Australian Cycling Team to return to UCI Track Nations Cup racing in Glasgow

20 Apr 2022 | 05:37 PMBy: Josh Davies

A mix of Tokyo Olympians, UCI WorldTour professionals, and Australian Cycling Team debutants will represent AusCycling and Australia at the opening round of the 2022 Tissot UCI Track Nations Cup in Glasgow, Scotland from April 21-24.

A total of 11 athletes will compete in Glasgow, with the endurance squads comprised of solely European-based riders, while the sprint squads have travelled to Scotland from Australia following a large block of racing in Brisbane at the 2022 AusCycling Track National Championships and 2022 Oceania Track Cycling Championships.

The racing at Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow’s Emirates Arena will be the first overseas chapter for AusCycling’s Australian Cycling Team team sprint women, led by 11-time national champion Kristina Clonan and 18-year-old Alessia McCaig, with the duo to be joined by Breanna Hargrave.

For Clonan, the opening round of the #TissotNationsCup has a touch of familiarity, with the 24-year-old having raced in Glasgow at the second round of the 2019-20 Tissot UCI Track World Cup as part of the women’s endurance squad.

TS Women

“I’m very excited to be back on the international stage and racing with the team that we have here,” Clonan said.

“It’s a new chapter for me but also the other girls as well.

“It’s Bre’s first time at this level and also Alessia’s first as well, also my first as a sprinter, so it’s very exciting here and I’m very keen to get underway with this team and see what we can do.

“We raced together two weeks ago at Oceanias and we are keen to refine and perfect the team sprint going into a Commonwealth Games and World Championships selection period.”

Team BikeExchange-Jayco UCI WorldTour stars Georgia Baker, Ruby Roseman-Gannon and Kelland O’Brien will all return to the boards in Glasgow, with Baker and O’Brien last pulling on the green and gold at the 2021 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Roubaix, France last October.

Kelland O'Brien

The Glasgow #TissotNationsCup will also welcome back Team DSM neo-pro Sam Welsford to the track for the first time since the Tokyo Olympics last year, just one week after claiming his first professional win on the road at the Tour of Turkey.

The men’s endurance list is closed out by Podium Potential Academy member Pat Eddy, who is based in Europe with Development Team DSM.

The Glasgow #TissotNationsCup will be Eddy’s Australian Cycling Team debut at the elite level.

Matthew Richardson, Thomas Cornish and Leigh Hoffman make up the men’s sprint contingent for Glasgow, with 2022 team sprint Oceania champions Richardson and Cornish both eager to carry their good form displayed at #TrackNats22 and #OceaniaChamps into international racing.