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The world's top track cyclists come to RockhamptonAUS$20,000 in prize moneyQueenslanders take home the booty in 2006 Rocky CupAnother successful running of the CQU Rockhampton Cup on Wheels saw the prestigious wheelrace titles stay in Queensland as local rider Jay Callaghan (Rockhampton CC) took the men's event and southern Queensland rising star Courtney Le Lay (Balmoral CC) landed the women's Capricornia Cup. Full results, reports & photos
The CQU Rockhampton Cup on Wheels now in its 46th year
The CQU Rockhampton Cup on Wheels upholds a proud tradition of track cycling since its early beginnings in 1960. Over the past 45 years, the Cup has grown to become one of the largest and richest carnivals with approximately $20,000 in prizemoney up for grabs over two big days of carnival racing. Central Queensland University has confirmed its support of cycling in Central Queensland with confirmation that they will continue on as the naming rights sponsor for the 2006 Cup. CQU has strong links with the Rockhampton Cycling Club. The School of Health & Human Performance CQU worked closely with the Queensland Academy of Sport in establishing the very first Cycling Talent Identification Program in Australia to operate outside of a capital city. This program has resulted in Phillipa Hindmarsh, a product of the program winning a National Junior U17 Sprint Title at the 2005 National Junior Track Cycling Championships in Melbourne earlier this year. In addition, this partnership with the Queensland Academy of Sport led to the establishment of a scholarship for a Research Masters degree at CQU and also a joint CQU/QAS PhD scholarship in Sports Science within the School of Health & Human Performance. Cycling related research continues to be carried out in the community with the most recent achievement involving the School of Health & Human Performance Technical Officer, Greg Capern. Greg attended the Health & Exercise Science Technologists Association conference in Brisbane in November 2005 where he won the peer-reviewed best paper for his work on "PACER - a remote heart rate monitor". This heart rate monitor is being utilized by nationally-recognised cycling coach, Ken Tucker as part of the training regime of his elite squad.
Riders travel from all around Australia to take part in this fantastic weekend of racing, with riders able to partake in all divisions from Masters right down to U9's. In 2005, the CQU Rockhampton Cup on Wheels carnival hosted over 160 riders across all divisions over two nights. The Central Queensland community rally behind the Cup, with strong crowds flooding through the Kenrick Tucker Velodrome gates on Berserker Street to view track racing at its best. The pinnacle of the CQU Rockhampton Cup on Wheels is the men's and women's wheelraces: The CQU Rockhampton Cup on Wheels for the men, and the Capricornia Cup for the women, respectively.
Women's wheelrace - Capricornia Cup Crown Wide Open2006 will be a landmark occasion for the long time supporters of the Capricornia Cup with Herron Todd White Valuers marking the 20th anniversary of their involvement in the two day carnival. Herron Todd White Valuers took ownership of the Cup in 1985 and have confirmed they will continue to support womens track cycling in Central Queensland by remaining the major sponsor of the race. The Capricornia Cup is one of the most prestigious and long running Female Wheelraces in Australia, run over 1600m. It began in 1961 when the Women's Cycling Club in Rockhampton was a separate entity to the Men's Club. The "Cap Cup" has been won by Anna Meares and Kerrie Meares against some top class female riders including Kathy Watt, Michelle Ferris, Lucy Tyler-Sharman, Tanya Lindenmuth (USA Olympic team member 2004). The Herron Todd White Capricornia Cup, offering AUS$3750 in prizemoney is claimed to be one of the richest womens wheelraces in Australia. Anna and Kerrie Meares have clearly dominated this event since 1999, with Kerrie winning the Cup four times and Anna in hot pursuit of Kerrie, having won it twice, including taking out the 2005 Cap Cup. Due to international commitments, Anna and Kerrie will not return to Rockhampton to defend their title, leaving the 2006 Capricornia Crown up for the taking. CQU Rocky Cup King - Who Will it Be?The CQU Rockhampton Cup on Wheels follows the true tradition of Australian Wheelraces and is held over 1600m. The "Rocky Cup" as it is affectionately known was first won in 1960 by John McMaster. It has been won by world, Commonwealth and national title holders, many of whom have been members of the Rockhampton Cycling Club. The 1965 the Cup was won by Ken Tucker Snr., with other noted winners including Commonwealth Games gold Medallist Kenrick Tucker Jnr., world junior champions Shaun and Jeff Hopkins from Sydney, Stephen Pate from Victoria, as well as Danny Day from Brisbane. World Class riders to have competed for the Rocky Cup include Shaun Wallace from Great Britian, Graham Sharman, along with current junior world champions Miles Olman and Michael Ford. The Central Queensland University Rockhampton Cup on Wheels will be, as expected, the highlight of the Saturday night program. The mens wheelrace is traditionally run in spectacular fashion, with the race always coming down to a tight finish. The 2005 Cup winner, Hayden Josefski (Broncos) will be returning to the Kenrick Tucker Velodrome to defend his title after finishing 2005 in terrific form, having taken out both the Southbank and Surfers Paradise B Grade Criteriums in early December, run as part of the United Sports Marketing Grand Prix Series. Local lads Grant Irwin and triple world junior track champion Miles Olman will lead the charge for Rockhampton as they look to return the Rocky Cup back to home soil. Stiff competition will come from the southern end of Australia, with the Hopkins brothers looking to make their annual pilgrimage to Rockhampton for the 2006 Cup. Jeff Hopkins is no stranger to the Central Queensland track, having taken out the CQU Rockhampton Cup three times: 1999, 2000 and 2002 and Shaun claiming the title in 1996.
Mad Madison! - The Tuckers Avanti Plus/Peak Fuel MadisonThe Tuckers Avanti Plus/Peak Fuel Madison will be one of the highlights of the Cup program with the excitement and thrills and spills that the Madison brings. It was dominated in 2004 by the pairing of Rockhampton's Miles Olman and Victoria's Michael Ford. Olman is a three times junior world track champion while Ford is also a multiple junior world track champion and is the current world record junior holder in the 3000m individual pursuit. Rockhampton Cycling Club has a proud history with the CQU Rockhampton Cup on Wheels and looks forward to hosting the strongest fields for the 2006 Cup. |
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