Track Cycling News & Racing Round-up, Monday, February 1, 2010

• Previous Edition
• Next Edition

Date published:

February 1, 2010, 11:00

• Crashes mar Rotterdam six day

  

  Article published:

  January 11, 2010, 00:18

  By:

  Laura Weislo

  Danes fall to second place after Mørkøv goes down

  The weekend of racing at the Rotterdam Six Day has been interrupted by multiple crashes, forcing organisers to reformulate the teams as riders sit out or abandon the racing altogether due to injuries.

  On the Friday, Peter Schep had a dramatic crash in the derny race, and his partner Theo Bos was paired up with German Robert Bartko, whose own partner Jeff Vermeulen was suffering from an injury, to finish out the night.

  On the final madison of the night, a large and violent crash involving Iljo Keisse, Danny Stam, Ismael Kip and Marc Hester forced the organisers to halt the night's racing prematurely to let the medics attend to the fallen.

  While all four and Schep as well remounted for Saturday's race, another dramatic crash plagued the race leaders, Michael Mørkøv and Alex Rasmussen, who collided with Bos during an exchange. Schep, still smarting from a severely bruised buttocks, narrowly avoided going down again.

  While Rasmussen was able to remount, Mørkøv was dazed and kept out of competition, while Bos also sat out with an arm injury.

  Rasmussen continued with Bartko, while Stam was ailing from the Friday night crash with a hurt rib. The Dutchman soldiered on with Keisse to hold onto third place, although their point deficit increased dramatically to the new leaders, Swiss pair Bruno Risi and Franco Marvulli.

  On Sunday, there was another crash, with Dutch rider Jens Mouris crashing in the derny race along with Michael Vingerling. Both suffered abrasions.

  Mouris, neutralised for the night, joked that there have been so many crashes that all the racers together in the field barely have enough skin left to cover a single rider.

• Australian teams named for Beijing World Cup

  

  Article published:

  January 11, 2010, 00:49

  By:

  Cycling News

  Meyer returns to track after taking road national championship

  Cycling Australia has named its two squads for the final round of the UCI Track World Cup in Beijing, China, from January 22-24.

  The Australian National Team and Team Jayco will be at full strength for the event in Beijing, with Travis Meyer making a return to track competition following his win in the elite men's road race at the Australian Open Road Championships in Ballarat.

  Joining him in the endurance ranks will be Michael Hepburn, who won the U23 men's road race at the national titles, both riders continuing their progression towards this year's UCI World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark and the ultimate goal of gold at the London Olympics in 2012.

  Fancied sprinter Shane Perkins makes the switch from Team Jayco to the Australian National Team for the meet, joining young talent Peter Lewis and newcomer Alex Bird in the green and gold sprint ranks.

  Australian National Team for Beijing World Cup

  Alex Bird, Luke Durbridge, Michael Hepburn, Leigh Howard, Peter Lewis, Travis Meyer, Shane Perkins, Glenn O'Shea, Ashlee Ankudinoff, Megan Dunn, Sarah Kent, Anna Meares, Emily Rosemond, Josephine Tomic

  Team Jayco for Beijing World Cup

  Daniel Ellis, Jason Niblett, Scott Sunderland, Kaarle McCulloch

• 16 North American riders take on track World Cup finale

  

  Article published:

  January 20, 2010, 19:05

  By:

  Scott Patton

  US and Canadian riders eye qualifying spots in Beijing

  As the World Cup season heads into its final event, there are a lot of things riding on the competition in Beijing. Sixteen riders from North America are in China, some are looking for experience, some chasing a record, other to qualify start position at the World Championships for the United States or Canada. Six riders from the US and ten from Canada will ensure that North America is represented in virtually every event.

  Rapidly becoming one of the most versatile track riders in America, Cari Higgins will be the sole American woman racing in Beijing. Cari flew into the previous World Cup in Cali under-rested, and had a bad experience. She is looking to turn things around in Beijing in the Scratch Race, Points Race and Keirin as she continues her shift from a focus on sprint events to endurance races with a new, refreshed attitude.

  Taking a brief break from his work as a professional fire fighter, American Jimmy Watkins has turned his track racing focus entirely to international competition. Jimmy passed on defending his US title last fall for an opportunity to race against some of the best sprinters in the world at the Columbian Grand Prix, and hopes this experience will come in handy as he races the Keirin and Sprint competition in Beijing. The reigning Pan American Champion and National Record holder is looking to bring his sub-10 second 200m speed to Beijing.

  The current US National Champion in the Kilometer and Sprints, Giddeon Massie will also be racing in Beijing. Massie's goal for the World Cup is a top 5 finish in the Kilo and qualifying a start position for worlds. After spending the past few months racing World Cups, Revolutions, Australian State Championships, Grand Prix events and Christmas Carnivals, he is at the top of his form and should do well.

  From the US National endurance team we have the duo of Cody O'Reilly and Colby Pearce. With two world cup events under his belt, O'Reilly heads into Beijing with a solid goal of qualifying the US start positions for the upcoming world championships. He's spent the past few weeks at the US Track Camp, working with Pearce on their Madison technique and feels that will help in Beijing. O'Reilly will also be riding the Scratch Race, which he feels is the best event for him as he lacks Points Race experience at the international level. With a long list of good Points Race results on his resume, Pearce will take on that challenge.

  The only American riding for a trade team is Jame Carney, who will be riding for Team Salamander. This continues his multi-decade assault on international track cycling. After having health issues in Cali, Carney returned to his second home down under for some Carnival racing and training. He's well poised for a good result in that Points or Scratch race.

  All three members of the gold medal winning Canadian Team Pursuit squad left Los Angeles after posting some very fast times and headed to Beijing. Tara Whitten, Laura Brown and Stephanie Roorda will be joined by Julia Bradley on the trip as they seek to improve upon their Canadian Record of 3:27 which was set in Cali.

  In addition to the Team Pursuit, Whitten will be racing the Pursuit, Scratch and Points Race. After earning a Silver Medal in the Points Race and Pursuit in Cali, she rides into Beijing with some added confidence. Her experience in the Women's Omnium at the 2009 World Championship should help her endure the busy schedule.

  On the sprint side of the Canadian Women's team, Monique Sullivan will compete in the Sprints, Keirin and 500m TT events. She's split her winter training between Calgary and Los Angeles and is feeling fit and fast. Looking back on Cali, Monique regrets not trusting her speed, which led to tactical mistakes. She's looking to ride intuitively and aggressively in Beijing.

  Zachary Bell will be looking to end his season-long medal drought as he races the Points Race and Scratch Race. Zach won two World Cup medals last year in preparation for his silver medal performance at the World Championships. In Cali, a tactical error cost him a bronze medal. He will surely be looking to ride smarter and move onto the podium.

  After a trip to the finals in Cali, the sprint trio of Travis Smith, Joseph Veloce and Stephance Cossette will be racing again. Qualifying third, but going a fraction slower in the finals and earning a fourth place finish in the Team Sprint competition, the team is looking to guarantee a start position for the World Championships. A first year Senior, Allan Leparskas, will be joining the team as an alternate.

  Canadian National Team:

  Women:
  Tara Whitten (Team Pursuit, Pursuit, Points Race Scratch Race)
  Laura Brown (Team Pursuit)
  Steph Roorda (Team Pursuit)
  Julia Bradley (Team Pursuit)
  Monique Sullivan (Sprint, Keirin, 500m)

  Men:
  Zach Bell (Points Race, Scratch Race)
  Travis Smith (Team Sprint, Keirin)
  Stephane Cossette (Sprint Events)
  Joseph Veloce (Sprint Events)
  Allan Leparskas (Sprint Events)

  US National Team:

  Women:
  Cari Higgins (Points Race, Scratch Race, Keirin)

  Men:
  Giddeon Massie (Sprint, Keirin)
  Cody O'Reilly (Scratch Race, Madison)
  Colby Pearce (Points Race, Madison)
  Jimmy Watkins (Sprint, Kilometer)

  Team Salamander
  Jame Carney (Points Race, Scratch Race)

• Cornu conducts track tests in The Netherlands

  

  Article published:

  January 28, 2010, 15:12

  By:

  Richard Tyler

  Skil-Shimano throws their support behind Belgian's Track Worlds objectives

  While Dominique Cornu begins his first season with Skil-Shimano, the Belgian's early season focus will remain firmly fixed on the individual and team pursuit events at the 2010 World Track Championships.

  A specialist against the clock, the 2006 Under-23 World Time Trial Champion will compete in the 4000m individual pursuit and as part of the Belgian team pursuit squad at the Track Worlds in Copenhagen, Denmark in late March.

  Earlier this month, Skil-Shimano threw their full support behind their new recruit's objectives as they provided him with the opportunity to test equipment at the Apeldoorn Velodrome in The Netherlands. Cornu said the result of the tests on his new team bike and clothing had revealed noticeable improvements.

  "Testing my materials for aerodynamics is extremely important because on this level every second counts," he said. "It's amazing to see what a difference the right equipment has already made. I've also made some adjustments to my position on the bike, too, and the results are positive. I'm looking forward with confidence towards my road time trials and the Track Worlds."

  Skil-Shimano has paid particularly close attention to the construction of team skinsuits for this year. Drawing on technology used by speed skaters, the team has improved the aerodynamics of the suit through the use of specially designed materials and stitching across the riders' shoulders.

  Following the completion of his programme at the Track World Championships, Cornu expects to rejoin his Skil-Shimano teammates on the road in time for the Walloon Classics of Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Amstel Gold.

• Olympian Kelly to lead Marysville anniversary fundraiser ride

  

  Article published:

  January 29, 2010, 11:33

  By:

  Cycling News

  CFA, SES benefactors of 2010 ride

  Australian Olympian Shane Kelly will lead a second fund raising ride in Marysville next month, one year after bush fires devastated the region. The recreational ride, which raised $38,225 last year, will raise funds for Country Fire Authority and State Emergency Service, according to organiser CycleSport Victoria.

  "Taking part in this ride is the littlest thing I can do to help the recovery and rebuilding and I encourage everyone to come along on the day and take part,” said . “It is not a race, but it is a challenge, but I am sure all cyclists can complete one of the distances with even just few rides in preparation over the next three weeks.

  "Many times up that last bit I felt like getting off and calling it a day, but I thought hang on, what I was going through is nothing compared to what I am sure people here in the fires and afterwards had been through,” he added.

  Kelly is a multiple time International Cycling Union Track World Champion and a regular on Australian national track team at Commonwealth, World and Olympic level since competing as a junior in 1990. In his last year of competition in 2008 Kelly just missed out on a medal in the keirin at the Beijing Olympic Games, won both the keirin and team sprint Oceania titles and won the Australian team sprint title.

  The 2010 Ventou Marysville Lake Mountain Challenge will pass through fire affected regions like Buxton, Taggerty, Alexandra, Eildon, Thornton and Narbethong. In May 2009, the event attracted over 1,500 participants, raising $38,225 for the Victorian Bushfire appeal.

  This year’s event, to be held on February 20, will see $10 from each entry donated to the CFA and SES. See CycleSport Victoria’s website for more information.

• Glasgow, Scotland secures 2013 junior world track championships

  

  Article published:

  January 29, 2010, 17:40

  By:

  Cycling News

  UCI committee selects worlds venues, votes on Olympic qualifications

  The UCI Management Committee, meeting on the eve of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Tabor, the Czech Republic, on Friday, awarded the 2013 Junior Track World Championships to Glasgow, Scotland, in Great Britain. The championships will be the first event to take place in Glasgow's new Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome which is currently under construction in the city's East End.

  "Winning the Junior Track Cycling World Championships is a fantastic achievement for Scotland, and once again proves our world class credentials in hosting major sporting events," said Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer at EventScotland, the national events agency which led the bid. "As the first event confirmed for the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, it will introduce Scotland's newest sports facility to the world."

  The win is part of a strategic approach, in partnership with the Glasgow City Council, to bring sporting events that showcase the city's new and existing facilities".

  "The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome will be a unique facility and among the top venues for track cycling in Europe," said Bush. "We anticipate that this will be the first of many track cycling events won for Scotland in the years leading up to and beyond the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow."

  Approximately 220 riders from 60 countries are expected for the championship. The economic impact is estimated at £2.2 million.

  "This is great news for the city of Glasgow and reaffirms our position as a leading venue for world sporting events... ," said Councillor Steven Purcell, Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau. "I am confident that 2013 will be another great success."

  The Commonwealth Games will visit Glasgow in 2014. Scotland has a history of track cycling, having produced champions such as Sir Chris Hoy, Craig McLean, Ross Edgar and Aileen McGlynn.

  The velodrome is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2012 and will have a seven-meter wide x 250-meter long timber track, a fully integrated timing system with scoreboard and recording facilities. On site, a one-kilometer closed road circuit will provide additional training and racing opportunities for all levels and abilities. The Velodrome will form part of the National Indoor Sports Arena, a multi-sports complex.

  At the same meeting, the UCI gave Louisville, Kentucky in the US the 2013 Cyclo-cross World Championships and the 2012-2013 Masters Cyclo-cross World Championships. It also awarded the 2010 UCI Track Cycling Masters World Championships to Anadia, Portugal.

  In addition, qualification systems for the 2012 London Olympic Games' mountain bike and BMX competitions were approved as were the qualification systems for the 2012 London Paralympics’ cycling competitions and 2010 UCI Road World Championships (men's road races). No details were released, but they are expected soon on the UCI website.

• Victoria gets track schedule shake up

  

  Article published:

  January 31, 2010, 22:04

  By:

  Greg Johnson

  Revolution 6, state madison championships moved to DISC

  Revolution 6 has been moved to the Darebin International Sports Centre in Victoria as one of several shake-ups to the state’s track schedule. The next of the Revolution series races was to be held at Hisense Arena, however will now be held at DISC on February 27.

  The change is just one of three different moves in Victorian track events in the last fortnight. Revolution 6 has moved venue after races held in the February/March period have failed to attract large crowds, according to Harry Hart, director of promoter Cotter Pin.

  “While we’ve had sell-outs at past events, crowds have been down at recent meetings making it very difficult to justify the high costs associated with running an event at Hisense Arena,” said Hart. “We have a great track at DISC and the Australian Madison Championships proved that if you fill it, it offers a terrific atmosphere for the riders and the crowd.”

  Cotter Pin’s Revolution series, which is modeled off the successful British series by the same name, will be crucial in the development of Australian track cycling, according to Cycling Australia Chief Executive Officer Graham Fredericks.

  “The Revolution concept will play an important part in the growth of track cycling in Australia with plans to role it out into other states and create a truly national track series,” said Fredericks. “With the Track World Championships scheduled for Melbourne in 2012 and the World Cup an established annual fixture, it is important that we build a track calendar around these events to leverage the momentum they create in the sport.”

  The Victorian Madison Championship has also received a date and venue change, with the race also going to be held at DISC instead of its original Ballarat location. The race has been moved back from February 14 to February 21.

  The state’s Men’s Omnium Championship has also been moved. Instead of its original date on December 11, the race will join the Masters Championships on April 10 at DISC.

• Perkins out of Australian titles

  

  Article published:

  February 1, 2010, 10:23

  By:

  Cycling News

  Australian sprinter needs time off to cure back problems

  Champion sprinter Shane Perkins will not take part in this week's Australian track cycling titles in Adelaide due to his ongoing back problems. Having complained of pain in his hip and quad for almost a year, Perkins had MRI scans last week, revealing the source of the problem. It is not known whether he will be able to participate in the World Track Championships yet, which will be held in Denmark in March.

  "It's hard to pinpoint exactly what's done it, because it hasn't made me hit the floor with pain," Perkins told AAP. "It'd been going on for about a year, and just through having it managed through massage and physio, it hasn't got any worse.

  "But now it is at the point where it has got worse and the body needs a bit of a break because I haven't stopped for about a year and a half now. I haven't had a month off. Last week I had a total break and my back has come up quite well. I am on some medication to help reduce the inflammation and that's working well, which is good."

  While Perkins was disappointed at not being able to compete, he also took the news philosophically. "It is bad (to have it) because I would've loved to be at the Australian titles, but maybe it's happened for a reason, maybe something's telling me you need to have a bit of a rest and then get back into it."

  Speaking about the World Championships, the 23-year-old could not make any predictions but felt confident. "I've got seven weeks to train and seven weeks to be in the best shape. With my coach Sean Eadie, once we get there we'll worry about the tactics."