Olympic and Commonwealth Games Champion, Anna Meares, says she is in the best form since the 2004 Athens Olympic...
Olympic and Commonwealth Games Champion, Anna Meares, says she is in the best form since the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and is backing herself to win at next week's Sydney round of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics at the Dunc Gray Velodrome.
Meares set the world record to win the gold medal in the 500m time trial and won bronze in the sprint at Athens 2004.
The hottest talent in world track cycling will line up in Sydney with 250 cyclists from 32 countries contesting 16 events.
The 23-year-old Queenslander overcame a back injury that last year threatened to end her career to win Commonwealth Games time trial gold and sprint silver in Melbourne this year and says her current form is so good it's 'scary'.
"It's fantastic to have Sydney as the opening round (in past years it has been the final round) because it has drawn in the really big hitters, the riders who are on the top of the ladder," said Meares.
"It's an ideal opportunity to measure how I am placed but it's also scary ground because I haven't felt this good for a couple of years so I'm cautious of how I will perform but would love to come away with the 500m gold."
Meares, who took an extended break after her wedding in April, says she has had a solid block of training leading up to next week's event which kicks off her bid for Beijing glory and is happy to say her back injury seems to be a thing of the past.
"I've settled into married life and the break really helped my back recover fully," she explained.
"I hadn't been able to do gym work for 12 months leading into the Commonwealth Games but since I resumed training in June I've done a load of stress and weight tests in the gym and there's been no twinge at all in my back.
"It makes me feel more confident on the bike knowing that and I'm really looking forward to a full racing program in Sydney next week."
Meares will race the 500m time trial, sprint, keirin and teams sprint (paired with sister Kerrie) in Sydney but the sprint will be of special significance.
"I really want to put my best foot forward in the sprint because with the demise of the time trial from the Olympic program it's the only event for female sprinters and I want to own it by the time I get to Beijing," said Meares.
"But it will also be great to team up with Kerrie in the (two woman) teams sprint that has been reintroduced to international competition."
In the 500m time trial Meares will resume her battle with eight time World Champion, Natallia Tsylinskaya. Meares is the only rider to have defeated Tsylinskaya in the event at the World Championships since 2002 (Meares won in 2004 in Melbourne) and got the better of her Belarus rival in Athens as well.
Tsylinskaya is the reigning World Champion and comes in as the defending World Cup Champion after winning three of the four rounds in the 2005-2006 series.
"It's pretty cool that I beat her in Melbourne and Athens but I know that fact really fires her up to get the better of me whenever we race," said Meares.
They'll both face competition from other quarters including Dutch rider Yvonne Hijgenaar, who won the event at the last Sydney World Cup and who finished only one point behind Tsylinskaya in the series rankings.
In the women's endurance events reigning Commonwealth and 2005 World Champion in the individual pursuit, Katie Mactier, will go in as the favourite while dual Commonwealth Games gold medallist Kate Bates of Sydney going to be hard to beat in the points and scratch races on her home track.
Tickets for the event are available online at www.trackworldcup.cycling.org.au or by phoning 02 9738 2505.
Cycling Australia