Sprinters loom large for BikeNZ team at World Junior Track Champs

The New Zealand junior cycling team hope they have speed to burn at the UCI World Junior Track Cycling Championships that begin in Moscow tomorrow (NZ time).

The BikeNZ team has traditionally looked to their endurance riders for their most prominent silverware in recent years. Last year the team picked up a superb six medals, all in the endurance track events in South Africa with four of them to outstanding female Gemma Dudley.

Two years ago the three medals were in the omnium, women’s pursuit and the kilo time trial.

This year coach Mike McRedmond believes it is the sprinters who may be at the sharp end of proceedings. They are led by the Auckland pair of Ethan Mitchell and Sam Webster who were part of the team sprint in Capetown last year that were edged out of the bronze medal by Poland.

Webster was superb at the Australian Youth Olympics in Sydney earlier this year with his 10.3s sprint one of the fastest in the world this year, while Mitchell was only narrowly behind him. They are joined by Southland’s Cameron Karwowski in a powerful combination.

Webster and Mitchell pair-up in the sprint and also the Keirin, while Karwowski shows his versatility, starting in the kilo time trial and omnium.

Canterbury’s Ruaraidh McLeod is the only member of last year’s medal winning team pursuit to return, joined this year by Hamish Tomlinson (Southland), Josh Atkins (Canterbury) and Oceania under-19 road race champion Patrick Bevin (Taupo).

Canterbury’s Elizabeth Steel is the only female in the team, and has a busy schedule, competing in the Points Race, Scratch Race, individual pursuit and omnium.

The team trained at the UCI training base in Switzerland and are well prepared for the championships according to McRedmond.

“We are very happy with the form of all riders, and training over the last couple of days has shown that the athletes are ready to take on the world,” McRedmond said.

The only concern is Canterbury rider Michael Vink, who is recovering from a crash in training. He is back on his bike and McRedmond remains hopeful he will recover in time to compete in the men’s scratch race. Vink was a member of the team pursuit last year than won bronze.

Steel is the first kiwi in action in qualifying for the individual pursuit followed by Bevin in qualifying heats of the Points race. The evening programme includes finals of the Points Race, women’s pursuit along with qualifying and finals of the team sprint.

The championships continue until Sunday (NZ time).

The BikeNZ team is:

Ethan Mitchell (Auckland): sprint, team sprint, keirin, kilo time trial.

Sam Webster (Auckland): sprint, team sprint, keirin.

Cameron Karwowski (Southland): team sprint, kilo time trial, omnium.

Patrick Bevin (Taupo): Points race, team pursuit.

Michael Vink (Canterbury): Scratch race.

Ruaraidh McLeod (Canterbury): Team pursuit, individual pursuit

Hamish Tomlinson (Southland): Team pursuit.

Josh Atkins (Canterbury): Team pursuit, individual pursuit.

Elizabeth Steel (Canterbury): Points race, scratch race, omnium, individual pursuit.