Silver Lining for WAIS Cyclists at Melbourne World Cup

WAIS athletes completed a successful World Cup cycling campaign in Melbourne with Scott Sunderland, Cam Meyer, Josie Tomic and Sarah Kent all winning medals.

Sunderland who was riding for Team Toshiba backed up his gold in the team sprint with a personal best time of 1:02.492min in the 1km time trial, an effort that earned the 19 year-old a silver medal behind France’s Michael D’Almeida.

For Sunderland the silver medal was made even sweeter given he had not been feeling 100 percent leading into competition.

“I am very happy with second, I went out there rode a PB and I wasn’t exactly feeling the best I have ever felt before as at the start I felt a bit crook in the guts,” said Sunderland.

With a gold and silver to add to his collection, Sunderland has taken many positives from the Melbourne leg of the World Cup series having overcome a difficult spell of injuries that had threatened to disrupt his preparations for the track season.

“(I had) a month off for my collar bone and two weeks off with my hamstring, so I haven’t had the ideal preparation for the event, so to do a PB, I am rapt.”

And Sunderland is now focusing his attention towards the 2009 World Championships.

“To do these times at the start of the season is very exciting and just coming out of injury shows I can still improve quite a lot in the lead up to worlds,” he said. “I have some unfinished business in the kilo. I just feel like I am getting better and better so I hope third time’s a charm.”

Cam Meyer competed with CJ Sutton to claim silver in the 40km men’s Madison event. Meyer and Sutton endured a slow start but recovered to pip Germany for the second spot with Meyer earning a point on the final lap to squeeze past their European rivals. Gold was taken by the Spanish pair of Unai Elorrriage Zubiaur and David Muntaner Juaneda.

Heading into the final sprint Spain had the gold medal wrapped up, with Australia locked with Germany, prompting Meyer to launch the decisive attack.

“It took a while for me and CJ to get the feel of it because we didn’t have any points early and we knew we had to sit back and wait for a moment to hit them really hard,” Meyer said. “When I hit them, I had the legs and I went as hard as I could and I thought I’m not going to wait.

“We finished off well and beat the Germans in the last sprint, which showed some character finishing it.”

Sutton, 24, praised his younger team mate.

“Cam’s a class bike rider and even though I’m a bit older than him, he’s got more experience than me racing at this world cup level,” said Sutton. “I said to him, don’t worry mate, we’ll finish fourth or better, and we ended up coming second. We couldn’t be happier.”

 

Josie Tomic continued her good form in 2008 winning silver medals in both the individual and team pursuit, where she was joined by fellow WAIS cyclist Sarah Kent.

 

The 2007 Junior World Champion over the 2km distance is in her first season riding in the senior ranks and went out fast to establish a lead of almost a second and a half midway through the race.

 

But having contested less than a handful of pursuits over the elite 3km distance Tomic faded in the final two laps to finish in a time of 3:42.692. Rowsell came home strongly to finish in 3:41.183 for gold. The bronze medal went to Czech rider Lada Kozlikova (3min40.793sec).

 

“(To go out fast) is my natural style of riding a pursuit. Having just come up from juniors only riding two kilometres, I am used to going out hard but I know that I have to work on that last bit now,” said Tomic. “I have got to be happy with a silver medal at a World Cup and it can only get better from here.”

 

In the women’s team pursuit, Josephine Tomic and Sarah Kent were joined by NSWIS athlete Ashlee Ankudinoff, winning silver in the final behind Great Britain. After qualifying second fastest in the morning, the Australians (3:30.506) once again found themselves a little behind the pace of Great Britain’s Elizabeth Armitstead, Katie Colclough and Joanna Rowsell (3:29.890).

The trio showed however, that Australian female track team is in good stead for the future.

Cam Meyer’s brilliant 2008 form was recognised on Sunday night with the 20 year-old named the 2008 Male Toshiba Elite Track Cyclist of the Year.

Anna Meares’ spectacular comeback in 2008 saw her bestowed with the Sir Hubert Opperman medal as the 2008 Australian Cyclist of the Year at a ceremony in Melbourne.

The 25 year also took out honours as the 2008 Toshiba Elite Female Track Cyclist of the Year and in a public acclamation of her inspirational efforts in 2008 was also voted the Scody People’s Choice Cyclist for the Year.

Meares suffered neck damage in a track fall in January this year that not only threatened to derail her Olympic hopes but nearly left the dual Olympian in a wheelchair. Meares courageously fought back to qualify for Beijing, where she claimed silver in the women’s sprint.

WAIS BMX star Nicole Callisto also received an award, named the 2008 female Elite BMX Cyclist of the Year.

The Awards were presented at a gala celebration at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne Hotel.