World Champions and young guns set to feature in track state titles
Several classes of cyclists — under-11, under-13, para and masters — will hit the track for the Victorian state titles this weekend. Here’s who to look out for.
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Some of the best young, para and Masters cyclists are set to take centre stage for their track state titles this weekend in Melbourne.
Last week saw the under-15, under-17, under-19 and elite classes compete to be the best in Victoria.
This week, the remaining age groups and classes will chase glory.
The event will be held as the DISC Velodrome in Melbourne.
Here are the riders to look out for.
Nathan Broeren (Brunswick Cycling Club)
One of the stars of the Para-Cycling scene. Broeren won three gold medals at last year’s state titles — the time trial, individual pursuit and flying 200m, and will start favourite in all events again. Broeren then won a national title in the omnium, the scratch, the time trial and individual pursuit.
Ryder Brooks (Knox BMX Club)
A BMX young gun who is having a crack at the track titles for the first time. Last week, he competed in the downhill mountain cross national titles at Thredbo for under-11 and finished third. The Knox club member also competed at the BMX nationals for his age group last year.
Ewan Brown (Carnegie Caulfield Cycling Club)
A road racer who races for the first time in the under-13 boys at the track titles. Last year, he finished fifth in the road race and was the 2021 state champion in the under-11 criterium.
Dan Bucknell (Ballarat Sebastopol Cycling Club)
Will compete at the state track titles after some success last year in outdoor track events. He won the Capuano Family-Caps Cup senior 3000m handicap in Bendigo while also winning the elite scratch race championships in Castlemaine three months ago.
Anna Davis (Coburg Cycling Club)
Davis won the gold medal in the points race and the individual pursuit in the S6 class in the masters, which is for people aged 55-59. Davis beat other competitors in the S3 class to secure gold in the individual pursuit. A talented rider, on road and track, she won best Australian masters road racer of the year award in 2018.
Geoff Diamond (Italo)
Diamond won gold in the points race in his class while also taking out the bronze in the individual pursuit. He competed in the S7 class, which is for competitors between 65 and 69 years of age.
Peter Falstead (Blackburn Cycling Club)
Didn’t compete last year but has won a state title in the time trial in masters before, winning in 2021 in the S6 class.
Alana Forster (Ballarat Sebastopol Cycling Club)
This will be the first para-cycling state title for the former professional cyclist. Forster last year had a car accident and is now in the new class as a result of it. It hasn’t stopped her from cycling, or being good at it. Forster this year won the national road race title in her class in her first event in it. She also won bronze in the time trial.
Jasmine Gill (Brunswick Cycling Club)
Will compete in the under-13 girls for the first time this season. Gill has recently been competing in C-grade with her club and has been able to win multiple lap races in her class. Last year, she finished third in the road race in the under-11 girls.
Krystal Gill (Brunswick CC)
Will race for the first time at the track state titles this weekend in the under-11 girls. Has been dominating in D-grade competition for her local club, Brunswick, winning multiple lap races and also the flying lap race.
Sheridan Hall (Bendigo & District Cycling Club)
Hall won the Masters 5 time trial state title last year, which is for women aged 50-54. She is a handy time trial in both road and track events. Last year, the Bendigo cyclist won silver in the same class at the world championships in Wollongong. Expect her to be hard to beat in her class in masters in the time trial.
Garth Hircoe (Preston Cycling Club)
The Preston Cycling Club member won the points and time trial event in S4 in the masters last year, which is for masters aged between 45 and 49. Hircoe will be one of the riders to beat in the class again this year.
Emilia Jirovec (Brunswick Cycling Club)
Will compete for the first time in the under-13 girls at the state track titles. Last year she finished second in the state road race in under-11 but didn’t compete at the track titles.
Zac Leske (Carnegie Caulfield Cycling Club)
Will race in his first state track titles in the under-11 boys after competing in the road track titles last year. He finished fifth in the road race and is expected to be competitive this weekend.
Anabella Norton (Shepparton Cycling Club)
A rider making her debut this weekend at the track state titles in the under-11 girls. Is one of a few Norton’s from the Shepparton Cycling Club to race.
Brad Norton (Shepparton Cycling Club)
Norton is a star in masters competition and was a handy track cyclist in his prime as well. He won the 2004 madison national title and also raced in road events around the country. In the masters, Norton is a world champion, winning three titles and setting a world record time in the team pursuit in 2019. Last year, he won the state title in the individual pursuit and the time trial in S2, 35-39-years-old, before winning the time trial national title in the same class. Will start as the resounding favourite.
Isla Norton (Shepparton Cycling Club)
Norton last year, in the under-11 girls, finished third in the flying 200m and fourth in the time trial. She makes the rise to under-13 girls this year and will face tough tests but can certainly medal again.
Rhiannon Norton (Shepparton Cycling Club)
A national champion in the masters time trial last year in her age group, Norton is one of the best in the sport. She took out the title in the S2 class for 35- to 39-year-olds. The Shepparton Cycling Club member also won the state title in the time trial and also won in the individual pursuit. Expect Norton to do the same this year and be one of the riders to beat.
Abbey O’Brien (Blackburn CC)
Another rider who is racing for the first time at the track state titles in under-11 girls. Is rated highly by AusCycling Victoria.
Erin Rowell (Geelong & Surfcoast Cycling Club)
A former motocross rider, Rowell now competes in para-cycling after being involved in a crash in 2010. Last year, competing in the C5 class, she won bronze in the time trial at the world championships. She didn’t compete at last year’s state track titles, but expect her to be one of the riders to beat, especially in time trial.
Kaeden Ryan (Blackburn Cycling Club)
One of the favourites leading into the under-13 boys events. Last year he finished third in the time trial and fourth in the flying 200m in the same age group. Expect him, with another year of development, to be right near the top.
Molly Thatchet (Preston Cycling Club)
Thatchet last year won the time trial gold medal in the para-cycling class and finished second in the individual pursuit and the flying 200m. The Preston Cycling Club member will be one of the riders to beat but races some stern competition from a former professional cyclist and a world championship bronze medallist.
Greg Walters (St Kilda Cycling Club)
Walters will compete at the para-cycling track state titles after winning a time trial earlier this year in his class at the national titles in Ballarat. The St Kilda cyclist won in the MC3 class. He will face a stern test in the state time trial but is in contention for a medal of two.
Declan Zheng (Preston Cycling Club)
A rider who is also making his debut at the track titles but will compete in the under-13 boys event. He recently finished fifth at a junior event at the Hawthorn Cycling Club.
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