Oceania track cycling team mix of new and proven

BikeNZ has named a mix of new and proven in a young squad to compete in the Oceania Track Cycling Championships in Adelaide in November.

The championship, which carries qualifying points for world cup and world championships, represents the start of campaign looking ahead to the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2016 Olympic Games.

BikeNZ has selected riders who have been part of their under-23 squad in Europe last year, recent junior world championship representatives and other promising talent for the championships to be staged at the Adelaide Super-Drome from 28 November until 2 December.

“We have some talented young riders, both already with a taste of international exposure to our BikeNZ culture and others with real promise that we have included in this group,” said BikeNZ High Performance Director Mark Elliott.

“Several in this group have been part of our Under-23 development programme, racing in Europe last year and they are well positioned to have the opportunity to push into the elite track squad going forward.

“At the same time our elite sprint squad are still extremely young, but are built around the London Olympic team, who were established in the first place as a 2016 target group.

“And we saw at the junior world championships that we have some burgeoning talent in the junior ranks.

“They are going to get their opportunity to put their hands up for selection to our internationals quads going forward. This will be the starting point.”

The team is:

Elite, Men’s Endurance: Alex Frame (Christchurch), Piet Bulling (Invercargill), Scott Creighton (Hamilton), Dylan Kennett (Waimate), Hayden McCormick (Te Awamutu), Cameron Karwowski (Invercargill).         

Women’s Endurance: Gemma Dudley (Levin), Sequoia Cooper (Invercargill), Georgia Williams (Auckland), Racquel Sheath (Auckland), Alysha Keith (Dunedin).

Men’s Sprint: Eddie Dawkins (Invercargill), Sam Webster (Auckland), Ethan Mitchell (Auckland), Matt Archibald (Invercargill).

Women’s sprint: Natasha Hansen (Invercargill), Katie Schofield (Dunedin).

Staff: Craig Palmer (Male endurance), Stu Macdonald (female endurance), Dayle Cheatley (Assistant coach), Justin Grace (sprint coach), Dale Hollows (mechanic), Mark Mathew (physiotherapist), Justin Evans (sports science), Daniel Healey (Manager)


Under-19, men’s endurance:
Luke Wieblitz (Christchurch), Josh Haggerty (Invercargill), Connor Stead (Christchurch), Michael Culling (Invercargill), Regan Gough (Otane, Hawkes Bay), Cameron Ford (Nelson), Alex Hooper (Ashburton),

Women’s endurance: Lauren Hobson (Auckland) Alice Hay (Christchurch), Holly Edmonston (Waimate), Kate Stewart (Palmerston North).

Men’s sprint: Jeremy Presbury (Invercargill), Zac Williams (Auckland), Chad Elliston (Auckland), Callum Saunders (Blenheim), Quinn Karwowski (Blenheim).

Staff: Ross Machejefski (male endurance coach), Mark Lucas (female endurance coach), John Rastrick (sprint coach), Ben Rowell (mechanic), Jessica Massey (manager).