TRACK CYCLING

Young cycling hopes take on the world in Switzerland

By CyclingNZ High Performance

Cycling New Zealand’s best young hopes for the future will be chasing medals at the UCI Juniors Track World Championships that begin in Switzerland tomorrow night (NZ time).

The 12-strong team will compete in the five-day championships at the UCI’s headquarters in Aigle, near Montreux and at the foothills of the Swiss Alps.

They will be led by double world champion Campbell Stewart from Manawatu, who took out titles in the scratch race and omnium in Kazakhstan last year. The 17-year-old will be a key member of the team pursuit as well as attempt to defend his rainbow jersey in the omnium.

Fellow Palmerston North rider Michaela Drummond is the sole rider to return from last year’s winning girls’ team pursuit combination, and will lead a young group of three first-year juniors in Emily Shearman (Palmerston North), Nicole Shields (Alexandra) and Kate Smith (Christchurch.

Drummond will also compete in the omnium.

Southland’s Emma Cumming won a silver medal in the team sprint with Rio-bound Olivia Podmore last year, and will compete along with Wanaka’s Ellesse Andrews in all sprint competitions.

The Southland sprint tradition continues in the boys with Bradly Knipe to contest the sprint, keirin and time trial, after some impressive recent performances in training.

The men’s team pursuit squad, with three second-year junior riders, will be also looking to qualify through in their competition.

A key could be in how the riders adapt to the smaller 200m track at Aigle, which is more technical and requires different lines to the usual 250m track.

The team sprint and points races will be decided on the first day along with team pursuit qualifying.
The New Zealand team is:

Female: Emma Cumming (Invercargill), Michaela Drummond (Palmerston North), Emily Shearman (Palmerston North), Nicole Shields (Alexandra), Kate Smith (Christchurch), Ellesse Andrews (Wanaka).

Male: Connor Brown (Auckland), Jared Gray (Hamilton), Bradly Knipe (Invercargill), Josh Scott (Christchurch), Tom Sexton (Invercargill), Campbell Stewart (Palmerston North).