Australia’s cyclists have hit the track at the 2024 Track Nations Cup, securing a brace of medals across the competition that was held in Adelaide last week.
Australia rode the fastest time in the country on day one of the competition, with the trio of Leigh Hoffman, Matthew Richardson and Matthew Glaetzer comfortably beating Japan to take gold in the Men’s Team Sprint.
After Tom Cornish partnered Richardson and Hoffman in qualifying earlier on Friday, five-time Commonwealth Games gold medallists Glaetzer came in for the evening’s first round and the final.
The Hoffman/Richardson/Glaetzer combination won Commonwealth Games gold in Birmingham two years ago, as well as silver at the World Championships last year.
“It feels good – I don’t think we could have asked for more today,” Richardson said.
“We executed basically to the plan we set. The win is just the cherry on top.”
Two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist Richardson also finished with silver in the Men’s Sprint, while teammate Glaetzer, himself a five-time Games gold medallist, joined Richardson on the podium after taking bronze.
Meanwhile a late charge from three-time Games gold medallist Georgia Baker delivered a silver medal in the Women’s Madison.
Baker and Alex Manly, a gold medallist from Gold Coast 2018 who also won silver last year at the world titles, fell to the British pair of Katie Archibald an Elinor Barker, who had sewn up the gold medal on 31 points ahead of the double points for the final sprint.
With Australia setting in second on 17 points, it was Baker’s perfectly timed final charge towards the finish that saw the Aussie pair snap up silver with 27 points, ahead of the USA in third on 23.
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The Women’s Team Pursuit won bronze, beating Canada with a last-gasp surge in their medal ride, while the Men claimed silver behind the team from Great Britain.
Blake Agnoletto rounded out Australia’s medal tally, winning silver in the Men’s Elimination Race.
Countries earn qualifying points through the Track Nations Cup for the Olympics, with rounds to come in Hong Kong next month and Canada in April ahead of the Paris Games.
