Commonwealth Games 2022: All the latest Australian cycling news and results from Birmingham
Two of Australia’s best young cyclists and gold medal hopefuls have withdrawn from the Commonwealth Games to focus on other commitments.
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Australia will have to do without Michael Matthews and young gun Kaden Groves in the men’s road race.
The two were initially part of the team, but have pulled out of the Birmingham Games because of their professional team commitments.
Matthews, 31, won a stage at this year’s Tour de France earlier this month with a stunning effort in 40C heat.
The Team BikeExchange-Jayco rider was considered a decent chance to claim the Games road race if he could launch a solo attack or join a breakaway.
Groves, 23, is the rising sprint star in Australian cycling. He would have been a big rival to fellow Australian Caleb Ewan and Isle of Man superstar Mark Cavendish on the flat course that is the road race.
Groves also rides for Team BikeExchange-Jayco but is set to join Belgium outfit Alpecin-Deceuninck for next season.
Replacing them in the road team will be Luke Durbridge and Sam Fox.
Durbridge will make his third Commonwealth Games appearance, having won a bronze in the men’s individual time trial in Delhi in 2010.
Fox was already selected to represent Australia in the mountain bike. He will follow in fellow Tasmanian Scott Bowden’s footsteps after he competed in the road race at the 2016 Rio Olympics having already been in the team as a mountain biker
The road race will take place at St Nicholas Park in Warwick.
The men’s race will consist of a 160km course — 10 laps of a 16km loop. This year’s race will have 120 participants, with sprint stars Ewan and Cavendish set to be the two to beat.
Embarrassing end: Aussie disaster we can’t forget
A measly single bronze medal from Tokyo is driving a new look Australian men’s track cycling team going into the Commonwealth Games.
Three-time Commonwealth gold medallist Matthew Glaetzer and young guns Matthew Richardson, Leigh Hoffman and Tom Cornish are rated the team to beat at the Games.
Delivering on those expectations will prove the men’s program is back on track after the disastrous Tokyo campaign that will be remembered for the alarming mid-race handlebar snap that ended Australia’s hopes of gold in team pursuit qualifying.
AusCycling’s executive general manager performance Jesse Korf is buoyant about the chances of the men’s sprint team.
“We expect (a big) performance from the men’s sprint,” he told News Corp.
The team sprint is first up for the Australian contingent on day one of the program, which is being held in London at the 2012 Olympic velodrome.
New Zealand won the team sprint at Gold Coast four years ago, but Australia is primed to better their third-placed showing this time around.
It is then is followed by the keirin on day two, while the sprinters will also compete in the 1km time trial. Glaetzer has won the last two keirins at the Commonwealth Games, and was fourth in the event at the Tokyo games.
He is also the defending champion when it comes to the 1km time trial.
He will be the hot favourite to claim a third straight keirin this time around, but said he would have to watch out for a threat close to home.
“I believe it will probably come from my own teammates and Jack Carlin from Scotland, he is a talent,” Glaetzer told News Corp.
“Matt Richardson is the new up and coming sprinter who will be having quite a bit of success in his career I believe.
“Those guys will push me all the way, it is going to be a tough fight and a close fight I believe and whoever wins will deserve it.”
Glaetzer, 29, will compete in his last Commonwealth Games – a remarkable achievement given he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer prior to the Tokyo Olympics.
He said he was enjoying having the challenge come from young guns such as Richardson, 23 of Western Australia.
“It’s great, it is good to be pushed within your team environment.
It prevents you from resting on your laurels and it makes you better as a team,” he said.
“We have a team that will work well together and when it is the individual events it will be all on the line.
“He (Richardson) has a lot of upside, he is enjoying a period of his career where he is super motivated and super hungry and that is dangerous and that is great for him and his career that he can make a name for himself.”
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Originally published as Commonwealth Games 2022: All the latest Australian cycling news and results from Birmingham
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