CYCLING - TRACK: While the world celebrated Olympic Day on Thursday, Anna Meares was on track in the women’s keirin at the International Track Series (ITS) event in Melbourne.
In her first international hit out since March’s Track World Championships – where she won silver in the keirin - Olympic medallist Wai Sze Lee (HKG) narrowly edged Meares on the line for win the Olympic warm up event.
After comfortably moving through the first and second rounds held earlier in the day, the three-time keirin world champion Meares was joined in the final by Lee, Malaysia’s Fatehah Mustapa and soon-to-be Ireland’s first ever female Olympic track cyclist Shannon McCurley. Rising Australian stars Rikki Belder (SA) and Caitlin Ward (VIC) rounded out the field.
In an exciting finish to the race, Meares lead the charge at the bell with Lee off her shoulder. Belder jostled with Meares for the lead inside the final lap, before the in-form Lee powered around the final bend to take the win. Belder claimed third.
“It was really good racing,” said Meares after her first race on the Melbourne track since the 2015 National Championships. “I used the earlier rounds to try a couple of things and challenge myself.
“But I knew (in) the final I had to be more alert, it was my first race against Lee, she is obviously in really good form, but I am actually really pleased with it.
“I was patient, I put myself in the race, I blew up on the home straight, but the set up of the race was really good and I am happy with that.”
As members of the Cycling Australia HPU track sprint squad enter ITS Melbourne off the back of an intense training period at their Adelaide base, not all of the team members will contest all four days of competition. Meares didn’t take part in the women’s sprint event held on the opening day of ITS on Wednesday – which was won by Lee over Stephanie Morton – due to management of her training load. Morton was absent from today’s keirin competition.
“All the sprinters back in Adelaide at the CA HPU headquarters, have come off a really solid block, a good training block. But you won’t see the benefits of that here, you will see the repercussion of fatigue,” explained Meares. “But the benefits of the training block, we are aiming it to pay off by the time the Olympic Games comes around.
“So while it was hard here, it was cold, and we are racing through training, it is actually one of the best dress rehearsals you can have. It is great to be here.”
With the qualification period for nomination ending in three days and the cycling team announced in less than two weeks, Meares is confident she has done all she can to ensure a fourth Olympic team selection.
“I back my results, I have medalled at every world championships I have ridden since the London Games, I won my world championship in an Olympic event and have post the fastest standing lap times for the team sprint,” Meares explained. "Albeit the margins aren't large between all the girls contesting for the positions, but I have feel confident.
"I have to be confident. I back my team, my coach and the preparation I have done and continue to do.”
The elite riders return to DISC on Saturday, with the second sprint competition to be held on Saturday, before Sunday’s keirin concludes the competition.
The Australian Olympic Cycling team for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games will be announced on July 5 in Adelaide.
In other events, Japanese Champion Tomoyuki Kawabata proved too strong in the men's race beating out Australian duo Tom Clarke (SA) and Braeden Dean (VIC), who both competed at the 2020 Development Camp at Cycling Australia's High Performance Unit last month.
Up and coming South Australian Josh Harrison executed a tactical points race consistently picking up points to take the elite Omnium win, having started the final race of the six race event in third.
"I came into the points race feeling pretty fresh and I'm really happy with my result," Harrison said. "Each event I've been getting better and better results and my confidence has sky rocketed
"I didn't know what to expect coming in going off such a small field and having a lot of Asian and Japanese competitors here it's a little bit different from Aussie racing.
"I came into the points race feeling pretty fresh and I'm really happy with my result," Harrison added.
"Now I take on Saturday and Sunday with good thoughts and I'm taking it one day at a time."
In the women's omnium Mei-Yu Hsiao (TPE) won four of the first five events and went in to the final points race with a 10 point lead on her closest rival Sakura Tsukagoshi (JPN). Hsiao added 12 points to her tally in the points bringing her to 206 and victory ahead of Tsukagoshi on 194 and South Australia's Bree Hargrave on 182.
Weekend Schedule
- Saturday 25 June - 11am to 11pm
- Elite Sprint; Elite Omnium Rd 1-3; U19 keirin & endurance events
- Sunday 26 June - 1pm to 9pm
- Elite Keirin; Elite Omnium Rd 4-6; U19 sprint
Cycling Australia