Cycling track world championships: Gold for team pursuit, silver for Meares

AUSTRALIA has laid a psychological blow to its rivals ahead of the Rio Olympics by reclaiming the men’s team pursuit world championship.

Team Australia compete in the Men's Team Pursuit round 1 during the 2016 Track Cycling World Championships at the Lee Valley VeloPark in London on March 3, 2016 / AFP / ERIC FEFERBERG

AUSTRALIA has laid down an important marker and landed a psychological blow to its rivals ahead of the Rio Olympics by reclaiming the men’s team pursuit world championship in London this morning.

Dubbed ‘the Australian boy band’ by the British press, the youthful four-man team defied age and experience to dispose of arch rival Great Britain led by Tour de France-winning superstar Bradley Wiggins in a thrilling 4km final.

Michael Hepburn, Sam Welsford and brothers Miles and Callum Scotson rode a scorching 3mins 52.7secs which was just over one second off the world record and enough to beat the home nation on the final lap.

Australia had led the entire race before Wiggins dragged Great Britain back in front with two laps to go only for them to crack on the last, as the Aussies snatched it at the death.

It truly was a team effort with Luke Davison and Alex Porter also called on to ride qualifying and the semi-final rounds earlier in further proof of Australia’s newfound depth and speed in track cycling’s blue riband event.

In winning the final, Australia reclaimed the title they last held in 2014 when they also won gold at the Commonwealth Games.

However with Olympic gold all that really counts this year and the Rio Olympics just five months away, Australia can take some confidence from knowing the event has proven historically significant to the ultimate success.

The past four Olympic champions in the men’s team pursuit have also been the reigning world champions - Great Britain in both 2012 and 2008, Australia in 2004 and Germany in 2000.

With established stars Jack Bobridge and Alex Edmondson rested for the championships, Australia’s team featured three debutants including 19-year-olds Callum Scotson and Porter and 20-year-old Welsford.

Porter, Welsford, Hepburn and Miles Scotson helped Australia qualify second fastest on Wednesday before Callum Scotson and Davison came in to steer the team to victory over defending champions New Zealand in the semi-final this morning.

It set up a mouth-watering final against Great Britain who lined up with Wiggins, Ed Clancy - who was returning from injury - Jon Dibben and Owain Doull at London’s Lee Valley Velo Park - the scene of their Olympic triumph four years ago.

Australia’s riders and coaches celebrated on the inside of the track post-race but their focus will quickly turn to Rio, knowing they are likely going to have to ride under Great Britain’s world record of 3mins 51secs if they want to reclaim the Olympic title in August.

The gold medal capped a remarkable return to track cycling for Hepburn who has put his commitments with professional team Orica-GreenEDGE on hold in a bid to avenge the Olympic silver medal he won with the team pursuit in London in 2012.

In the women’s team pursuit, Australia’s quartet started its world title defence by qualifying fourth fastest ahead of finals tomorrow.

Ashlee Ankudinoff, Annette Edmondson and Amy Cure were joined by debutant Georgia Baker to ride 4mins 20secs which booked a second-round clash with the United States who qualified fastest in 4mins 16secs.

Germany's Kristina Vogel (L) leads Australia's Anna Meares in the Women's Keirin final.

ANNA Meares has shown she is right on track for a fourth Olympics in Rio with a silver medal in her keirin defence at the track world championships in London.

Returning to the scene of her 2012 Olympic triumph over Victoria Pendleton, Meares produced three strong rides and pushed German winner Kristina Vogel all the way in their final while Great Britain’s Becky James was third.

The 32-year-old, who shrugged off minor back and quad injuries over summer, narrowly avoided a crash in the second round of the keirin then produced a clinical victory in the semi-final which also featured fellow Australian sprinters Stephanie Morton and Kaarle McCulloch.

Meares, who with 11 world titles is the most successful female track cyclist in history, is expected to line up in the individual sprint to close the championships on Sunday having finished fourth in the team sprint with Morton on Wednesday.

Last month Meares exclusively revealed to News Corp that she was twice on the verge of quitting the sport last year as she struggled to come to terms with the breakdown of her marriage. But Friday’s bold showing in the keirin underlined her importance to Australia’s medal chances in Rio and confirmed her preparation was on track with five months to the Games.

Morton and McCulloch both lined up in the race for 7-12th and finished 1-2 in another encouraging sign for Australia’s sprinters.

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Originally published as Cycling track world championships: Gold for team pursuit, silver for Meares