World record breaking men’s team pursuit back on track in Berlin
AUSTRALIA’S men’s team pursuit squad will race together for the first time since their world-record breaking feat on the Gold Coast at a UCI track world cup in Berlin this week.
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AUSTRALIA’S men’s team pursuit squad will race together for the first time since their world-record breaking feat on the Gold Coast at a UCI track world cup in Berlin this week.
Alex Porter, Sam Welsford, Kelland O’Brien and Leigh Howard who became the first team pursuit in history to go under 3mins 50secs at the Commonwealth Games in April will be joined by Cameron Scott to race in Germany from Friday.
The squad, which set a new benchmark of 3:49.804, was given an extended break over winter but returned to training in good shape according to coach Tim Decker.
“They’ve had a lighter winter than normal, took the pressure right off them to let them enjoy their time so we’re ready for the build towards Tokyo which involves many steps,” Decker said.
“They committed, they did the work and put themselves under the mental stress that was needed so they deserved their break.”
The team pursuiters won the ‘male track cyclist of the year’ gong at the Cycling Australia awards in Melbourne last Friday while Decker was named coach of the year.
“There’s a real eagerness to get back on the track,” Decker said.
“They enjoyed their moment of being the first team to go under 3:50 but now they’re looking forward.
“We’re going to Berlin and we’ll have about eight team pursuit track sessions in their legs as a team. It doesn’t mean they’re not going OK but it’s about going there and nailing the process and trying to be on the podium.
“If they’re in the hunt for the win they’ll give it everything they have.”
They will however be without Cameron Meyer and Callum Scotson who both have professional road contracts with Mitchelton-Scott and have shifted their priorities.
Scotson has left the track program altogether to focus full-time on the road while Meyer will continue to juggle both but focus on bunch racing instead of team pursuiting.
“You miss the talent that a guy like Callum Scotson brings but to team pursuit under the 3:50 mark you’ve got to be 100 per cent invested in the process,” Decker said.
“There’s no room to come and go any more and we will get better outcomes.”
The riders will return home after Berlin to support the national racing calendar which will feature the Australian team pursuit, omnium and madison championships and Austral Wheel Race before The Advertiser Track Down Under in Adelaide in January.
reece.homfray@news.com.au
Originally published as World record breaking men’s team pursuit back on track in Berlin
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