McEwen at Sydney Thousand

Three-times Tour de France sprint champion Robbie McEwen will open his Australian summer season campaign by competing in the Sydney Thousand meeting at the Canterbury Velodrome, Tempe, on Sunday October 29. According to the organiser, this will be McEwen's only appearance on a velodrome in Australia during his annual three-month working holiday.

Meanwhile, the repairs and restoration of the Canterbury City Council's cycling velodrome are progressing well, and the full upgrade of the 20 year-old track will be completed for the running of the 2006 Sydney Thousand. Canterbury Council's Parks and Property Coordinator John Dodd has advised the promoters of the event that all the reconstruction work and the water blasting of the track surface to remove stains for better traction for the world class cyclists will be completed by September 20.

Organiser John Scott said yesterday, "We plan to stage two Australian record attempts on the track on Wednesday, September 20 at 11am to fully test the track and renovations. Steve Wooldridge, four times world champion and Athens gold medallist, will attempt to break Commonwealth Games gold medallist Ben Kersten's 80 kph Australian velodrome record and Sky-Lee Armstrong, former world junior women's champion, will attempt the women's speed record held by Rochelle Gilmore."