McCulloch firming for Olympic selection

With the RIO 2016 Olympic Games looming in just 58 days, NSWIS cyclist Kaarle McCulloch will join a number of the world’s best track cyclists gunning for team selection in warming up their wheels at the International Track Series (ITS) in Melbourne on June 22-26. 

The UCI Category 1 event will be held over five days at Thornbury’s DISC Velodrome and will provide the final opportunity for more than 125 of Australia’s and the world’s best cyclists to either fine tune their Olympic preparations or put their hand up for selection.

Only two females can go through to Rio, so McCulloch will battle it out in a three-way contest with Australia’s other sprint heavyweights including dual Olympic gold medallist Anna Meares (SA) and Stephanie Morton (SA).

 McCulloch and Meares have previously enjoyed a glittering combined history, having won bronze in the team sprint at the London 2012 Olympics and gold at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, along with a hat-trick of world titles between 2009 and 2011.

McCullough has been training particularly well and is well placed to make the Australian team.

Whilst in the men’s sprint, fans will see 2016 world championship silver medallist Matthew Glaetzer (SA) battle it out with Pat Constable (SA), Jacob Schmid (VIC) and Shane Perkins (VIC), ensuring that fans will be treated to non-stop action across the entire event. 

“Australia’s best are eagerly approaching ITS as it not only provides an intense winter racing opportunity on home soil, but for many it is the first chance to test their legs in international competition since March’s World Championships,” said Kevin Tabotta, National Performance Director of Cycling Australia’s High Performance Unit.

The Games might still be ten weeks away, however the performance time period for Australia’s Olympic Cycling Team ends on June 27 – the day after ITS – with the team announced by the Australian Olympic Committee on July 5. 

“But most importantly, ITS Melbourne is an integral component of many athlete’s greater preparation plans for Rio,” added Tabotta.

“ITS will enable a number of athletes and coaches to rehearse and refine race day strategies, while for others it provides an additional opportunity to get a timed performance on record ahead of the performance cut-off date.

“And as an added bonus, the Melbourne track also provides extra preparation value as it is a similar shape to the proposed Rio Games track venue, currently in construction.”

Australia’s best are set to face a solid international line up which features Hong Kong’s Olympic bronze medallist Wai Sze Lee, Malaysia’s multiple world championship medallist Azizul Awang and New Zealand shining star Matthew Archibald.

Australian-based Shannon McCurley, who in August will become Ireland’s first ever-female Olympic track cyclist, will also line up.

Australia’s rising stars will be on show with the under 19 category set to prove Australia’s stocks are full ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and the 2020 Olympic Games.

The schedule kicks off on Wednesday 22 June at 1pm, with two-days of sprint and endurance battles to take place in the elite and under 19 categories.

On Friday June 24, a special Tasman Cup featuring Australia and New Zealand under 19 riders will take centre stage, with a particular emphasis on team events sure to fire up the rivalry.

The action doesn’t slow down over the weekend with an equally packed schedule of events including sprints, keirins, and the elite Omnium. The Saturday night session will feature a host of sprint and keirin events, plus the 80th edition of the prestigious Melbourne Cup on Wheels. 

 • ITS Melbourne Grand Prix on Wednesday & Thursday June 22 & 23

• Tasman Cup on Friday June 24 for under 19 riders with a focus on Australia and New Zealand athletes

• ITS Melbourne DISC Grand Prix on June 25 & 26 featuring The Melbourne Cup on Wheels as part of the Saturday program of events.

 Action begins at 1pm each day (11am on Saturday) and continues through to approximately 10pm.