Meyer won't compete in London on the track

Cameron Meyer will not be a part of Australia's track cycling team for the upcoming London Olympic Games, citing a lack of passion for the team pursuit.

Meyer was a member of the world championship-winning quartet in 2010 but did not compete in the event at the 2011 and 2012 worlds, instead, concentrating on the madison and the points race. Last Saturday, Meyer took out the points race by just a single point over Great Britain's Ben Swift for his third world title in the event, and on Sunday the West Australian teamed up with Leigh Howard for a bronze medal in the madison.

The 24-year-old indicated over the weekend that he would be meeting with Australian team management after the championships and yesterday it was decided that he would not be a member of the shadow squad for London. He will now focus his energies on the road with trade team GreenEdge.

"It was a very hard decision to make, but ultimately my passion for the team pursuit isn't 100 per cent," Meyer said in a statement issued by Cycling Australia.

"In Melbourne, I achieved what I wanted to on the track through my points race win and making the podium for the madison. I take huge satisfaction from that and now want to see what I can achieve on the road."

Meyer, winner of the 2011 Tour Down Under, and who before returning to Australia for his preparations for the track world championships, finished 10th in GC at Tirreno - Adriatico, explained that it is becoming increasingly difficult to switch between track and road throughout the season.

"Physically and mentally it's quite hard to switch and the last couple of years I've had my focus on the points race and the madison," he said. "I haven't been a part of the team [pursuit] in the last 18 months and I don't know if I am up to competing at the level they are now; riding world record times. I knew in myself I hadn't done the workload."

In Melbourne last Wednesday, the Australian team pursuit of Jack Bobridge, Glenn O'Shea, Rohan Dennis and Michael Hepburn claimed silver behind Great Britain which set a new world record time of 3:53.295 in the gold medal ride-off.

 

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As a sports journalist and producer since 1997, Jane has covered Olympic and Commonwealth Games, rugby league, motorsport, cricket, surfing, triathlon, rugby union, and golf for print, radio, television and online. However her enduring passion has been cycling.

 

Jane is a former Australian Editor of Cyclingnews from 2011 to 2013 and continues to freelance within the cycling industry.