Track Cycling Nationals Set to Commence in Adelaide

Published On: 2 February 2016

The 2016 Australian Track Cycling National Championships commence on Wednesday, with the event helping shape this year’s Cyclones team for the UCI Track World Championships in England.

WAIS will be represented across both senior elite and U19 ranks, with the Championships running through until Saturday February 6.

With the 2016 UCI Track World Championships following in London in the first week of March, these Championships from the Adelaide Superdrome take on great importance, particularly in an Olympic year.

In the senior category, the endurance events will be keenly contested, with WAIS scholarship athletes Sam Welsford, Elissa Wundersitz and Bella King all eyeing podium performance. All three have represented Australia at World Cup level and with Australia’s depth in track cycling talent, the racing is certain to be of high quality.

An expert pursuit rider, Welsford is also in the hunt for the bunch races, with the scratch race and points race both on his radar. In the women’s bunch races, home town favourite Annette Edmondson will be a threat in both events, but the WAIS girls will not be discounted, particularly given King won a national scratch race title in 2012.

2015 women’s points race champion and reigning WAIS Athlete of the Year Mel Hoskins will not defend her title, after withdrawing from nationals due to illness.

In the U19 events, WAIS pair Tahlay Christie and Jade Haines will both feature prominently, with Christie aiming for further titles in the sprint and keirin events, whilst Haines – who dominated the 2015 Junior Track Championships – will compete in both sprint and endurance events. The pair will be hoping to secure themselves selection for the Junior Track World Championships team, set to be announced in the weeks following nationals.

Also representing WAIS in Adelaide, will be Luke Zaccaria in the elite men’s, Rebecca Stevenson in the elite women’s, Kye Bonser, Matt Richardson and Craig Wiggins in the men’s U19 and Niken Jefferies in the women’s U19.

Cycling Australia will live stream the night sessions on each day of the 2016 Track Nationals, with results available on their event website.