Track World Cup news: Day steps in for injured Kelly

April 26, 2002, News

Queensland's Danny Day has been called off the reserve bench for the Sydney round of the UCI Track World Cup after a shoulder injury forced Shane Kelly to withdraw. Day, 29, will step into Kelly's place in the team sprint event while Wollongong's Ben Kersten is expected to line up in the kilometre time trial. Day has already met the selection criteria for the Commonwealth Games team by posting a 200m time of under 10.50sec. He is the newly crowned Australian keirin champion, took bronze in the sprint and placed second in the Team Sprint. Day also claimed the gold medal in the kilometre at the Nationals ahead of Kelly with Kersten claiming bronze.

"I'm really upset that Shane is injured and I hope he recovers as soon as possible and is back racing on his bike," said Day of his friend who was the best man at his wedding in November, 2000.

"I hadn't thought past the Nationals really and I'm still finding it hard to believe I might be going to the Commonwealth Games," said Day who works as a Product Manager for a Queensland bank. "But I'll be doing the best I can at the World Cup to do the right thing for Australian cycling.

30 year old Kelly crashed during the quarter final round of the sprint at last week's Australian Championships and dislocated the AC joint in his right shoulder. Doctors have advised him that, although no long term damage is likely, he should not race for at least four to six weeks to ensure the muscles tighten well around the joint.

"I'm obviously disappointed as the World Cup was one of my main priorities but I'll be in a sling for at least a few more days and then I'll have to take it easy on the shoulder for a few weeks," said Kelly who was however back in the gym and on the Ergo trainer only days after the crash.

"I'm putting a positive spin on this because I was injured before the 1995 World Titles and claimed the gold medal and rode a world record," said Kelly. "Then in 1997 I fractured and dislocated the same AC joint in Japan and went into the World Titles in Perth very underdone."

"I won there as well so hopefully I can do it again," said Kelly who is hoping to claim his third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medal in the kilometre in Manchester.

The World Cup is being raced at Sydney's Dunc Gray Velodrome from May 10 to 12.

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