Two Southlanders named in Cycling NZ world champs squad

Cycling New Zealand has named a 17-strong team to contest an historic UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Glasgow from 2 to 9 August.

It forms part of the ambitious plan by the sport’s ruling body, the UCI, to stage the world championships for 13 sports under its jurisdiction including Para-Cycling, over 11 days in and around Glasgow.

The world’s biggest cycling event will decide more than 200 rainbow jerseys over 13 world championships from seven different cycling disciplines.

The track world championships will also form a key qualification event for the 2024 Paris Olympics to add further status of the event.

Cycling New Zealand’s track team is based on the successful group from last year’s Commonwealth Games where they secured a record 13 medals including eight gold medals.

Caption: Aaron Gate and Campbell Stewart in the men’s madison at the 2022 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. Photo: Guy Swarbrick

Those gold medallists are all in the team for Glasgow aside from the retired Jordan Kerby and Corbin Strong, who is focussing on his WorldTour road opportunities this year.

The men’s endurance group is led by Commonwealth Games star Aaron Gate, Campbell Stewart, George Jackson, Tom Sexton and Nick Kergozou along with the conditional return of Tokyo Olympic rider Regan Gough, after long-term injury.

Likewise the women’s endurance squad comprises the Commonwealth Games medallists Bryony Botha, Michaela Drummond and Emily Shearman, with the addition of star prospect Ally Wollaston, who was a late injury-withdrawal last year, and addition of highly promising Christchurch 21-year-old, Samantha Donnelly.

The successful women’s sprint trio of Ellesse Andrews, Olivia King and Rebecca Petch are joined with another welcome return from long-term injury in powerful sprinter Shaane Fulton.

In-form men’s sprinters Sam Dakin and the conditional inclusion of Callum Saunders round out the team.

“Overall it is a powerful and reasonably experienced squad. They are a tight-knit group who have enjoyed success together at the Commonwealth Games and Nations Cup, and have their sights fixed firmly on these championships as a key building block to the Paris Olympics,” said Cycling New Zealand high performance director, Ryan Hollows.

“This year we are aware that most of our endurance riders are coming straight out of professional road racing commitments in Europe but they have a 10-day track training block to fine-tune.

“They know eachother well, and we are confident that they will knit together quickly when they come into the pre-event camp in Switzerland next month.

“There is a strong group of experienced riders and some exciting younger talent. It is going to be a massive couple of weeks in Scotland, and important for riders to focus on the job in hand despite the number of other world championships events in and around the city.”

The team is:

Men’s Sprint:

Sam Dakin (Auckland), Callum Saunders (Marlborough) – conditional selection

Women’s Sprint:

Ellesse Andrews (Canterbury), Shaane Fulton (Tasman), Olivia King (Waikato), Rebecca Petch (Waikato).

Men’s Endurance:

Aaron Gate (Auckland), Regan Gough (Hawkes Bay) – conditional; George Jackson (Wellington), Nick Kergozou (Southland), Tom Sexton (Southland), Campbell Stewart (Manawatu). Keegan Hornblow (Tasman) – non-travelling reserve.

Women’s Endurance:

Bryony Botha (Auckland), Samantha Donnelly (Canterbury), Michaela Drummond (Manawatu), Emily Shearman (Manawatu), Ally Wollaston (Waikato). Rylee McMullen (Waikato) – non-travelling reserve.