Current women's team sprint world champion Anna Meares will make a return to racing at the Melbourne round of the UCI Track World Cup in November after a lengthy break that followed the Beijing Olympics.
Meares, who took silver in the women's sprint at last year's Olympics to add to her gold in the 500m time trial at the Athens Games in 2004, had come back from a life-threatening crash early last year to make the final of the women's sprint in Beijing, so a lengthy break was in order. She says she's ready to compete at home again, having raced in Japan during July.
"I took four months off post-Beijing and had a holiday with my husband and went home to Queensland and enjoyed some quality time with my family," said Meares.
"I think that has really brought me back this season in great stead. Training has been going fantastically well, I've been in Japan racing in July, had a training camp in my home town of Rockhampton in August and now I'm looking forward to the world cup series starting in October," she added.
"I always enjoy coming to Melbourne. The venue is always full of people willing to voice their opinion and cheer for the Australians. I've had great results at Hisense Arena, winning the world champs there in 2004 and the Commonwealth Games gold medal and Commonwealth record in 2006; I've had a great record and I'm really looking forward to going back to race there."
Meares will be just one of the attractions at Australia's round of the UCI Track World Cup, held at the Hisense Arena in Melbourne November 19-21. For more information and tickets, visit www.trackworldcup.com.au
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