Matthew Glaetzer spearheading new-look men’s team sprint on the road to the Tokyo Olympics
Having completed his cancer treatment, Matthew Glaetzer returned to racing on Friday night ready to lead a new-look Australian team sprint combination aiming for Tokyo.
Cycling
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AUSTRALIA will finally get to see its new-look men’s team sprint combination race together for the first time at the Berlin world championships in February - just five months before the Tokyo Olympics.
Spearheaded by Matthew Glaetzer who last year had surgery and treatment for thyroid cancer, the three-man team will also include Rio Olympian Nathan Hart and 20-year-old former gymnast Matthew Richardson.
The trio was supposed to race together at the world cups in New Zealand and Brisbane in December but those plans were put on hold after Glaetzer’s shock diagnosis.
But now back in full training and last night returning to racing at The Advertiser Track Down Under in Adelaide, Glaetzer and his crew are gunning towards the worlds and then hopefully Tokyo.
“It’s going to be the first time in that combination at worlds and we really need to rip out a fast time to make sure we are worthy of an Olympic start,” Glaetzer said.
“We are gunning for the podium, that’s our goal, but you’ve got to put it together on the day and in the team sprint you’ve got no room for error.
“Matt (Richardson) is a great talent, he’s exactly what we needed in being able to rip that first lap quickly and let us continue on, so he’s been a great addition and it’s good for the young guys to see another young rider crack into the senior team and it is possible.”
Glaetzer said his cancer scare had changed his perspective on the sport and the daily demands of training.
“Thankfully it was the type of cancer that allowed me to have a treatment that wouldn’t impact my body too much, so my training hasn’t been impacted too much and I shouldn’t be too far off where I would have been,” he said.
“I’m in a good place and enjoying what I do, it’s brought perspective to everything I do and make sure everything I do is worth doing, and valuing the people that I get to do life with.
“It (track cycling) can be difficult, we only race three times a year and the daily grind of training can be hard so you’ve got to see the positives in things and make the most of everything we do.”
The second edition of the Track Down Under attracted another huge crowd last night and included international sprint star Elia Viviani who is in town for the Tour Down Under which starts on Sunday night.
Viviani - the reigning Olympic omnium champion was upstaged by young Aussie Kelland O’Brien who sat out his team pursuit trial to win the scratch race but Viviani hit back to win the elimination race.
reece.homfray@news.com.au
Originally published as Matthew Glaetzer spearheading new-look men’s team sprint on the road to the Tokyo Olympics