Strong NZ team named for World Track Cycling Championships

BikeNZ has selected one of the strongest teams ever for next week’s UCI World Track Championships in The Netherlands.

The 16-strong team, named today after their final camp in Invercargill, is a mix of proven performers and exciting youth for the world championships that begin in Apeldoorn next Wednesday.

The strength is build around the pursuit combinations with the women led by Commonwealth Games gold medallist Alison Shanks, along with the World Cup winning pursuit teammates Jaime Nielsen (Hamilton) and Lauren Ellis (Hinds) and Kaytee Boyd (Waiuku).

The men’s group is headed by Radioshack Pro Tour riders Sam Bewley (Rotorua) and world silver medallist Jesse Sergent (Feilding) who returned from their duties in Europe to trial for the team. Also in the pursuit group are fellow 2010 world championship teammates Marc Ryan (Timaru) and Peter Latham (Te Awamutu). The newcomer is 20-year-old Aucklander Aaron Gate, the late replacement for the Commonwealth Games, who performed strongly at the Manchester World Cup and has been outstanding in the camp.

The unlucky riders to miss out are Beijing Olympian Wes Gough in the men’s squad, 2010 national road champion Rushlee Buchanan, Levin’s Gemma Dudley and Auckland’s Myron Simpson, all members of last year’s world championship team.

“It’s been the toughest selection job that we have ever had to make,” said BikeNZ head coach Tim Carswell. “The good news is that there is such quality and depth in our squad now and that has resulted in massive competition for places which can only been good for our overall programme.

“The Manchester World Cup trio of Aaron Gate, Pete Latham and Marc Ryan have kicked on strongly while there’s been a huge commitment from Bewley and Sergent to fly home from Europe and produce the goods to make this team.

“It’s the same situation in the women where Alison, Lauren and Jaime have continued their progress since Manchester and Kaytee, who had a very strong Beijing World Cup, has really impressed over the last two months in particular.”

Twenty-two year old Shane Archbold (Timaru) will compete in the new Olympic event of the omnium, a six discipline event where he was second overall in the World Cup rankings while 21-year-old Tom Scully (Invercargill) marks his return to top level competition following injury to compete in the endurance track events.

Experienced Christchurch professional Jo Kiesanowski, already an Olympian on the road, continues in her quest to make it to the track for London and will compete in the women’s omnium.

The team includes the exciting young sprint quartet of Eddie Dawkins (Invercargill), Sam Webster (Auckland), Ethan Mitchell (Auckland ) and Simon van Velthooven (Palmerston North) - the oldest at just 22 years - who are hoping to improve on their fifth placings in the kilo and team sprint in last year’s worlds.

“Overall it is a strong team but also young. The average age of the men is only 22 years.

“It’s an extremely important world championship with London only 16 months away and with crucial Olympic qualifications points on the line.

“We want to see an improvement in our world rankings across the board as we build towards London and it would be good to match our record haul of four medals from last year.”

The team flies out of Auckland tomorrow night.

The team is, men: Shane Archbold (Timaru), Sam Bewley (Rotorua), Aaron Gate (Auckland), Peter Latham (Te Awamutu), Marc Ryan (Timaru), Jesse Sergent (Feilding), Tom Scully (Invercargill), Edward Dawkins (Invercargill), Ethan Mitchell (Auckland), Simon van Velthooven (Palmerston North), Sam Webster (Auckland).

Women: Kaytee Boyd (Waiuku), Lauren Ellis (Hinds), Joanne Kiesanowski (Christchurch), Jaime Nielsen (Hamilton), Alison Shanks (Dunedin).