South Australia dominate on night two

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South Australia has claimed the honours on the second night of competition, collecting four of the seven gold medals at the 2013 Subaru Cycling Australia Track National Championships at Sydney's Dunc Gray Velodrome on Thursday.

Annette Edmondson won the individual pursuit, while Glenn O'Shea, Alex Edmondson, Luke Davison and Miles Scotson were simply superb in their team pursuit victory. South Australia also collected crowns in the under 19 men's team pursuit and under 19 men's sprint, with West Australia, Queensland and Tasmania each taking home a national title.

Edmondson clinched her fourteenth national track title and defended her crown in a thrilling women's 3000m Individual Pursuit final over London Olympic teammate Amy Cure (TAS).

Edmondson shot out to a half second lead after the first lap, before fastest qualifier Cure quickly reversed the deficit to lead by half a second after the first kilometre.

Over the second kilometre, Edmondson pegged back the Tasmanian's lead to within one tenth of a second, with the velodrome timing system unable to separate the pair before with just three laps to go.

Edmondson continued her late charge over the final few laps to ride away a winner, crossing the line in 3mins 30.722secs, over a second ahead of Cure (3:32.088).

"I am really happy with this win, with the world championships are only three weeks away, this is a major event for all of us," Edmondson commented. "This was one that I was definitely going after."

"(But) After qualifying second fastest, I was thinking I had a bit of a task on my hands to try to beat Aims

"I wasn't sure what I'd have to do, but I knew I'd stuffed up my timing in my qualifying effort, so I was heading out to do a little more of a smoother ride.

"It was a bit strange having her on the other side as I'm used to being on her side, listening to music before the race. So it's quite difficult to go from team mates in training and then to racing each other the next day, but that's how it is," said Edmondson of her 2012 London Olympic room mate.

In the bronze medal final, Sydney's Ankudinoff (3:35.461) defeated West Australia's Isabella King (3:41.813).

The Southcott Cup men teams pursuit was won in spectacular fashion by the South Australian quartet of Luke Davison, Alex Edmondson, Glenn O'Shea and Miles Scotson who posted a blistering sub four minute time in the final.

Qualifying fastest (4:04.688) by over fours seconds, the quartet had plenty in reserve in the final, establishing a strong lead over the New South Wales team of Caleb Ewan, Ben Harvey, Tirian McManus and Nicholas Yallouris inside the first few laps.

With the margin increasing with every lap, South Australia caught their rivals with six laps remaining, continuing to race against the clock to post a scorching time of 3mins 59.977secs.

"Coming into the nationals I wasn't too sure we'd ride under four minutes but Tim (Decker) pumped it into us," London Olympian Glenn O'Shea explained.

"I think our main focus was to go out there and race as best we could and we didn't focus on any other teams we really raced for the time," he added.

The title was the third in a row for Edmondson and O'Shea and the fourth for the powerhouse South Australian outfit. In 2012, O'Shea and Edmondson teamed with Jack Bobridge and Rohan Dennis to set an Allcomers record of 3mins 56.834secs.

"Last year was really big when we rode such a fast time," O'Shea commented. "It was pretty important we came out here and rode so quick again because we had a lot to live up to."

The win comes as a huge achievement for team pursuit junior world champion Scotson as he begins his first year in the senior ranks, while 2012 Subaru National Road Series Champion Davison has returned to track racing after over four years away from the sport.

"It was really important to show them they could do that especially as everyone is gunning for world championships selection," O'Shea explained.

"I am the oldest team member here and probably one of the most experienced.

"So I try to keep the team calm and pass on some little things I've picked up from Jack (Bobridge), Rohan (Dennis) and Michael (Hepburn) from the last 18 months of racing and training with them," O'Shea commented of his Olympic team pursuit teammates.

Victorian's Jack Cummings, Alex Morgan, Luke Parker and Tyler Spurrell (4:08.516) automatically claimed the bronze medal after posting the third in qualifying.

In the Bill Young Trophy (under 19 men's teams pursuit), South Australia yet again showed its dominance in the discipline, claiming the title through Josh Harrison, Tom Kaesler, Alex Porter and Callum Scotson.

The Victorian team Jack Hickey, Mathew Ross, Zac Shaw and Jordan Stannus claimed the silver medal, with the team splintering as a result of the pressure placed on the team by their rivals.

South Australia continued their relentless pace throughout the race, almost catching a splintering Victorian team.

The New South Wales team of Nathan Bradshaw, Jack Edwards, Bradley Heffernan and Jordan Payne claimed the bronze medal.

South Australia's Patrick Constable won his first senior national title the under 19 men's Sprint, with the 17-year-old notching up the win in straight heats against Travis Smedley (NSW).

"I'm ecstatic - you work for this all year," Constable described. "Nothing even comes close to this win, it's what I have been dreaming of for the past year."

"I have been putting in the hard yards in on the track and at the gym, so it's great to come away with the win."

In the bronze medal race it was Alex Radzikiewicz (SA) who found the podium after defeating Thomas Clarke (ACT).

In the under 19 women's keirin, Queensland's Tenille Falappi was crowned the national champion following the relegation of South Australia's Holly Takos. Takos, who crossed the line first, was relegated for not holding her line within the final 200 metres, handing Falappi the gold.

Emily Apolito (VIC) was awarded the silver, with Sheridan Spark (QLD) taking bronze.

"Excited is the only way to describe this right now, this is definitely up the top of the list of career wins," Falappi exclaimed. "I won gold in the keirin at the AYOF two weeks ago, so to match it again is pretty amazing."

In the under 19 women's 20km points race, 16-year-old Macey Stewart clinched the green and gold jersey in a dominant display.

Stewart won on 38 points over Josie Talbot (31 points) of New South Wales and West Australia's Kelsey Robson (29 points).

The win came as a surprise to Stewart, after the multiple junior national champion suffered a cracked skull and bleeding on the brain following a criterium crash at the Canberra Tour in July.

"It's a huge shock to me how well I am going, particularly with such a quality field. I have only been back on the bike for about three months," said Stewart who was forced off the bike and all forms of physical activity for four months following the accident.

"I really didn't know how I was going to go entering the race, so to win it, I am just really speechless."

In an exciting final, team's pursuit silver medalist Stewart showed her strength winning three intermediate sprints and lapping the field along with Josie Talbot (NSW), Alex Manly (SA) and individual pursuit champion Kelsey Robson (WA).

The lead allowed all four riders to rest as the peloton, lead by scratch race national champion Elisa Wundersitz (WA), tried desperately to erase the gap, but it was to no avail.

"I stayed really aware, I had a look at the screen every now and again to keep a check on who was getting closer to me and I would just make sure in the next sprint I'd beat them," said Stewart.

"Everyone knew I was out in front and they were trying to bring me back in, but I had to give it everything, stick in there and hold it," she added.

Sam Welsford (WA) claimed the under 19 men's 25km points race title with 42 points, with Nathan Bradshaw (NSW) and Mathew Ross (VIC) completing the podium finishing on 32 points apiece. A countback resulted in Bradshaw taking the silver due to the fact he finished in a higher position in the final sprint.

Welsford, Ross and Bradshaw set the pace for the majority of the race, lapping the field with 40 laps remaining, and holding their advantage despite attacks from South Australia's Miles Scotson and Jack Edwards (NSW).

"I'm over the moon," Welsford remarked. "I didn't expect this at all. I didn't come in here expecting to win, as a first year I planned on learning what I can, but I just had the perfect race.

"I had to do two team pursuits today and my legs are really sore, but I recovered well, hydrated well and I am just so happy.

"This is one of the happiest racing moments I have ever had," Welsford gasped.

In the women's sprint, the top three qualifiers in Stephanie Morton (SA), Kaarle McCulloch (NSW) and Taylah Jennings (QLD) progressed to the second round unscathed while South Australia's Rikki Belder knocked out the ACT's Catherine Culvenor.

Men's sprint favourites Matthew Glaetzer (SA) and Scott Sunderland (WA) have progressed to round two however defending champion Alex Bird (ACT) was knocked out by fellow Canberran Nathan Hart.

Results