Sunday night, February 11, at the Dunc Gray Velodrome, Sydney saw the conclusion of the National Track Cycling Championships. The championships which commenced on February 6 saw six nights of world class cycling with 25 athletes as part of the Queensland track cycling team.
This years Queensland Team included both local, national and international stars of the track, with established favourites such as Commonwealth and Olympic Champion Anna Meares. Meares chasing a clean sweep of gold medals after a successful season at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and on the international circuit representing Australia, took gold in the Time Trial, Keirin and Teams Sprint in which she paired up with her sister Kerrie Meares a former Commonwealth and National Champion. The real upset however came in the Women's Sprint final with Kerrie Meares wining the Gold in an event in which Meares has held the National title since 2004.
Also resenting Queensland was Under 19 female rider Philippa Hindmarsh from the Rockhampton Cycling Club, who was extremely successful riding her first year in the senior national titles, wining gold medals in the Sprint and Keirin and taking out silver in the Time Trial. Fellow Under 19 rider Byron Davis also proved his strength at his first senior national titles winning the Sprint and the Keirin and joining forces with team mates Joel Callaghan of Rockhampton and Malcolm Rudolph of Maryborough to win a bronze medal in the Teams Sprint.
A victorious Queensland Team returned home somewhat weary but bearing the sum total of 12 gold medals, 5 silver, and 2 bronze. The six nights of racing proving a success for the Queensland team and bringing to a close the Australian Track Season. Next on the horizon the 2007 Track Cycling World Championships to be held in Majorca, Spain in April. Cycling Australia is set to announce the Australian Team on the February 28.
