South Australia blazes to men's team pursuit title

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South Australia has claimed the coveted Southcott Cup after a thrilling win in the open men's 4km team pursuit at the Australian Track Championships at Adelaide's Super-Drome.

The SA team of Jack Bobridge, Rohan Dennis, Dale Parker and James Glasspool posted a blistering Australian Championship record time of 4:00.417 to defeat defending champions and former record holders Cameron and Travis Meyer, Luke Durbridge and Michael Freiberg of Western Australia.

It's the first time since 1999 that South Australia has claimed the crown and it comes in the wake of a stunning performance by the state's men in the pursuit events contested so far this week. On day one Jack Bobridge set the fastest time ever under the current international bike regulations for the 4km individual pursuit with Dennis not far off his time in the qualifying round. In the same session Parker set a World Record for the U19 men's 3km pursuit. The fourth member of the team, Glasspool, was the 2009 U19 Australian kilometre champion and is a first year senior.

Realising Glasspool would be unable to match the pace of his pursuit teammates over the full distance South Australian coach Tim Decker opted for an unusual pursuit strategy. Dennis started the team and rode one and a quarter laps on the front then swung up for Glasspool who buried himself for three and a quarter laps before he pulled out all together. That combined effort gave the team a first kilometre of 1:04, two seconds quicker than their qualifying mark. That left Bobridge, Dennis and Parker to bring it home and they posted sub-minute kilometres all the way to the finish line.

The tactic also put a lot of pressure on their rivals who were almost a second down after one kilometre. By the halfway mark the Western Australians were close to three seconds slower and they didn't come back from there. Their final time of 4:03.370 was also under the previous Championships record they set last year but well off the pace of the winners.

"It is a different tactic and you haven't seen that one exposed yet in the team pursuit at this level," said a jubilant Bobridge after the race. "It was a bit awkward to start off with at trials last week, but we got it together tonight and all four of us, it is a team effort.

"To come out and ride on four minutes in the final, we couldn't be happier," said Bobridge. "Maybe we need to get Glasspool on the road and get a few kilometres into him to get another lap out of him, and see if we can get it down to 58, 59."

Glasspool was thrilled to play a part in the historic win.

"The plan of attack was that we try something different although we didn't go with the original plan of me starting because they thought I wouldn't be able to hold on," said Glasspool. "So having Rohan start, he built everyone up to speed, and I just had to increase it a little more. By the last three quarters of my effort I had built Jack up and he basically described it as me sling shotting him like a motor bike, so it worked perfectly."

For the team from Western Australia it means they have lost bragging rights for a year.

"The last year we sort of knew it would be South Australia versus West Australia in the final and there was a lot of talk going back and forth," said Cameron Meyer. "But they rode four minutes and when I saw the time, I knew there was nothing we could do as it is just a phenomenal time with only three riders with 12 laps to go.

"Luckily I didn't have to put any bets on, but I have had to eat my words as we gave them a bit of stick before the start and then they made us well and truly look like silver medallists tonight."

McCulloch claims sprint gold

New South Wales' Kaarle McCulloch claimed her second Australian sprint crown with a convincing win over team mate Cassandra Kell in straight heats. McCulloch, who also claimed the title in 2008, overpowered Kell in the first heat with a powerful burst on the back straight, whilst in the second, she caught Kell napping at the bell lap to claim the win and the title by the length of the straight.

"I really wanted this one tonight. It is a pity that Anna (Meares) and Emily (Rosemond) aren't here as it would have been nice to win it with them here, but nonetheless I am Australian Champion, so I am really stoked," said McCulloch, who won the team sprint gold medal earlier in the Championships.

Hometown favourite Annette Edmondson, who won six Australian titles in the U19 division claimed her first open championship medal, defeating Chinese Taipei's Ting Ying Huang in straight heats for the bronze medal.

U19 men and women vie for team pursuit, sprint, scratch titles

The Bill Young Trophy for the U19 men's team pursuit was won by the Victorian quartet of Harry Crothers-Bade, Oliver Le Grice, Brent Nelson and Shaun O'Callaghan. Their time of 4:18.400 was ridden in the open qualifying round and so also earned them a start in the bronze medal ride for the Southcott Cup but the senior New South Wales line up of Alex Carver, Benjamin Harvey, Richard Lang and Scott Law had their measure and collected the bronze.

In the U19 bronze medal contest South Australia's Alexander Edmondson, Damien Howson, Scott McPhee and George Tansley (4:18.714) was too strong for WA's Mitchell Benson, Julian Bissett, Nicholas Graham-Dawson and Bradley Robson (4:21.839).

The New South Wales team of Alex Carver, Benjamin Harvey, Richard Lang and Scott Law took the bronze after catching the Victoria's U19 team of Harry Crothers-Bade, Oliver Le Grice, Brent Nelson and Shaun O'Callaghan with three laps to go.

In the M19 sprint, Victoria's Maddison Hammond successfully defended his 2009 title, defeating top seed South Australia's Matthew Glaetzer in two straight heats. New South Wales' Jamie Green defeated West Australia's Luke Zaccaria for bronze.

"I wasn't expecting to go too well tonight after going three rounds this morning, but I recovered well and had a good night," said 18-year-old Hammond, who won three gold medals at last year's Championships. "When I saw Matthew's time in qualifying, all my tactics went out the window, but I guess I just found enough tonight."

West Australian Holly Williams claimed the gold medal in the U19 women's sprint. After setting a Championship record of 11.782 in yesterday's flying 200m qualifying, Williams, 18, breezed through the remaining rounds and easily accounted for Victoria's Adele Sylvester in straight heats.

"Breaking the Australian Championship record was just a great confidence boost and I am really stoked as a lot of hard work has gone into this and I am happy that it paid off at the end of the day," said Williams.

Cassandra Flugge (WA) defeated Catherine Culvenor of the ACT also in straight heats to take the bronze medal.

The final event of the evening was the U19 10km men's scratch race which was won by Tasmanian Luke Ockerby ahead of Jackson Law (NSW) and Mitchell Benson (WA).

"I am really happy with my form at the moment and winning this race," said Ockerby. "I was just hoping the pace was going to stay up and I moved up the front with four to go and then I lead out and held on."

Gallagher claims fifth straight crown

Beijing Paralympic gold medallist Michael Gallagher (VIC) claimed his fifth consecutive Para-cycling individual pursuit crown with gold in the C5 men's 4km event in a time of 4min51.661sec in the afternoon session on day three of the Australian Track Championships at Adelaide's Super-Drome.

“There was a bit of a mechanical problem today, and I don’t feel tired now, so I am happy that that was the problem,” said Gallagher. “But I was hoping to do a good time today as all the training has been towards the pursuit, so it will be nice to have a good hit out in the kilometre tomorrow."

The International Cycling Union (UCI) recently made changes to the Para-cycling classifications to group all Para-cyclists who ride standard bicycles into one classification. This has seen athletes who have cerebral palsy and those with locomotion problems combined into one classification. The athletes are then assigned one of five sub-classifications based on the their individual functionality.

The changes saw Gallagher reclassified into the C5 class from his previous LC1 in which he held the World Records for both the pursuit and kilometre time trial.

The UCI is yet to set the benchmark World Record times for the new classifications after which time Cycling Australia will do the same for Australian records.

In the womens 3km individual pursuit events, New South Wales’ Beijing Paralympian Jayme Paris took gold in the womens C1 event in a time of 5min01.764sec, whilst in the C2 category, West Australian Morgan Shaw stopped the clock in 5min17.541sec to also win gold.

West Australia’s Claire McLean took gold in the C5 category (4min11.719sec) and 2009 World Champion, Susan Powell, rode a time of 4mins9.391secs to win the C4 event.

In the men's Para-cycling competition, New South Wales’ Jarrad Langmead won the C2 mens 3km (4min38.581sec), defeating Victoria’s Cameron Muir (4min53.270sec) in the final.

Ryan Hughes of Tasmania clocked 5min12.447sec for gold in the C4 4km event and New South Wales’ Cameron Pell took the honours in the C5 U19 3km pursuit in 4min01.333sec.

In the B (blind and visually impaired) tandem pursuit finals, Canberra’s Brandie O’Connor and pilot Kerry Knowler were awarded the silver medal for their time of 5min51.999sec and in the B men's 4km event, Queensland’s Bryce Lindores and pilot Sean Finning of Victoria (4min33.956sec) defeated Nathan Johnston (NSW) and pilot Matthew Meisel-Dennis of Canberra (5min9.548sec).

Results