Australian, Central Coast cyclist Nicole Duncan wins world scratch title in shock result
It was all a little strange but NSW has a new world champion on the track after a Central Coast teenager shocked on a day of drama in Colombia.
NSW teenager Nicole Duncan is Australia’s latest world champion - and third in cycling in just two weeks - despite a strange set of circumstances at the world junior cycling championships in Cali, Colombia.
It was originally though another rider had won the race before the 17-year-old Central Coast rider was handed the rainbow jersey and her gold medal after a dramatic and crash-marred race.
Great Britain rider Carys Lloyd finished ahead of the bunch and was initially though to have won.
But race commissaries then ruled her out of the running as she had missed too many laps before rejoining the race after one of two nasty crashes.
Duncan did well to avoid all the drama to take a win she described as “unbelievable’’ ahead of Italian Anita Baima.
“It means the world,’’ said the Central Coast Cycling Club member who was part of the team that broke the national team pursuit record at Oceania Championships in March.
“I’ve been dreaming of this since I was a little girl. I couldn’t be happier.
“To get a medal is one thing, to get gold is a completely different thing.
“I came here with the hope of getting a to 10 and to get a gold medal is absolutely unbelievable.
“To be here is an absolute dream.’’
Over the past fortnight Australian cyclists have been in hot form with Felicity Wilson-Haffenden and Oscar Chamberlain claiming time trial wins at the UCI Worlds in Glasgow.
Over in Bermuda our young cyclists were dominating on both the road and the track with multiple medals of every colours at the Commonwealth Youth Games.
In another good result in Cali, Wilson-Haffenden, Sally Carter, Lauren Bates and Keira Will finished third in the teams pursuit qualification and will now race France for a spot in the gold medal decider.
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