to surrender the ‘me’ for ‘we’.

I’m sitting at a coffee shop down the road from our usual apartments here in Adelaide after 8 hours at the track today, and have just realized it’s now under 2 weeks until we race the Team Pursuit at World Champs in Denmark. Its moments like these when I get a minute to reflect a bit on the past few months and prepare for the next few weeks approaching.

After an up and down start to the season, with a back injury, I had a few people worried about how I would pull up coming into an important January. When I was given the chance to ride the Individual Pursuit at Beijing World Cup, which would be my first individual event at senior world-class level, I put a bit of pressure on myself to perform. But after riding a shocking time at Trials just prior to leaving, I had a decision to make.. Did I have the form to ride it?

I found when I got over there, my legs had come back to me, so I took a risk, rode it and surprised myself a little. Though it wasn’t the time I wanted, I qualified 4^th meaning I was riding off for bronze later that night. I didn’t have it in me that day to back up, ending up 4^th overall.. So I switched my focus back to the Team Pursuit the next day, which I was to ride with my long-term teammates, Josie Tomic and Ashlee Ankudinoff.

We qualified in 2^nd in the morning, half a second behind. No surprise there. We’ve been ranked 3 for the past few years unable to crack the Poms and Kiwis. With the poms not making an appearance, we were determined to beat NZ in the final. With a bit of a strategy change, and a few motivational talks within our team, we weren’t going to let this one slip through our fingers. We went out hard, held on to it and beat NZ by 1 second, riding the second fastest time ever recorded… and only a second of the world record. It was a special moment, especially knowing I could share it with my two teammates. By winning, we also won the World Cup Team Pursuit Series meaning that we will ride the World Champs in the white series leader skinsuits.

It was tough to come back to reality and refocus after our most successful World Cup, but we needed to in order to ride National Champs a week later back here in Adelaide. I couldn’t tell you how I felt leading into the Individual Pursuit at Nationals.. I can’t remember a thing.. it was all a blur! All I know was I felt awesome in my warm up that day. Ash Ankudinoff was off one heat before me, and Josie Tomic a heat after. It’s strange racing competitively against these girls, as usually they’re by my side, lifting me up when I’m down.

When Ash posted an unbelievable time in 3.34, a 7 second PB for her, I was so gobsmacked that I actually laughed, whilst sitting there trying to focus. There’s not much you can do when someone does a time like that, other than just ride like hell and hope you make the final. Which I did, but 2.5 seconds slower than her time. Hey, I was still stoked with my 4 second PB!! After going back to the hotel to refocus and refuel, I came back to the track with a bit of arrogance in me. I have no idea where it came from, it’s generally not who I am.. But I was confident as hell. I was sick of being number 2 and walking in everyone’s shadows. And though I was the clear underdog, I wasn’t going home with another silver. I had the perfect ride.. I rode the first half to schedule called by Darryl Benson, and the last half I just gave everything I had left, and couldn’t believe I’d not only come out on top, but rode a faster time than my qualifying. The feeling going through my body was pure relief and satisfaction. So after blowing my mum a kiss in the crowd and giving Darryl one of his bear hugs, I sat back to let it sink in a bit.. which, took a few weeks! Our WA team including Jos, and Mel Hoskins also won the Teams Pursuit, and I sealed it off with a bronze in the Omnium.

So I’m now back in Adelaide again, and have spent the last 2 weeks here at pre world’s training camp, and am to fly out in 4 days. With all the hard work that’s been done, all that’s left is Trials day and the final touches before the big day.

We’ll go into these Worlds in the Team Pursuit as the challengers, and against teams who are just as hungry as we are for the win, but through these past few years we’ve been confident of one thing over all the others. Our technique, skill and discipline. We are the most drilled team above all – the Australians have always had a great reputation for the unity and trust within our team.

Jos, Ash and myself are great friends above all, and always have each other’s back, to get the other over the line.

Wish us luck, I hope there is only good news to report!

Thanks for everyone’s support.

 

Sarah :-)

 

The way a team plays as a whole determines it’s success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the team won’t be worth a dime. – Babe Ruth.