Tasmanian cyclist Georgia Baker hopes to take another step up the podium as she attempts to improve on her silver medal from the 2019 track world championships.
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Two years after the impressive result with fellow Tasmanian Amy Cure, the Perth 27-year-old is equally excited about teaming up with South Australian Alex Manly in the frenetic two-rider event.
"To have the world stripes and colours on and a gold medal around my neck would be the dream - and especially with one of my best friends," Baker said.
"I reckon I haven't spent more time in my life with anyone than I've spent in the past six months with Alex.
"We've been training together and doing everything together and we can read each other really well which I think is important in the madison - we've got a good partnership.
"We haven't actually raced too many madisons together. We raced one World Cup in New Zealand which was good, and we won that, but that was a couple of years ago."
Baker and Manly will pair together in the event on Saturday, although Tokyo Olympic teammate Annette Edmondson, of South Australia, will be the first Australian in action at Stab Velodrome in Roubaix, France, for the omnium, which begins on Friday and finishes in the early hours of Saturday morning (AEST).
Melburnians Kelland O'Brien and Burnie-born Luke Plapp will form the Australian duo for the men's madison on Sunday.
For Baker, the upcoming week of competition is also a chance to finish the year on a high following a disappointing Tokyo Olympics where she finished seventh in the madison (with Edmondson) and fifth in the team pursuit (with Edmondson, Maeve Plouffe and Ashlee Ankudinoff).
"Obviously everyone was really disappointed after Tokyo and now we're just lucky to have this opportunity to race again," Baker said.
"I know a lot of teammates back in Australia don't have this opportunity, so we are really thankful that we can be here.
"It's really nice to be back on the track racing and I'm super excited for the week ahead."
Baker has savoured world championship gold, as a member of the team pursuit in 2019, and also finished fifth in the event at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in 2016.
Australian schedule
- Friday: Women's omnium from 10pm
- Saturday: Women's omnium from 3.20am; women's madison and men's omnium from 10pm
- Sunday: Men's madison from 7.55pm