Cycling: Aussies on track for the world titles

Australia’s track cycling endurance stars have capped their world championships preparations at the Melbourne Six Day event.

Leigh Howard, left, and Kelland O'Brien during the Melbourne Six Day event

Australia’s track cycling endurance stars have capped their world championships preparations at the inaugural Melbourne Six Day event.

Victorian pair Leigh Howard and Kelland O’Brien won the men’s category on the last sprint of the event at Melbourne Arena when they took out the one-hour madison on Saturday.

They beat compatriots Sam Welsford and Cameron Scott by two points, 254 to 252 after Welsford and Scott had led throughout the three nights of racing.

The Six Day was the last racing for the four Australians ahead of the world championships later this month in Poland.

Howard, O’Brien and Welsford were in the Australian combination that broke the team pursuit world record at last year’s Commonwealth Games. Scott, Alex Porter and Cameron Meyer will also ride for Australia in the men’s endurance events later this month at the world titles.

Welsford was caught at the back of a fall late in the madison on Saturday night, but only suffered minor injuries and they are not expected to hinder his world titles preparation.

The women’s event was much more straightforward, with Australian star Annette Edmondson dominating.

She scored 268 points to top the general classification, and teammate Alex Manly was next on 240.

Edmondson and Manly will also ride in track endurance events at the world championships.

Like the men, their priority will be the team pursuit.

Edmondson also has her hand up for the multi-discipline omnium event and Manly could ride in the madison.

Four years after a stellar world championship double, Edmondson has the fire back in her belly.

British star Laura Kenny will be the rider to beat in the omnium at the worlds, but Edmondson will be unfazed if she rides in the event.

“It’s about focusing on myself and what I can do,” Edmondson said. “I’m feeling really positive and I’ve been really motivated, on and off the bike.

“I feel like I have that drive and passion back that I’ve been missing for a long time.

“So I’m aiming high and I want to win it.”

In 2015, Edmondson was part of the combination that broke the team pursuit world record in the gold medal ride and she also won the omnium world title. But a year later, the team pursuiters’ hopes at the Rio Olympics were dashed by a training crash.

Edmondson was a medal contender in the omnium at Rio before dropping out of contention.

“You never crash three days out from the biggest race of your life,” Edmondson said of Rio.

“That was a first — to crash in training. We had to deal with that.” She had an extended break after Rio and was unsure about returning to the sport. Ultimately, Edmondson returned to road racing two years ago and then watching video of the 2018 world championships rekindled her love of track racing.

“The ultimate goal is gold at the Olympics,” the two-time Olympian said. “I don’t think I will be satisfied until I get there.”

AAP