Bobridge clocks second fastest pursuit in history

It may now be relegated to the realms of Olympic history but the individual pursuit rarely fails to capture the imagination of the cycling public, and at the opening day of competition at the Australian titles it continued to dazzle as Jack Bobridge came even closer to Chris Boardman's elusive world record.

The South Australian - and defending national champion in the discipline - rode the third fastest time ever in a sizzling qualifying ride over four kilometres. He posted a time of 4:14.427, knocking six tenths off the time set by Welsh cyclist Gerraint Thomas at the Manchester round of the World Cup in October last year.

It's also faster than the 4:16.304 time set by Britain's reigning Olympic Champion Bradley Wiggins during his gold medal ride in Athens.

The only rider who has gone faster than Bobridge over the distance is Boardman, who set the world record time of 4:11.114 at the 1996 World Championships in Manchester. That mark was set using the aerodynamic 'Superman' position that has since been banned, which means Bobridge is effectively the fastest rider in the world over four kilometres under the current rules.

"It is fantastic, to come here and do that today, after my form prior to January was a bit off," said Bobridge. "To be able to set a new personal best and quickest time since the superman position is an awesome thrill.

"But to come away with the win is the goal at the end of the day," he said. "This year at the Tour Down Under, I held myself back a lot and came out here a lot fresher as I have shown that with my times I have produced here," added Bobridge. "Honestly I don't think I am 100 percent fit yet, still a little bit off, which is a good feeling for myself knowing I have 6-7 weeks until the World Championships in Copenhagen.

"Considering I have only done three sessions on the track leading into these Championships, I have come out today and surprised myself," said Bobridge who has been preparing on the Super-Drome for the past week. "It has been perfect conditions for track cycling, so that's why you have seen so many fast times delivered here."

The ride has also given Bobridge the Australian and All-Comers record, wiping Brad McGee's 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games time (4:16.358) and Germany's Robert Bartko's Sydney Olympic Games time (4:18.515) from the Australian record book.

The qualifying round saw another young South Australian shine with elite debutant, Rohan Dennis, 19, clocking 4:15.764 to earn a place in the gold medal final against Bobridge. Dennis, who rode the heat before Bobridge, briefly held the Australian, All-Comers and Championship records but 10 minutes later Bobridge stole the show.

"When Travis Meyer pulled out a 4.18, it got me a little worried, but I just stuck to my schedule of 4.19," said Dennis. "When I finished, I was just over the moon when I saw the 4.15 thinking it should get me in the final for the gold definitely.

"I just had to hope that Jack didn't pull out a better time, but he was on fire today and did a great time as well," said Dennis.

The gold medal final between the two South Australians provided the main highlight of the night's racing, as Bobridge led Dennis at every kilometre to record a time of 4:16.313 - not the heroics of the morning but still an entertaining effort.

Another South Australian, Dale Parker, topped the world with his U19 men's individual pursuit qualifying time of 3:13.958, wiping more than 1.5 seconds off 2009 junior world champion Michael Hepburn's mark of 3:15.586 recorded at last year's junior world championships in Moscow.

He dominated the gold medal final against New South Wales' Jackson Law, setting a time of 3:15.760, although the youngster wasn't worried that he hadn't bettered his mark recorded earlier in the day - he was ecstatic with what he had been able to achieve on home turf with the previous junior world record holder watching.

Meantime West Australian Travis Meyer also broke the 4:20 mark, posting a time of 4:18.607 to qualify for the bronze medal ride against Hepburn, whom he beat for third place with a 4:22.845.

In the women's three kilometre individual pursuit qualifying Sydney's Ashlee Ankudinoff knocked nine seconds off her personal best to set the fastest qualifying time of 3:34.769.

She met West Australian Sarah Kent in the gold medal ride in which Kent prevailed, claiming the national title and announcing herself as Australia's best female pursuiter with a winning time of 3:36.981. Fellow West Australian Josephine Tomic took the bronze after beating Victorian Tess Downing.

The women's team sprint was always going to be the Kaarle McCulloch show, and the young lady from New South Wales didn't disappoint, winning the event in which she's the current world champion, partnering U19 rider Madison Law to add a national title to the rainbow striped jersey she earned in Warsaw last March.

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Men's individual pursuit final
1Jack Bobridge (SA)0:04:16.313
2Rohan Dennis (SA)0:04:20.557
3Travis Meyer (WA)0:04:22.845
4Michael Hepburn (QLD)0:04:25.329
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Men's individual pursuit qualification
1Jack Bobridge (SA)0:04:14.427
2Rohan Dennis (SA)0:04:15.764
3Travis Meyer (WA)0:04:18.607
4Michael Hepburn (QLD)0:04:22.163
5Michael Freiberg (WA)0:04:22.863
6Cameron Meyer (WA)0:04:24.379
7Luke Durbridge (WA)0:04:26.200
8Leigh Howard (VIC)0:04:27.988
9Peter Loft (TAS)0:04:28.969
10Richard Lang (NSW)0:04:31.044
11Mitchell Mulhern (QLD)0:04:31.107
12Benjamin Harvey (NSW)0:04:35.342
13James Langedyk (VIC)0:04:36.729
14Silas Fisher (VIC)0:04:41.401
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Women's individual pursuit final
1Sarah Kent (WA)0:03:36.981
2Ashlee Ankudinoff (NSW)0:03:38.033
3Josephine Tomic (WA)0:03:40.451
4Tess Downing (VIC)0:03:43.868
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Men's individual pursuit qualification
1Ashlee Ankudinoff (NSW)0:03:34.769
2Sarah Kent (WA)0:03:37.442
3Josephine Tomic (WA)0:03:39.700
4Tess Downing (VIC)0:03:41.029
5Alexis Rhodes (SA)0:03:42.820
6Amber Halliday (SA)0:03:44.083
7Helen Kelly (VIC)0:03:44.418
8Rachel Neylan (SA)0:03:44.648
9Melissa Hoskins (WA)0:03:47.622
10Miranda Laidlaw (VIC)0:03:51.411
11Sophie Ootes (SA)0:03:51.864
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U19 men's individual pursuit final
1Dale Parker (SA)0:03:15.760
2Jackson Law (NSW)Row 1 - Cell 2
3Mitchell Lovelock-Fay (ACT)0:03:22.531
4Edward Bissaker (ACT)0:03:28.528
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U19 men's individual pursuit qualification
1Dale Parker (SA)0:03:13.958
2Jackson Law (NSW)0:03:19.918
3Edward Bissaker (ACT)0:03:20.406
4Mitchell Lovelock-Fay (ACT)0:03:20.958
5Jordan Kerby (QLD)0:03:21.883
6Alexander Edmondson (SA)0:03:24.160
7Mitchell Benson (WA)0:03:24.179
8Damien Howson (SA)0:03:24.182
9Oliver Le Grice (VIC)0:03:24.304
10Julian Bissett (WA)0:03:26.083
11Luke Ockerby (TAS)0:03:26.317
12Harry Crothers-Bade (VIC)0:03:28.362
13David Edwards (QLD)0:03:28.369
14Angus Tobin (NSW)0:03:31.030
15Shaun O'callaghan (VIC)0:03:31.224
16Bradley Robson (WA)0:03:33.165
17George Tansley (SA)0:03:34.248
18Jared Triggs (NSW)0:03:35.368
19Trent Hudson (QLD)0:03:36.695
20Tatham White (QLD)0:03:38.510
21Joshua Cornish (NSW)0:03:39.224
22Nicholas Graham-Dawson (WA)0:03:40.038
DSQBrent Nelson (VIC)0:03:23.143
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U19 women's individual pursuit final
1Amy Cure (TAS)0:02:25.661
2Michaela Anderson (WA)0:02:25.675
3Isabella King (WA)0:02:26.073
4Jessica Allen (WA)0:02:30.021
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U19 women's individual pursuit qualification
1Amy Cure (TAS)0:02:25.283
2Michaela Anderson (WA)0:02:25.754
3Isabella King (WA)0:02:27.165
4Jessica Allen (WA)0:02:29.601
5Letitia Custance (SA)0:02:32.328
6Sinead Noonan (SA)0:02:34.010
7Natalie East (QLD)0:02:34.319
8Shannon Mccurley (VIC)0:02:35.184
9Kirsty Mills (NSW)0:02:38.257
10Briannon Moloney (NSW)0:02:45.322
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Men's sprint qualifying
1Daniel Ellis (ACT)0:00:10.266
2Jason Niblett (VIC)0:00:10.351
3Scott Sunderland (WA)0:00:10.373
4Peter Lewis (NSW)0:00:10.490
5Alex Bird (ACT)0:00:10.496
6Gary Ryan (ACT)0:00:10.532
7Andrew Taylor (NSW)0:00:10.629
8James Glasspool (SA)0:00:10.635
9Paul Fellows (NSW)0:00:10.801
10Mark Glowacki (SA)0:00:11.356
11Michael Robinson (QLD)0:00:11.370
12Benjamin Wibberley (WA)0:00:11.492
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Men Sprint Round 1
1Daniel Ellis (ACT)0:00:12.251
2Benjamin Wibberley (WA)Row 1 - Cell 2
1Jason Niblett (VIC)0:00:12.280
2Michael Robinson (QLD)Row 3 - Cell 2
1Scott Sunderland (WA)0:00:11.196
2Mark Glowacki (SA)Row 5 - Cell 2
1Peter Lewis (NSW)0:00:10.951
2Paul Fellows (NSW)Row 7 - Cell 2
1Alex Bird (ACT)0:00:11.103
2James Glasspool (SA)Row 9 - Cell 2
1Andrew Taylor (NSW)0:00:11.066
2Gary Ryan (ACT)Row 11 - Cell 2
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Men Sprint Repechage
1Paul Fellows (NSW)0:00:11.496
2Gary Ryan (ACT)Row 1 - Cell 2
3Benjamin Wibberley (WA)Row 2 - Cell 2
1Michael Robinson (QLD)0:00:11.194
2James Glasspool (SA)Row 4 - Cell 2
3Mark Glowacki (SA)Row 5 - Cell 2
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Women's team sprint qualification
1Annette Edmondson/Stephanie Morton (SA)0:00:35.769
2Madison Law/Kaarle Mcculloch (NSW)0:00:35.953
3Apryl Eppinger/Jessica Laws (VIC)0:00:36.161
4Holly Williams/Melissa Hoskins (WA)0:00:36.265
5Catherine Culvenor/Clair Todd (ACT)0:00:37.195
6Rikki Belder/Sinead Noonan (SA)0:00:37.828
7Sarah Cure/Emma Lawson (TAS)0:00:38.315
8Cassandra Flugge/Samantha Wood (WA)0:00:39.288
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Women's team sprint final
1Madison Law/Kaarle Mcculloch (NSW)0:00:35.675
2Annette Edmondson/Stephanie Morton (SA)0:00:36.066
3Holly Williams/Melissa Hoskins (WA)0:00:35.823

 

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