OLYMPIC STARS PRIMED FOR ADELAIDE TRACK LEAGUE

Australia’s track stars and Olympic hopefuls will light up the Adelaide Super-Drome on Tuesday 19 January to kick off the week-long cycling extravaganza in South Australia.

The track event, in partnership with AusCycling, will see Perth’s four-time title world track holder Sam Welsford joined by Leigh Howard, Alex Porter and Kell O’Brien with whom he won the 2019 World Title Winning Team Pursuit.

Sprinters Matt Glaetzer and Nathan Hart will round out a solid seven-man squad who have all been selected for the Tokyo Olympics this year.

“Incorporating disciplines such as track to the calendar for 2021 Santos Festival of Cycling is really exciting. There is some sensational track talent here in South Australia, in both the men’s and women’s leagues and I’m thrilled to be able to welcome rising stars as well as some very highly accomplished riders,” Men’s Race Director Stuart O’Grady said.

“We are so fortunate to have a world class facility in the Adelaide Super-Drome and this event will be the perfect curtain raiser to the Santos Festival of Cycling” he added.

The men's endurance squad is coached by Tim Decker who commented, “It’s great to have the quality of athletes here to compete in the Santos Festival of Cycling Track event. During the event there will be multiple World Champions and Olympic medalists in most of the events, therefore the quality of racing will be fantastic to watch.”

The women’s endurance squad is headlined by Australia’s only four-time world champion in the track endurance ranks, Ashlee Ankudinoff, and features Team Garmin-Australia track and road sensations Annette Edmondson, Maeve Plouffe and Georgia Baker as well as Team BikeExchange’s guest rider Alexandra Manly.“

There is something really special about Adelaide summers and track racing. Going back many years they have set the backdrop to incredible nights of exciting racing steeped in tradition.” Women’s Race Director Kimberley Conte said.

“The heat, the speed and rush of the wind as athletes race past all combine to make an incredible atmosphere. Do yourself a favour, when you are in the stands, go to the apex of the turn and look straight down from the railing and feel your heart racing as the riders speed past. I promise you won’t be disappointed!”

“It’s really exciting to be able to expose track racing to fans who may have only been focused on the road racing events previously. I hope it excites as many people as last year, I really encourage everyone to come down and watch and see what track racing is all about!” Maeve Plouffe

2021 Santos Festival of Cycling

• Ashlee Ankudinoff
• Georgia Baker
• Annette Edmondson
• Maeve Plouffe
• Alexandra Manly
• Matt Glaetzer
• Nathan Hart
• Sam Welsford
• Kell O'Brien
• Leigh Howard
• Luke Plapp
• Alex Porter