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Australian National Track Cycling Championships - CN
Sydney, Australia, April 27 - May 2, 2004
Main Page Results Previous Day
Day 6 - May 2: Men & women's Keirin, Under-19 men's Madison, Men's 40km Points Race
Sutton sizzles to win points race gold
By Karen Forman and Brett Dwyer in Sydney
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NSW rider Christopher Sutton firmly affirmed his supremacy as the best points race rider in the country, convincingly winning the men's 40km points race at the Australian national track championships in Sydney today. The 21 year old apprentice cabinet maker added the gold to his teams pursuit gold on Friday night (with Chris Pascoe, Peter and Steve Fitzpatrick) after a ride observers said he had won "from the shoulders up".
He wasn't willing to take all the credit for himself, however. "I had good team mates," he said. "At the end it wasn't so much an individual effort. I wouldn't have been able to do it without Chris Pascoe and Steve Fitzpatrick. I couldn't ask for two better guys to help me out."
Sutton said the team had sat together in coach Gary Sutton's office before the race, discussing teams and tactics. "We talked about the Victorians and we decided that any one of the three of us could win it," he said. "So we decided to see how the first few sprints went and then see how we were from there. I had good legs, I knew a lap would be taken, so I sort of saved myself for that. Last year I was third and I started dying at the end, so this year I started training for it."
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He said the gold medal had topped off a great week. "I would have liked to have gone better in the individual events, but the point score is mine," he said. "I'd like to take after my old man (Gary Sutton won the world and Australian points race titles in 1980). It's something you have to be dedicated to, you have really got to want it badly and train hard. Everything you do from the moment you wake up until the moment you go to bed at night has to be focussed on the points race."
Sutton has still been working this week, as an apprentice cabinet maker in Wollongong. "Andrew McGee and Grant Law, my bosses, haven't been able to do enough for me, they have been great," he said.
He next contests the World Cup in Sydney in two weeks time and after today's result hopes he might get a ride in the points race. He leaves Australia in six weeks to join the AIS under 23 squad in Italy for the road season. "What made today's result even better was the fact that I hadn't tapered for the nationals. Instead we were planning to have me fittest for the start of the season in Europe. It's a dream come true."
While his father gets a say in his training, CJ is mostly coached by Rod McGee, whom he says "is a great coach".
How it unfolded
Bradley Norton took out the first sprint with Christopher Pascoe and Stephen Rossendell third. Norton then made the most of the momentum, making it two in a row, with Chris Sutton and Steve Fitzpatrick crossing the line behind him.
Sutton was firing on all cylinders by now and took the next print ahead of Pascoe and Grant Irwin, taking maximum points with minimal energy expelled. With 112 laps to go, he shared the race lead, on equal 12 points with Norton.
Twelve more laps down and a strong looking Sutton threw his bike across the line to beat Norton in a very closely contested sprint. When the whistle blew for the next sprint, however, it was Rossendell who was in the best position to win. Sutton wasn't about to let him get away with that and immediate stole the next sprint from Rosendell in a brilliant display of riding. He did extremely well to get out of a boxed position.
The first major gap was established by Pascoe and Edmund Hollands, getting 40 metres up coming into the next sprint. Pascoe scored this time. Meanwhile Hollands persevered with his attack and was joined by Richard England and Bradley Payne. At this stage in proceedings, Sutton was the leader on 24, Norton next on 21 followed by Rossendell on 13 points.
Next sprint was one-two-three for NSW - Sutton, Pascoe and Fitzpatrick . A bunch of four - Sutton, Norton, Keith Evans and Rossendell then got away and established a gap. Sutton took out the next sprint and opened up the gap to the chasing bunch to half a lap with 48 laps to go.
Grant Irwin and Hollands tried to get onto the leading group as Norton took the five points in the next sprint from Sutton. The breakaway group of six was still firing - and managed to take a lap and gain 20 points each for their efforts. Sutton now led on 54 with Norton 49, Rossendell on 37 - and 32 laps still to ride.
Still there was no slowing Sutton. He extended his lead even further, winning another sprint in great style to establish an eight point lead.
With two sprints to come Sutton had an 11 point lead over Norton with Norton the only rider remaining to challenge him for the title. The second last sprint was taken out by Sutton - all he had to do to win was stay upright for the next eight laps to win the gold.
Sutton's score was 67 ahead of Norton on 53 and Rossendell on 38 . . . nobody had a chance of getting even with Sutton.
Sutton finished as he had begun, winning the final sprint ahead of Pascoe.
Thorsen Champion of Champions after collecting under 19 keirin
By Karen Forman in Sydney
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Seventeen year old Daniel Thorsen earned the prestigious Champion of Champions title when he won his fourth gold medal - the men's under 19 keirin - in a dazzling sprinting display at the Australian national track championships in Sydney this afternoon.
Now he's planning on taking a week off "to forget about bikes" before - hopefully, if he's selected - making it onto the Australian team for the junior world championships.
Thorsen, from Shepparton in country Victoria, had already won the time trial, the scratch race and the teams sprint when he set out to add the keirin to his cache today. He made his intentions clear from the outset, taking the wheel of the derny with Corey Heath on his wheel and Shane Perkins behind him, pedalling smoothly and confidently until the race proper began.
The race started tensely with all the riders looking around and forward to try to figure out the planned tactics of their peers.
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It was Phillip Stokes who made the move when the derny pulled up the track, but Perkins took control of the race in the back straight leading into the bell. The pace picked up and Thorsen led out into the final bend, managing to hold off the others to win the Australian championship. Perkins was second and Tyler McLachlan third.
"I feel unreal," he said at the finish. "The Champion of Champions is just a bonus. It's awesome to think I have done so well." He said he doesn't have any pet event, but "rides everything at the moment". He did win a silver medal in the keirin and a bronze in the scratch race at last year's Junior World Track Championships, so perhaps, with today's win, he might be leaning towards the sprint events.
Thorsen started riding bikes when he was 10, following his father John, a national medallist who represented Australia at the 1976 Olympics, into the sport. Today he attributed his success to his dad, who coaches him and supports him.
Bridesmaid Kersten takes centre stage with first individual gold
By Karen Forman in Sydney
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Just as he was starting to feel like a bridesmaid, with three silver, a bronze and a gold medal in a teams event - but no individual gold - in his bag to take home from the Australian national track championships, Sydney rider Ben Kersten finally came up trumps when he won the men's keirin this afternoon.
Kersten, who had been feeling mentally and physically flat since giving his all to win the kilo on the first day of the event - and doesn't expect to come good until he tapers off for the World Championships in Melbourne at the end of May, was ecstatic with his win. Well, at least he would have been if he had had the energy to really enjoy it.
"I am really looking forward to feeling good," he said. "I haven't felt good for a long time. But that's the plan of (coach) Gary Sutton. He likes to keep me down and then bring me up when the time is right. For me, the Worlds are where it's at so it just wasn't worth the risk of tapering for the nationals."
He said, after being disappointed with his performances in the kilo - which he had specifically set himself for - and the sprint earlier in the week of competition, he had had some confidence "for about 10 minutes" after taking the gold medal with Shaun Hopkins and Greg McFarlane on Saturday night.
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"But then, coming into the keirin final I was reaching into my bag for my gloves and I saw all these silver medals in there and I started to feel like a bridesmaid. I mean, I am okay with head games, they aren't a problem for me, I can block it out. But I have been feeling flat."
How it unfolded
Kersten had already decided not to leave his run too late when he lined up for the final. Jason Niblett drew first spot behind the derny in the final with Shaun Hopkins ideally positioned on his wheel, Todd Wilksch, Kersten, Greg McFarlane and then Clint Johnson in last spot.
Johnson was obviously not happy with his positioning and made his move as soon as the derny had pulled up the track, taking the lead. Hopkins challenged him in the back straight and looked to be a probable winner. Kersten at this stage was dead last.
But then, all of a sudden, came Kersten right down the middle of the pack to dramatically shove his wheel across the line to win the event. The final 200 metres were completed in 11.263. "I didn't want to leave my run too late," he said.
Earlier, he had won his way into the final by winning the first heat - drilling through the pack to pip Kial Stewart and Jason Niblett on the line. Both headed into the repecharge . The final 200 metres were completed in 11.100.
Clint Johnson headed into the final after the second heat, with Todd Wilksch and Greg McFarlane making the repecharge in second and third. Anthony Peden and Wilksch went head on head out of the bell, but Clint Johnson took the win after riding a consistent race from start to finish. The final 200 metres were executed in 11.367.
Shaun Hopkins rode a tactical third round to bounce off Joel Leonard who had led out at the bell and win the third heat. An in-form Darren Harry, who has been riding with aplomb as a pilot in the multi discipline events, pulled his foot in the back straight and was out of contention but Jonno Hamlin was third and joining Leonard in the repecharge. Time 200 metre time was 11.489.
The repecharge was led out by Corey Heath but Lyle McLachlan looked a major threat as he attacked in the finishing straight. They finished first and third with Phillip Stokes second, all earning their way into the final. The final 200 metres were ridden in 11.709.
With the first three placegetters in the repecharge to earn a finals berth, it was competitive from start to finish. Jason Niblett took the derny, while Wilksch found himself boxed in. The New Zealand drove forward at the bell, but Niblett freed himself to get around him on the line to score a convincing win. Wilksch was second and McFarlane third.
Kersten said he enjoyed the keirin more than the sprint, as he found it harder to get himself into gear for printing. "It's better with the motorbike," he said, "easier to get up to top speed." He said he wasn't putting his hand up for the national team as a result of his gold medal ride today, however, saying "there are other guys who can do it."
"At the moment the kilo is where it's at for me. Once I have dominated that I will spread my wings and look at some other events. Right now I have lost my spark. I managed to come away with some medals and results from these championships, but the world's is where it's at now."
Hubbard shines in women's keirin
By Karen Forman in Sydney
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Adelaide rider Rosealee Hubbard made the women's keirin her own when she won the national championship in dazzling form at Sydney's Dunc Gray velodrome this afternoon. Afterwards, she joked that perhaps the keirin was "a scary race, a race where you don't really need to think, where the most desperate rider is the winner."
The 24 year old was never really in doubt through the heats and the final. Afterwards, she attributed her success to being focussed and confident in the lead up and her experience at riding the event at last year's nation championships.
"I was very focussed, my head was quite clear," she said. "I felt quite confident really. Maybe I have had more experience at riding this event at nationals than the other girls, too."
She rode with an impressive looking bandage on her leg, covering a wound sustained in a crash "when I turned up the track too quickly" in a heat earlier in the week, but she played down the injury, saying "it looks worse than it really is and doesn't even really hurt."
Hubbard, who rides fulltime with the AIS in Adelaide, said she was really happy with her win. "I like the keirin and the sprints," she said, "but I think success in the keirin came sooner for me. I was third at the worlds in 2002 and have had a few World Cup wins as well."
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She had a setback at last year's world championships but said it had made her stronger for this year's campaign. "I think I have changed as a keirin rider this year," she said. "I have been working with Martin Barras and my explosive speed has improved. I am also racing differently."
Hubbard doesn't believe she will make the Olympic team, saying that other riders, specifically Kate Bates, Katie Mactier and Anna Meares, were probably better qualified to fill the Australian spots. She now heads to the World Championships in Melbourne May but isn't discounting Athens. "I would like to go to the Olympics, but it will be tight for selection, but it doesn't stop you giving it your best, does it?"
How it unfolded
Katri Laike led out the sprint in the first round , challenged by Lucy Stewart, completing the final 200 metres in 13.053. Stewart was second while Elizabeth Georgouras was third, earning their way into the repecharge.
In the second round ,Borgo led for most of the second heat, but Rosealee Hubbard took the lead and the bell and powered away. Borgo tried to close the gap but Hubbard won. 12.274. Kristine Bayley was third and earned her berth in the repecharge with Borgo.
Catherine Allan of Victoria led out at the bell in the third heat to earn her way into the final. Rebecca Ellis in second and Michelle Simpson was third, making their way to the repecharge. 13.064.
The repecharge saw Kristine Bayley on the derny with Michelle Simpson on her wheel. Rebecca Borgo hit out before the bell and took the lead in the back straight, strongly challenged by Bayley.
In the end it was Bayley, Borgo and Ellis taking the first three places in 13.361.
Bayley and Ellis were best placed first and second behind the derny, with the Nez Zealand rider next, then Allen, Hubbard and Laike in the not-so-nice final spot.
Bayley looked over her shoulder as the derny pulled up and seemed to hesitate momentarily, allowing the New Zealander to hit the front. Bayley remained on her wheel, while Hubbard head to the front at the bell and managed to retain her form to win the gold medal. Borgo and Bayley were second and third with the final 200 completed in 12.784.
Ford streaks to the Madison championship
By Karen Forman and Brett Dwyer in Sydney
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The seemingly tireless Michael Ford collected yet another Australian championship in Sydney today, cruising it in to take a gold medal with partner Mitchell Docker for Victoria in the under 19 Madison.
The pair impressed from the start of the 40km, eight sprint event, with Docker lifting the tempo perfectly for Ford to take sprints, working as a well tuned team to stamp their authority early and maintain their momentum to the end.
In the first sprint, Anthony Bennett and Tyler McLachlan from NSW took the first three points, with Victorian Simon Clarke (riding with Patrick Shaw) fading at the finish to claim two points. Docker was sitting comfortably on the bike, the Victorian team looking very strong with 87 laps to go. Also looking handy was South Australian Russell Gill, son of former Australian road champion Alan Gill, pairing well with his team mate Mark Bergamin.
Approaching the whistle for the second sprint, Ford was looking for Docker to come through, Stokes flew in from the clouds, but Docker got himself across the line to take out the sprint by a bike length and a half.
The third sprint saw Clarke attacking and looking for his partner. He got a break but Bennett brought it back. Shaw and Clarke, meanwhile, continued to put the pack under pressure.
The Tasmanians, Matthew Goss and Ben Price came to the fore and positioned themselves closer to the pointy end of the Madison field with four sprints to go and Docker holding a seven point lead.
With the race half over, the urgency was increasing. NSW's Dean Windsor and Phillip Stokes were busting themselves to collect some points. In the end the third sprint went to Ford with Stokes second . . . three wins from three sprints for Ford, who displayed strength beyond his years.
With leaders Ford and Docker moving up to 15 points and two teams fighting for the silver medal - Shaw/Clarke and Goss/Price - the pace was hotting up. The South Australians were looking a bit more threatening but needed to figure in the next sprints to make up lost ground.
At 45 laps to go, Clarke was rubbing shoulders with Shaw, but dramatically lost his foot from the pedal and almost fell. However, he regained his composure and managed to stay upright.
Stokes was leading out the next sprint and took the maximum five points with Docker in second and Clarke third. Windsor and Stokes combined well in the fourth sprint, Stokes the only rider to break the Docker/Clarke domination.
With 32 to go, Ford and Docker were leading on 18 points, Stokes and Windsor second on nine points an Shaw and Clarke from Victoria on Seven points.
The gaps started to appear with 25 laps to go and the pace intensified. When the bell sounded for the next sprint, Stokes and Windsor surged forward, looking for something special. Docker, however, took out the sprints with Stokes second and the Tasmanian was third. The result saw Stokes and Windsor take a stranglehold on the silver medal, while Ford and Docker were stamping their authority with a lead of 10 points.
With nine laps to go, Docker and Windsor took over the lead and the laps were falling fast. Unfortunately in a show of bad luck, Shaw come down heavily with about a lap to go and was out of the race.
Stokes took the win in the final sprint, but Ford and Docker had the points to take out the championship. Stokes and Windsor claimed the silver ahead of Shaw and Clarke.
Photography
Images by John Veage
- Ben Kersten gives it everything in the sprint of the men's kierin
- Ben Kersten after winning the men's kierin
- The sun shines on the men's points race
- Chris Sutton celebrates victory in the men's points race
- Daniel Thorsen (Vic) powers past team-mate Shane Perkins in the finale of the under-19 kierin
- The under-19 kierin podium - Shane Perkins, Daniel Thorsen and Tyler McLachlan
- Michael Ford leads the under-19 Madison
- Mitchel Docker and Michael Ford exchange in the under-19 Madison
- Michael Ford and Mitchell Docker celebrate their madison win
- Rosealee Hubbard charges for the line in the women's keirin
- Rosealee Hubbard was quite pleased with her women's kierin win
- NSW track coach Rik Fulcher shows off the team trophy
- Rebecca Ellis pulls on her women's series jersey
- Series jersey winners Catherine Allen, Daniel Thorsen and Rebecca Ellis
Results
Under 19 men's Keirin
Round 1 Heat 1 1 Daniel Thorsen (VIC) 11.820 2 Corey Heath (NT) 3 Phillip Stokes (NSW) 4 Joel Davis (QLD) 5 Adam Stewart (NZL) Heat 2 1 Shane Perkins (VIC) 11.400 2 Lindsay McMaster (QLD) 3 Tyler McLachlan (NSW) 4 Adam O'Connor (WA) 5 Ben Heylen (SA) Heat 3 1 Anthony Bennett (NSW) 11.930 2 Daniel Robb (SA) 3 Steven Phelan (ACT) 4 Jarrod Harman (TAS) Fell Benjamin Simonelli (QLD) DSQ Michael Hill (VIC) Repechage 1 Corey Heath (NT) 11.709 2 Tyler McLachlan (NSW) 3 Phillip Stokes (NSW) 4 Steven Phelan (ACT) 5 Daniel Robb (SA) 6 Lindsay McMaster (QLD) Final 1 Daniel Thorsen (VIC) 11.308 2 Shane Perkins (VIC) 3 Tyler McLachlan (NSW) 4 Anthony Bennett (NSW) 5 Corey Heath (NT) 6 Phillip Stokes (NSW)
Men Keirin
Round 1 Heat 1 1 Ben Kersten (NSW) 11.100 2 Kial Stewart (ACT) 3 Jason Niblett (VIC) 4 Carlo Barendilla (WA) 5 Grant Irwin (QLD) 6 Tommy Nankervis (SA) Heat 3 1 Clint Johnson (QLD) 11.367 2 Todd Wilksch (VIC) 3 Greg McFarlane (NSW) 4 Anthony Peden (NZL) 5 Daniel Vogels (WA) 6 Mario Mazza (SA) Heat 2 1 Shaun Hopkins (NSW) 11.489 2 Joel Leonard (VIC) 3 Jonno Hamlin (NZL) 4 Daniel Rynne (QLD) 5 Darren Harry (WA) Repechage 1 Jason Niblett (VIC) 11.141 2 Todd Wilksch (VIC) 3 Greg McFarlane (NSW) 4 Joel Leonard (VIC) 5 Jonno Hamlin (NZL) 6 Kial Stewart (ACT) Final 1 Ben Kersten (NSW) 11.263 2 Shaun Hopkins (NSW) 3 Todd Wilksch (VIC) 4 Jason Niblett (VIC) 5 Greg McFarlane (NSW) 6 Clint Johnson (QLD)
Women Keirin
Round 1 Heat 1 1 Katri Laike (NZL) 13.053 2 Lucy Stewart (ACT) 3 Elizabeth Georgouras (NSW) 4 Rene`E Braithwaite (SA) 5 Sophie Cape (WA) Heat 2 1 Rosealee Hubbard (SA) 12.274 2 Rebecca Borgo (NSW) 3 Kristine Bayley (WA) 4 Tara Fryc (NT) 5 Alexandra Bright (QLD) 6 Apryl Eppinger (VIC) Heat 3 1 Catherine Allen (VIC) 13.064 2 Rebecca Ellis (NSW) 3 Michelle Simpson (QLD) 4 Leeanne Manderson (WA) 5 Alexis Rhodes (SA) 6 Elisabeth Williams (NZL) Repechage 1 Kristine Bayley (WA) 13.631 2 Rebecca Borgo (NSW) 3 Rebecca Ellis (NSW) 4 Elizabeth Georgouras (NSW) 5 Michelle Simpson (QLD) 6 Lucy Stewart (ACT) Final 1 Rosealee Hubbard (SA) 12.784 2 Rebecca Borgo (NSW) 3 Kristine Bayley (WA) 4 Rebecca Ellis (NSW) 5 Katri Laike (NZL) 6 Catherine Allen (VIC)
Under-19 men's Madison
1 Michael Ford/Mitchell Docker (VIC) 25 pts 2 Phillip Stokes/Dean Windsor (NSW) 17 3 Patrick Shaw/Simon Clarke (VIC) 9 4 Matthew Goss/Ben Price (TAS) 8 5 Matthew Haydock/Adam Coker (NZL) 4 6 Anthony Bennett/Tyler McLachlan (NSW) 3 7 Mark Bergamin/Russell Gill (SA)
Men 40km Points Race
1 Christopher Sutton (NSW) 72 pts 2 Bradley Norton (VIC) 53 3 Stephen Rossendell (TAS) 38 4 Edmund Hollands (WA) 29 5 Christopher Pascoe (NSW) 27 6 Keith Evans (WA) 23 7 Grant Irwin (QLD) 9 8 Bradley Payne (QLD) 8 9 Steve Fitzpatrick (NSW) 7 10 David Pell (VIC) 5 11 Steven Evans (WA) 2 12 Richard England (VIC) 2 13 Tommy Nankervis (SA) 1 14 Logan Hutchings (NZL) DNF Brendan O'Connell (QLD) DNF Sean Hennessy (SA)
