TASMANIA’S world champion cyclist Amy Cure faces a daunting schedule in her bid to win two titles at the national track cycling championships which begin in Melbourne tomorrow.
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Cure, 22, is the world champion points race titleholder and wants to show her wares in her pet event and at the same time wants to help Tasmania defend the 4000m teams pursuit crown it won last year.
The four-day championships will be held at the Joe Ciavola Velodrome starting at noon tomorrow and both the women’s points race and the 4000m teams pursuit final are due to be run within about an hour of each other during the Friday evening session.
Tasmanian coach Matt Gilmore believes the close scheduling will not deter from Cure’s chances of winning both titles but, will in fact, work in her favour.
‘‘Amy is a highly trained athlete and she would have come across this type of scheduling at world championships in the past,’’ he said.
‘‘One of her strengths is her recovery and if anything the two races on the one night will be good for her.’’
Cure will reunite with Georgia Baker and world junior champions Macey Stewart and Lauren Perry as Tasmania attempts to win its second pursuit crown in two years.
Stewart and Perry both returned from South America last week after helping a young Australian team to the gold medal in a world cup pursuit event in Cali.
Gilmore admitted he had to nurse the two teenagers through some jetlag and their training routines as they prepared for the championships.
Cure won her world title in Colombia last year and will be attempting her first national success at what has turned out to be her specialist event.
In December she won a gold medal in the first round of the world cup in London and has set her sights on adding another points race title to her record on Friday night.
Although reluctant to predict medals at the championships Gilmore is confident that Cure and the pursuit team can be on the podium for both events.
He rates South Australia and Western Australia as the main opposition in the women’s pursuit.
Gilmore has high hopes for James Robinson in the under 19 individual pursuit and Hayden Di Coco-Grant in the under 19 points race and the scratch race.
The championships have brought together the top 150 track riders in Australia and over the next four days they will contest 32 national titles.
World champions on show are Cure, Alexander Edmondson (SA), Luke Davison (SA), Glenn O’Shea (SA), Mitchell Mulhern (Qld) and Miles Scotson (SA).
Junior world champions include Stewart and Perry, Sam Welsford (WA), Callum Stotson (SA), Alex Porter (SA), Daniel Fittler (Qld), Alexandra Manly (SA) and Courtney Field (Vic).
A highlight during the final session of the championships on Saturday night will be Jack Bobridge’s attempt on the world hour record.