Media Coverage - 2007 / 08 Christmas Series
31 October 2007
Hopes of foreign rider commitments soon
Carnivals By Terry Morris
Cycling officials hope to have a commitment from the national teams of Canada, the US, Japan and Malaysia by the end of the week for the Tasmanian Christmas carnivals.
For the first time an Olympic Games qualifying sprint series will be held at the carnivals with performances counting towards Beijing.
The sprint series has been ratified by cycling's world governing body, the UCI, with a minimum of four countries required to take part.
The national sprint teams from Australia and New Zealand have already committed and cycling co-ordinator Scott Callow said he expected a decision from the overseas countries within a few days.
"I've spoken to the sprint coaches from each country and now we're waiting on ratification from their national bodies," he said.
Under the new sprint series, performances by individual riders will count towards selection for Beijing and the participating countries will be seeded on the outcome.
The sprint series will be held at carnivals at Latrobe, Launceston and Devonport in the discipline of sprint, team sprint and keirin.
In addition, the competing countries will send their best women riders for a points score event that has been sanctioned by the UCI as an Olympic Games qualifying event.
With former world time trial champion Shane Kelly already confirmed as a starter in Tasmania, the other elite sprinters looking to compete include Ben Kersten, Shane Perkins, Scott Sunderland and Daniel Ellis.
The sprint series will add a new dimension to the Christmas carnivals, with the cycling programme usually dominated by handicap events.
Tasmanian cyclists Mark Jamieson and Laura McCaughey have been included in an Australian team for the Oceana Games in New Zealand.
The Oceana Games include both track and road cycling and will be held at Invercargill on November 14-18.