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Queensland State Track Championships - NE

Chandler Velodrome, Australia, January 2-7, 2006

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Race 5 - January 6: Men/U19 Men: Keirin; Women/U19 Women: Points Race

Simonelli "smashes 'em" in the Keirin

Back to back gold medals for Warwick sprinter at Queensland Track Championships

By John Flynn in Brisbane, Qld

Ben Simonelli
Photo ©: John Flynn
(Click for larger image) Ben Simonelli smashes the competition in the keirin final

Proving last night's sprint gold medal was no fluke, Warwick flier Ben Simonelli produced another sterling effort to win the final of the elite men's keirin at the Queensland Senior Track Cycling Championships in Brisbane, Australia.

After emerging largely unchallenged from the preliminary keirin rounds, Simonelli saved his best for the final, turning on the afterburners with just over one hundred metres to go on the bell lap.

The remaining five cyclists in the race could do little more than fight it out for the minor medals after Simonelli jumped clear. The Warwick sprinter, who moved to Sydney recently to train with former world champion Sean Eadie, is hitting form at the right time with the National Championships just around the corner.

"Yeah, not going too bad, smashed 'em, feels good," Simonelli told Cyclingnews as yet another Brisbane thunderstorm descended on the Chandler Velodrome. "It's really hard with the two keirins pretty close together, the semi's and the finals.

"I rode good position, stayed in front, kicked at the right time."

Ben's haul of two State Championship gold medals, an indication the advice of his new coach is already paying off. Tonight's race won on tactics as much as pure power.

"Sean always says one move, never two," Simonelli said of his well executed race plan. "I've got another three weeks or so to prepare (for Nationals), hopefully go a bit faster, improve on p.b.'s. It's been a fun week."

Fun week too for Sunderland

Keirin gold medalist Scott Sunderland
Photo ©: John Flynn
(Click for larger image) Keirin gold medalist Scott Sunderland closes in on Byron Davis

There's little doubt the week in Queensland has also been fun for Western Australia's champion junior cyclist Scott Sunderland.

Along with the obligatory trips to Gold Coast theme parks, Sunderland's family holiday has included a couple of visits to the velodrome where one of Australia's most promising juniors came away with two gold medals.

Matched up once again tonight against his good friend Jeremy Hogg in the final of the under 19 men's keirin, Sunderland repeated his gold medal effort from last night's sprint.

"Yeah it was good to get two out of him," Sunderland said as the one-upmanship continued with Hogg post race. "The final was good, I had to draw sixth position which wasn't great at least I got the run off the bank, it was good quality with Jeremy and Byron (Davis) as well.

As for Hogg, the Junior World Championship medalist plans to go home to Rockhampton and tweak his program heading into the National Championships. "I guess I'll have to train a bit harder on my tactics," Hogg admitted "I need a bit more top end speed to come over the top of him."

Edwards continues Rocky medal haul

Anouska Edwards powering
Photo ©: John Flynn
(Click for larger image) Anouska Edwards powering towards a gold medal

In the other feature event of the night, the elite women's 25 kilometre points race, track endurance specialist Anouska Edwards continued the gold rush for the Rockhampton Cycling Club.

In a thoroughly dominant performance, Edwards took maximum points in all but three of the sprints during the points race. The win, her second for the championships, following on from a gold medal performance in the elite women's pursuit.

Racing against the elite women, under 19 Courtney Le Lay produced a burst in the final sprint to claim the silver medal, ahead of Lifecycle's Liz Young who took bronze. The Rockhampton cyclist eventually finished with nearly double the points of her rivals.

"No-one was coming around me so I just kept doing it," Edwards said of her largely one-sided win.

The 26 year old is now targeting the pursuit at the National Championships, but will need to drop her personal best time even further to be a contender. "I beat my p.b. by like 15 seconds, (in the pursuit) I was just planning to go as close to four minutes as possible and I went under," Edwards said.

"I don't know if I can medal at Nationals but I'm going to try to get down as low as I can."

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by John Flynn/Cyclingnews.com

Results

Junior U19 Men Keirin
 
Qualifying
 
Heat 1 
 
1 Byron Davis 
2 Scott Sunderland 
Matthew Ledilly 
Lachlan Plane 
Malcolm Rudolph 
 
Heat 2 
 
1 Joel Lewis 
2 Jeremy Hogg 
Darcy Rosenlund 
Tyler Wright 
 
Repechage 
 
1 Lachlan Plane 
2 Malcolm Rudolph 
Darcy Rosenlund 
Tyler Wright 
Matthew Ledilly 
 
Final
 
1 Scott Sunderland 
2 Joel Lewis 
3 Jeremy Hogg 
4 Lachlan Plane 
5 Byron Davis 
6 Malcolm Rudolph 
 
Elite Men Keirin
 
Qualifying
 
Heat 1 
 
1 William Draffen 
2 Daniel Mcculloch 
David Reid 
Christopher Simonelli 
 
Heat 2 
 
1 Stephen Storer 
2 Jay Callaghan 
Alistair Hartley 
Jordan Roberts 
 
Heat 3 
 
1 Lindsay Mcmaster 
2 Wade Cosgrove 
Brian Schmacker 
Christopher Wilson 
 
Heat 4 
 
1 Benjamin Simonelli 
2 David Miller 
Patrick Dennis 
Paul Jackson 
Matthew Wood 
 
Repechage 
 
Heat 1 
 
1 David Reid 
2 Paul Jackson 
Alistair Hartley 
Patrick Dennis 
 
Heat 2 
 
1 Christopher Wilson 
2 Matthew Wood 
Chris Simonelli 
Jordan Roberts 
 
Semi Final 
 
Heat 1 
 
1 Lindsay Mc Master 
2 William Draffen 
3 David Reid 
Jay Callaghan 
David Miller 
Paul Jackson 
 
Heat 2 
 
1 Benjamin Simonelli 
2 Stephen Storer 
3 Matthew Wood 
Wade Cosgrove 
Chrisopher Wilson 
Daniel Mcculloch 
 
Final
 
1 Benjamin Simonelli 
2 Stephen Storer 
3 Matthew Wood 
William Draffen 
Lindsay Mc Master 
David Reid 
 
Elite Women 25 km points race
 
1 Anouska Edwards (Rockhampton Cycle Club)          50 pts
2 Courtney Lelay (Balmoral)                         27
3 Liz Young (Lifecycle)                             21
4 Josie Loane (Lifecycle)                           16
5 Loren Rowney (Cats)                               11
6 Joanna Von Berky (Hamilton Pine River Wheelers)    1
DNF Alexandra Bright (Rockhampton Cycle Club)       
DNF Theresa Elmes (Ffast Cycle Club)                
DNF Kristin Gilbert (NRG Cycling)                   
DNF Theresa Blumel (Sunshine Coast)