Qantas Cup - State of Origin Series

Report     Results

Qantas Cup - Round 1 - Launceston Silverdome

By Rod Morris

The Qantas Cup came to Tasmania last night, March 21, 2002, and the riders didn't let the show down. The Qantas Cup is essentially Australia's State of Origin track cycling series and the Launceston Silverdome hosted 30 top international riders in the making.

One of the pure highlights of the night was the dog fight in the men's sprint final between world keirin champion Ryan Bayley of WA and Mark French of Victoria. Bayley and French were involved in a good old fashioned push and shove match, in which local commissaires treated with the respect it deserved.

In the end, Bayley had too much in his massive thighs for French, although there was little between the pair. Bayley was also the top qualifier in the 200m time trial, posting a sizzling 10.71 seconds and won the keirin final in smart fashion as well.

Other multiple winners included NSW pair, Mark Renshaw and Rochelle Gilmore and talented Victorian Michelle Ferris. Renshaw won both the derby and the men's elimination, while Gilmore found success in the elimination and the combined points score/elimination final.

Ferris' two wins came in the 200m time trial and corresponding sprint final. Darren Young and Belinda Goss were both in fine form for the Tasmanian team, with Young claiming three second placings early in the programme and Goss scored four runner-up positions.

Goss' performance included a gutsy second behind Queensland's Anna Meares in the women's scratch race, which had the pressure from start to finish.

The night's racing took its toll on some riders as only four of the six teams faced the starter in the 20 lap madison. The Tasmanian pairing of Abram Manion and Darren Young timed their move to perfection, hitting out at two laps to go and caught the chasing NSW pair of Mark Renshaw and Steve Woolridge on the hop.

Peter Dawson of WA was the surprise packed in the men's points score, upsetting the likes of Darren Young, Rodney McGee (Vic) and Steve Woolridge (NSW).

The closing race of the programme saw Mark Renshaw blitz a quality field to win the men's scratch ahead of Brodie Cullen (WA) and Tasmania's favourite son Darren Young, who featured in his fourth podium finish.

The second round of the Qantas Cup will be held at Queensland's Chandler Velodrome on Friday night and the third and final round at the Dunc Gray Velodrome in Sydney on Saturday.

Results

Men's 200m Time Trial
 
1 Ryan Bayley (WA)                   10.71
2 Mark French (Vic.)                 10.85
3 Wade Cosgrove (Qld)                11.16
4 Ben Kersten (NSW)                  11.17
5 DNQ: Stephen Rossendell (Tas)      11.46
6 Mark Jamieson (ACT)                11.86
 
Men's Derby
 
1 Mark Renshaw (NSW)
2 Darren Young (Tas)
3 Peter Dawson (WA)
4 Chris Klem (Qld)
 
Men's Sprint
 
Semi-Finals
 
Bayley                               11.57
Kersten
 
French                               11.20
Cosgrove
 
Men's Sprint Final
 
Ride for 1st/2nd
 
1 Bayley                             11.13
2 French
 
Ride for 3rd/4th
 
3 Kersten                            11.38
4 Cosgrove
 
Men's Elimination
 
1 Mark Renshaw (NSW)
2 Darren Young (Tas)
3 Brodie Cullen (WA)
4 Rodney McGee (Vic)
 
Men's Points Race
 
1 Peter Dawson (WA)                     14 points
2 Darren Young (Tas)                    11
3 Rodney McGee (Vic)                    10
4 Steve Woolridge (NSW)                  6
 
Men's Keirin
 
1 Ryan Bayley (WA)
2 Mark French (Vic)
3 Wade Cosgrove (Qld)
4 Ben Kersten (NSW)
 
Men's Oympic Sprint
 
1 Wester Ausralia                    55.23
2 Victoria                           55.83
3 Queensland                         56.11
4 Tasmania                           57.07
 
Men's Derby
 
1 Ryan Bayley (WA)
2 Ben Kersten (NSW)
3 Mark Jamieson (ACT)
4 Stephen Rossendell (Tas)
 
Men's Madison
 
1 Tasmania
2 New South Wales
3 Western Australia
4 Victoria
 
Men's Scratch
 
1 Mark Renshaw (NSW)
2 Brodie Cullen (WA)
3 Darren Young (Tas)
4 Rodney McGee (Vic)
 
Women's 200m Time Trial
 
1 Michelle Ferris (Vic)              11.67
2 Kerrie Meares(Qld)                 11.92
3 Kristine Bayley (WA)               12.60
4 Lucy Stewart (ACT)                 12.71
5 DNQ: Belinda Goss (Tas)            12.87
6 Katie Brown (NSW)                  13.29
 
Women's Derby
 
1 Kerrie Meares (Qld)
2 Rochelle Gilmore (NSW)
3 Kerry Cohen (WA)
4 Rebecca Ellis (ACT)
 
Women's Sprint
 
Semi-Finals
Ferris                               12.38
Stewart
 
Meares                               13.27
Bayley
 
Women's Sprint Final
 
Ride for 1st/2nd
 
1 Ferris                             12.10
2 Meares
 
Ride for 3rd/4th
 
3 Bayley                             13.03
4 Stewart
 
Women's Elimination
 
1 Rochelle Gilmore (NSW)
2 Belinda Goss (Tas)
3 Rebecca Ellis (ACT)
4 Kerry Cohen (WA)
 
Women's Points/Elimination
 
1 Rochelle Gilmore (NSW)
2 Kerrie Meares (Qld)
3 Kerry Cohen (WA)
4 Louise Yaxley (Tas)
 
Women's Keirin
 
1 Anna Meares (Qld)
2 Belinda Goss (Tas)
3 Michelle Ferris (Vic)
4 Lucy Stewart (ACT)
 
Women's Points Race
 
1 Rochelle Gilmore (NSW)                18 points
2 Belinda Goss (Tas)                    11
3 Katie Meares (Qld)                    10
4 Narelle Peterson (Vic)                 6
 
Women's Scratch
 
1 Anna Meares (Qld)
2 Belinda Goss (Tas)
3 Rochelle Gilmore (NSW)
4 Kerry Cohen (WA)
 
Male rider of the night: Ryan Bayley (WA)            20 points
 
Female rider of the night: Rochelle Gilmore (NSW)    20 points
 
State team points
 
1 Western Australia                                  49 points
2 New South Wales                                    46
3 Queensland                                         34
4 Tasmania                                           31
5 Victoria                                           31
6 ACT                                                 8

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