BikeNZ track cyclists face tough challenge in World Championships

BikeNZ head coach Tim Carswell believes his squad is in better shape than for last year’s record four-medal haul on the eve of the UCI World Track Cycling Championships in The Netherlands.

Carswell said that the team needs to be better to match the lift in intensity and quality in these all-important championships only 16 months out from the London Olympics.

“It’s clear from the recent World Cups and here in training that as well as the superpowers like Great Britain, Australia and France, that the big cycling nations of the Netherlands, Russia, Germany and Spain in particular are really improving fast with their track programmes,” Carswell said.

“We believe we have prepared well and across the board we are ahead of where we were at this time before last year’s world championships.”

He is unsure how this will manifest itself in results at the Omnisport Apeldoorn but the aim is to improve world rankings, secure crucial Olympic qualifying points, chase podium positions and continue the progress towards London 2012.

“The track looks fast. It’s been quite cold here especially in the mornings but then quite nice in the afternoon  so it’s hard to say how that will equate in terms of speed out of the track.

“The atmosphere should be huge. It is a massive arena that seats 6500 and we have had big crowds in just for the training sessions.”

The men’s team pursuit and team sprint highlight action on the opening day on Wednesday (local time) with 20-year-old comer Aaron Gate (Auckland) left off the final selection, opting for the experience of Beijing Olympians Jesse Sergent, Peter Latham, Sam Bewley and Marc Ryan.

Australia are the form team along with Great Britain with the New Zealanders, if the track allows, wanting to dip under their best of 3:57.

France, Australia, Great Britain and China are the big four in the team sprint but the burgeoning youthful New Zealand combination turned heads with their fifth placing last year. The trio of Ethan Mitchell (20), Sam Webster (19) and Eddie Dawkins (21) form the combination at Apeldoorn.

“They are kids really in terms of ages in this form of the sport where most are in their late 20s or early 30s,” Carswell said. “They have improved across the board and I know they are looking to further reduce their best time.”

It’s time for the women to take on the team pursuit on day two, where Waiuku’s Kaytee Boyd has won a start in her first world championships, alongside 2009 world champion Alison Shanks and the fast-improving Jaime Nielsen.

“Of the six women in the endurance programme, five had won world cup gold medals. And so to come down to the four to come here and the final three to ride has been a tough decision for the women’s coach Dayle Cheatley.

“It’s testament to Kaytee who has transferred back from the road and has worked so hard to force her way in to the line-up.”

Sergent steps back on to the track to contest the individual pursuit, and without Great Britain’s Geraint Thomas and American Taylor Phinney, it could be a repeat of the classic Delhi battle between Australian Jack Bobridge and the kiwi.

The men’s sprint also takes place with qualification to the last 16 on day three would be a top performance for the kiwis against a star-studded line-up including Chris Hoy and Kevin Sireau (France.

Shanks contests the individual pursuit along with Nielsen on day three, where American Sarah Hammer defends her crown and world record in a demanding campaign with Shanks and Great Britain’s Wendy Houvenaghel, second to the kiwi at Delhi, are the other high profile contenders.

Competition begins for the men’s omnium where 22-year-old Shane Archbold, who won two rounds of the World Cup, will challenge favourites Ed Clancy (Great Britain) and Zach Bell (Canada).

The weekend features the omnium with the men’s completing their racing while the women begin with New Zealand’s experienced road star Joanne Kiesanowski fast improving where Hammer is the hot favourite.

Saturday will see Delhi medallists Simon van Velthooven and Dawkins line-up in the keirin, along with track endurance racing while Sunday’s final day sees the completion of the women’s omnium, Dawkins and van Velthooven in the kilo as well as Gate and Scully in the 50km Madison – a none-Olympic event now but one of the most spectacular.