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2007 Australian Senior Track Championships - CN
Dunc Gray Velodrome, Sydney, February 5-11, 2007
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Day 2 - February 6: Men U19 sprint, Men sprint, AWD pursuit qualifying & finals, Women team sprint, Women 25km points
Bayley blitz blows away French
By John Michael Flynn at Sydney's Dunc Gray Velodrome
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A thoroughly dominant performance by dual Olympic champion Ryan Bayley in the men's sprint provided just one of the highlights on the second night of the 2007 Australian Track Cycling Championships at Sydney's Dunc Gray Velodrome.
Matched up against an in-form Mark French in the final, Bayley turned around the earlier performances in qualifying as his superior match racing skills shone through, as they often do, under pressure.
"Yeah I was pretty impressed. In the 200 [flying 200 qualifier] Mark French had a couple of tenths on me, which usually means I'm settling for second," Bayley told Cyclingnews after winning his second national senior sprint championship.
"It's just how I am when I get in a race and I go full tilt and see what happens. Tactically I rode very good races and gave him no way to come past me."
French had looked particularly sharp during the earlier sprint rounds and entered the final with some judges tipping an upset. Bayley took the first match sprint in a close contest but in the second, riding from the front, the Olympic champion had too much power. "Tactically, I was going to try to get to the front but hesitated and Ray [Bayley] just never gave me the door," French said.
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"It's one of those frustrating things about racing Ryan .. he can pull some good speed out from the front and it's hard to get around, but that's what he is, he's a match racer."
The good news for Australian track cycling is that faster times and even better results should be just around the corner for Bayley and French. With Australia's track sprinters in heavy training ahead of the Manchester World Cup - the week of the National Championships is being punctuated with heavy gym sessions.
For Bayley, the results this week are doing his preparation no harm. "I need a bit of confidence, I'm training my backside off I'm doing everything to get in the position that I need to be in," Bayley said.
There's also the small matter of the Australian Keirin championship later in the week - an event Bayley is yet to win at national level - and the final trophy in world keirin racing's 'box set' of results. "I've won a World Championship keirin, an Olympic keirin, a Commonwealth Games keirin, all the big keirin's but I haven't won the national one yet," Bayley said. "It'd be great to win one."
Davis wins under 19 sprint
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In the under 19 men's sprint, Queenslander Byron Davis continued his impressive run of recent weeks, living up to the expectation of his sub eleven second qualifying ride with a victory in the final against Victorian Trevor Griffiths.
A medalist in the team sprint at last year's junior world championships, Davis demonstrated his on-going improvement as a track sprinter. "That was the goal, come out here tonight and take away the gold medal," Davis said.
After watching his eventual rival race in the early rounds, Davis formulated a race plan which worked to perfection."I knew Trevor would like the front and I'm quite confident going from the front," Davis said. "In the first round I got him by quite a good margin , I knew he'd come back in the second one."
Meares sisters snatch team sprint
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In the women's team sprint, Rockhampton's magnificent Meares sisters joined forces once again - and came close to matching the 'world's best' (there is no official world record in the team sprint) time for the event, with their performance in the final against the New South Wales pairing of Elizabeth Georgouras and Kaarle McCulloch.
After injuring a hamstring two weeks ago, and missing vital training heading into the championships, Kerrie Meares knew she needed to lift her game to set up the win for her world champion sibling. "This one in particular was pretty special because we've gone really close to the world's best time and set a really good benchmark for a national record and we did it together as sisters," Kerrie Meares told Cyclingnews. "I haven't had the most ideal preparation and my first training day was the start of the five hundred metre time trial."
The result was important for the older of the Meares sisters, who desperately wants to win a World Championship - and provided she can convince selectors to allow the sisters to pair up at international level (several Australian women are in contention for the second spot in Australia's women's team sprint), it may be on the cards. "My current motivation is the opportunity with the women's team sprint being a world event for us," Kerrie Meares said. "I'm still chasing a world championship and striving for an Olympic championship."
Anna Meares, whose form looks to be almost as good as it was when she broke a world record two months ago at the Sydney World Cup, was just happy to get the result alongside her sister. "It's always special, it doesn't happen often and it doesn't happen enough for our liking," Anna Meares said. "I'm really happy that we can go out and win the national title and win in such good form as we did. It was a tough competition."
Gutsy Goss wins women's points race
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The final event on the second night program produced one of the most exciting races so far at the 2007 Australian Track Championships as Tasmanian Belinda Goss broke through for her first national championship at senior level.
The victory was no surprise given Goss's recent form on both the track and the road (including a second place at the Bay Criterium Series) - but Goss was forced to do it the hard way, gathering sprint points and chasing down breakaways, without any notable help.
Featuring a New South Wales contingent of Rochelle Gilmore, Amanda Spratt and Sky-Lee Armstrong and a three strong Victorian presence of Monique Hanley, Jessica Berry and Tess Downing, the lone Tasmanian in the race was never going to be given any favours.
Gilmore managed to pick up one of the early sprints, and with Tess Downing racking up points with regularity, Goss needed to stay involved from start to finish. Queenslander Sasha Harvey tried to steal the race with a last ditch breakaway, but it was the consistent Tasmanian who triumphed in the end.
"It would have been nice to get in a breakaway but it didn't come off this time, I had to revert to my sprinting," a beaming Goss said at race end. "This is probably my best summer that I've had, second at Bay Crits overall and then to come on and to win the national title here, the points race is my favourite event."
The Tasmanian women are looking hard to beat in the scratch race later this week, with Goss and Laura McCaughey two of the form riders in the event.
Records tumble in AWD events
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Records went tumbling in the Athletes With Disabilities category at the National Track Championships, with Victorian Michael Gallagher the standout performer, breaking his own world record in the LC1 individual pursuit.
Gallagher lapped his opponent, British visitor Gary Rosbotham-Williams, on the way to recording a time of 4.40.378 - a result which sliced almost four seconds off his previous world mark and wasn't far off being in contention in the able bodied version of the same event.
"That's what I'm trying to measure myself against," Gallagher said. "Having the world record, you have to try and improve on it and competing against those sort of times was the only way I was going to improve."
Milton smashing records again
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As trivial pursuit questions go, it's a special...
Which athlete holds records as both the world's fastest man on a single ski and the national track cycling pursuit in his home country?
The answer .. Michael Milton!
Although the pace might have seemed a little pedestrian for the man who clocked 213.65 kilometres per hour descending in snow, Michael Milton was still going fast enough to set a new national record in the LC3 individual pursuit at the National Track Cycling Championships.
Equally impressive - it was the first time Milton had ever ridden a pursuit. "I guess I've been training for quite a while now to get ready for this," Milton said. "I only rode the track for the first time in July."
The outdoor track in Canberra where Milton trains has also thrown up its share of challenges - to ensure he keeps riding fast at all times. "It's interesting sometimes, I had a brown snake strike at me the other day while I was training," Milton revealed.
Although dedicated to the sport of speed skiing, the world's fastest man on one ski is now considering spending more time on the bike, to go from setting national benchmarks, to world benchmarks. "More track time, more training, there's some equipment stuff we've got to work out with a bucket to put my stump in," the amputee said. "It's going to improve my balance and hopefully improve my start. I'm a bit of a slug out of the start - I can wind it up and finish it."
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by John Flynn/Cyclingnews.com
- Ben Kersten was knocked out by Ryan Bayley in the quarter finals of the sprint.
- Ben Kersten with handler Sean Eadie.
- Jayme Paris in the CP3 under 19 pursuit.
- Kial Stewart and Mark French play cat and mouse.
- Luke Davison of New South Wales and Jason Holloway of Western Australia in the under 19 sprint quarter finals.
- Ryan Bayley.
- South Australians Mark Glowacki and Nicholas Ferguson in the under 19 sprint quarter finals.
- Victorian Mark French.
- Victorian Trevor Griffiths puts his foot on the gas in the sprint quarter finals.
- Amanda Spratt riding for New South Wales.
- Amanda Spratt.
- American Erica Allar in the women's points race.
- Anna Meares all power.
- Anna Meares awaits the start in the team sprint.
- Anna Meares.
- Belinda Goss, winner of the women's points race
- Belinda Goss does the rounds with the media after her race victory.
- Byron Davis top of picture timing his sprint.
- Byron Davis turns on the speed.
- Byron Davis watches opponent Trevor Griffiths.
- Chasing intermediate sprints in the women's points race.
- Jessica Berry takes a turn for the Victorians in the women's points race.
- Kerrie Meares blasts out of the blocks.
- Kerrie Meares.
- Kerrie Mears concentrating.
- Mark French keeps an eye on Ryan Bayley.
- Rochelle Gilmore on the drops in the women's points race.
- Rochelle Gilmore claims an intermediate sprint.
- Rochelle Gilmore
- Ryan Bayley gets focused.
- Ryan Bayley awaits the next move from Mark French.
- Ryan Bayley up against Shane Perkins.
- Ryan Bayley with holder Rick Lee.
- Scott Sunderland in the duel with Shane Perkins.
- Scott Sunderland keeps a close eye on Shane Perkins.
- Sky-Lee Armstrong in the women's points race.
- Sky-Lee Armstrong.
- Team NSW on the front in the women's points race.
- Tess Downing in the women's scratch race.
- The ACT team in women's sprint qualifying.
- The Meares sisters.
- The women's points race.
- Trevor Griffiths qualifies for the under 19 sprint final.
- Trevor Griffiths wins his way to the under 19 sprint final.
- Victorian Jessica Berry in the women's points race.
- Victorian Monique Hanley.
Images by John Veage
- Ben Kersten suffers interference in the sprint.
- Meares sisters win the women's team sprint
- Meares sisters congratulate each other after their team sprint win.
- Women's team sprint podium
- Byron Davis sprints to victory in U19 men's sprint.
- Queenslander Byron Davis wins the U19 men's sprint.
- Mark Glowacki's rear tire comes off in the bronze medal sprint race.
- Ryan Bayley before the men's sprint final
- Ryan Bayley wins the men's sprint.
- Ryan Bayley takes the men's sprint convincingly.
- Michael Gallagher breaks the record in the Men's LC1 4000m individual pursuit.
- Michael Milton breaks the Australian record in the Men's LC3 3000m individual pursuit.
- Belinda Goss wins the women's 25km points race.
- Current champion Kate Bates yells encouragement from the stands.
- World Champion Sarah Bailey wins the 3000m individual pursuit LC1.
- Men's LC3 3000m individual pursuit podium presentation, Michael Milton gets the gold.
- Women's 25km points race presentation with Belinda Goss as winner.
- Kerrie Meares behind the camera.
- Men's sprint podium presentation: winner Ryan Bayley, Mark French, and Shane Perkins.
Results
Session 3
Men U19 sprint round 1 Heat 1 1 Byron Davis (Qld) Bye Heat 2 1 Trevor Griffiths (Vic) Bye Heat 3 1 Mark Glowacki (SA) 11.876 2 Liam Hodge (NT) Heat 4 1 Jason Holloway (WA) 11.890 2 Joel Callaghan (Qld) Heat 5 1 Luke Davison (NSW) 11.695 2 Toby Dite (Vic) Heat 6 1 Nicholas Ferguson (SA) 11.831 2 Daniel Jamieson (Tas) Heat 7 1 Stephen Hall (WA) 11.845 2 Ben Sanders (Vic) Heat 8 1 Paul Fellows (NSW) 12.017 2 Peter Lewis (NSW) Quarter finals Heat 1 1 Byron Davis (Qld) 11.318 11.563 2 Paul Fellows (NSW) Heat 2 1 Trevor Griffiths (Vic) 11.750 11.591 2 Stephen Hall (WA) Heat 3 1 Mark Glowacki (SA) 12.835 12.266 2 Nicholas Ferguson (SA) Heat 4 1 Jason Holloway (WA) 11.881 11.418 2 Luke Davison (NSW) For 5th - 8th 5 Luke Davison (NSW) 6 Paul Fellows (NSW) 7 Stephen Hall (WA) 8 Nicholas Ferguson (SA) Men sprint round 1 Heat 1 1 Mark French (Vic) 11.194 11.762 2 Kial Stewart (ACT) Heat 2 1 Ryan Bayley (WA) 11.212 11.208 2 Ben Kersten (NSW) Heat 3 1 Shane Perkins (Vic) 11.020 10.951 2 Jason Niblett (Vic) Heat 4 1 Daniel Ellis (ACT) 10.919 2 Scott Sunderland (WA) LC3 men 3000m individual pursuit qualifying 1 Michael Milton (ACT) 4:14.748 (42.39 km/h) AR 2 Glen Jarvis (Vic) 4:22.383 (41.16 km/h) 3 Andrew Hughes (NZl) 4:29.912 (40.01 km/h) LC3 women 3000m individual pursuit qualifying 1 Sarah Bailey (GBr) 3:57.622 (45.45 km/h) 2 Fiona Southorn (NZl) 4:06.412 (43.83 km/h) 3 Claire Mclean (WA) 4:09.132 (43.35 km/h) LC2 men 4000m individual pursuit final 1 Jonathon Baxter (NZl) 5:55.700 (40.48 km/h) CP3 men 4000m individual pursuit final 1 Darren Kenny (GBr) 3:53.354 (46.28 km/h) CP3 U19 women 3000m individual pursuit final 1 Jayme Paris (NSW) 5:03.296 (35.61 km/h)
Session 4
Women team sprint - qualifying 1 Anna Meares 34.784 (25.87 km/h) Kerrie Meares 2 Elizabeth Georgouras 35.184 Kaarle Mcculloch 3 Josephine Butler 35.995 Kristine Bayley 4 Philippa Hindmarsh 36.278 Chloe Macpherson 5 Chloe Hosking 37.661 Jennifer Loutit 6 Esther Pugh-Uren 37.851 Apryl Eppinger 7 Samsiah Rice 38.185 Davina Summers 8 Stephanie Morton 38.667 Katie Parker 9 Jessica Ellis 38.884 Myfanwy Galloway Women team sprint - final Gold & Silver Medals 1 Anna Meares 0.34.553 (26.05 km/h) Kerrie Meares 2 Elizabeth Georgouras 0.35.187 Kaarle Mcculloch Bronze Medal 3 Josephine Butler 0.35.812 (25.13 km/h) Kristine Bayley 4 Philippa Hindmarsh 0.36.418 Chloe Macpherson Men sprint - semi finals 1 Mark French 11.273 10.951 Scott Sunderland 2 Ryan Bayley 10.929 11.010 Shane Perkins Men U19 sprint - semi finals 1 Byron Davis 11.362 11.700 Jason Holloway 2 Trevor Griffiths 11.472 11.972 Mark Glowacki 12.367 M19 sprint - finals Gold & Silver Medals 1 Byron Davis 11.290 11.356 2 Trevor Griffiths Bronze Medal 1 Jason Holloway 12.615 11.696 2 Mark Glowacki Men sprint - finals Gold & Silver Medals 1 Ryan Bayley 10.920 10.853 2 Mark French Bronze Medal 3 Shane Perkins 11.045 10.962 4 Scott Sunderland LC1 Men 4000m Individual Pursuit Final 1 Michael Gallagher 4.40.378 (51.36 km/h) 2 Gary Rosbotham-Williams LC3 Men 3000m Individual Pursuit Final 1 Michael Milton 4.11.694 (42.91 km/h) 2 Glen Jarvis 4.11.694 LC1 Women 3000m Individual Pursuit Final 1 Sarah Bailey caught rider at 7 laps 2 Fiona Southorn LC3 Women 3000m Individual Pursuit Final 1 Paula Tesoriero 4.28.929 (40.16 km/h) 2 Jane Armstrong 4.34.301 CP4 Men 3000m Individual Pursuit Final 1 Christopher Scott 3.37.955 (49.55 km/h) 2 Trent Deacon 0.07.536 Women 25km Points Race - Final 1 Belinda Goss 30 pts 2 Tess Downing 25 3 Amanda Spratt 18 4 Rochelle Gilmore 12 5 Erica Allar 10 6 Sasha Harvey 6 7 Monique Hanley DNF Skye-Lee Armstrong DNF Jessica Berry DNF Davina Summers DNS Theresa Cliff-Ryan
