BikeNZ will take one of their biggest squads ever to this month’s UCI World Track Cycling Championships in Copenhagen.
The selectors today named a 17-strong team that leaves tomorrow for Denmark for the championships 24-28 March.

Head coach Tim Carswell is looking for the team to build on the recent World Cup successes and produce improved level of performance, although they are expecting stronger competition than last year’s championships.

“This is a strong squad and our focus has been to get them in the best possible form at this stage. I would like to think we can make gains as we work towards the Commonwealth Games later in the year and on to the 2012 London Olympics,” Carswell said.

“We are expecting more strength across the board at this year’s world championships with Commonwealth countries building for New Delhi and other key nations establishing their programmes towards London.”

The team is led by individual pursuit world champion Alison Shanks, who will also head the women’s team pursuit that won silver last year, with the other medal a bronze for the men’s individual pursuit.

Both pursuit squads from 2009 will return to Copenhagen with the women’s group also including national road champion Rushlee Buchanan (Te Awamutu) to join Shanks, Jaime Nielsen and Lauren Ellis.

The men’s pursuit squad is unchanged from last year in Jesse Sergent, Sam Bewley, Wes Gough, Peter Latham and Marc Ryan, with Sergent riding the individual pursuit after finishing fifth last year.

Livewire Levin rider Gemma Dudley, who turned 20 last week, is rewarded for her outstanding form at the recent national championships with selection for the omnium, which will become an Olympic event in London.
Brilliant Invercargill 20 year old, Tom Scully, who has been in outstanding form in recent World Cups, has won selection for the Points race and Madison with Ryan.
The final endurance spot has gone to Auckland’s Myron Simpson who will race the omnium after excellent form in the camp, which means there is no room in this campaign for 2008 world champion Hayden Godfrey.

The team includes a full squad of five sprinters for the first time, demanded after the burgeoning performances from the young group of 2009 world junior champions Sam Webster and Ethan Mitchell, Eddie Dawkins, Adam Stewart and Simon Van Velthooven.

“We decided that the sprint programme has improved to a stage where we wanted to ensure we have covered all eventualities in Copenhagen, and hence we are taking the fifth rider.

“There were some unlucky riders which is an indication of the depth we are developing across the board in the programme which is exciting.”

The team is:
Men: Sam Bewley (Rotorua), Eddie Dawkins (Invercargill), Wes Gough (Waipukurau), Peter Latham (Te Awamutu), Ethan Mitchell (Auckland) Marc Ryan (Timaru), Tom Scully (Invercargill), Jesse Sergent (Feilding), Myron Simpson (Auckland), Adam Stewart (Christchurch), Simon Van Velthooven (Palmerston North), Sam Webster (Auckland).

Women: Rushlee Buchanan (Te Awamutu), Gemma Dudley (Levin), Lauren Ellis (Hinds), Jaime Neilsen (Hamilton), Alison Shanks (Dunedin).
Staff: Tim Carswell (head coach), Dayle Cheatley (women’s coach), Justin Grace (sprint coach), Craig Adair (manager), Craig Palmer and Kat Phillips (sports science), Mark Hollands and Rebecca Adams (physiotherapists), Dale Hollows and Chris O’Connor (mechanics).

Yup, with ten officials that's a pretty big squad alright.

Good support is essential for good results - that's a pretty solid management team there, no passengers.

Oli wrote:Good support is essential for good results

Really? Could you mention that to Mark Elliot and company at some stage? I'm sure the guys at MTBNZ would really appreciate it.

Party in copenhagen wOOt wOOt...looks like they've been taking tips from clive woodward's philosophy on mgmt structure.
2 scientists plus coaches? Can Tim and Justin not coach women?? *

*don't mind me I'm a critical cynic

Scotty wrote:

Oli wrote:Good support is essential for good results

Really? Could you mention that to Mark Elliot and company at some stage? I'm sure the guys at MTBNZ would really appreciate it.

Yeah, yeah. I'm not saying it's good that MTB isn't so well supported, but that doesn't make it a bad thing that track is. In an ideal world all branches of cycle sport would receive equal help but in the meantime I say good on the track program.

looks like our track team are modelling themselves on great britain. i read at one stage that GB had a support team of TWENTY EIGHT at worlds one year!!

That's about 2 staff per medal, innit?

Rumour has it one mechanic is looking for work in europe (piggy back ride or what)

got no problem with two mechanics having seen first hand how busy good mechanics are at these events, 6am to 11pm most days.
with training and racing and general maintainance. And even better that one of them can possibly make a career out of the skills they have. We often call on Craig Geater and Kris Withington from the protour teams to do NZ team stuff.

sprint supporter wrote:Rumour has it one mechanic is looking for work in europe (piggy back ride or what)

I knowthat's untrue. Not sure who made it up, but it's incorrect info.

At MTB Worlds I think there were a few sport scientists too many. They were testing athletes immediately before competition. Testing lines and stuff. Not ideal.

Having just come back from Track Nats in a dream world all my riders would have been using SRMs, finished each ride and had bloods taken, as well as monitoring recovery indicators in the mornings and working with each athlete to test recovery from efforts and over the week for future reference (London for the Bike NZ Team). At Nats the NZ Team were training, all hands appeared on deck making sure the data was assessed, riders were fed, bikes were being tested for stress, the Mechanic was flat out as they were obviously varying the gears used. It's not like these guys are on the gravy train. Anyone getting into sport science doesn't do it for the money because it isn't there. Alledgedly the BCF coaches and sport scientist's are paid peanuts. The riders (especially the sprinters have earned their way into the team). They were given support, didn't measure up, went away and on the own dime travelled to Europe, Tassie and T-Town to get experience and have come back to earn their place in the squad. I expect BMX gets the same support because riders have got to the standard where we know support will make them Olympic Champions. Where are the XC riders at the same level?

Fergie wrote: Where are the XC riders at the same level?

That's missed the point of Scotty's statement Fergie. Anyway, it's not the thread for this discussion.

The point I assume is there is no funding for the MTB riders hence they don't get a large support team travelling to Worlds with them. I think it's pretty clear why the disparity exists and the Track Sprinters have shown what has to be done to get the support they need. Good on them!

Did anybody else read that as Bikenz Names Big Squid For Uci World Track Championships?