New Australian WCh and Olympics track bikes

[stevenaaus]

Geez.. I dunno about eschewing normal dropbars for this aero monstrosities.
For the world champs and Olympics.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cyclin ... pionships/

Also, am I missing something, or is it very short notice to be having such a different bike for the champs which are on "this week"?

[Derny Driver]

The frame looks exactly the same as the bikes they have been using for the last 12 months. The slightly different fork wont make any noticeable difference to the handling.
Sam Welsford showed me a set of weird handlebars at the Nationals last December, something he said complied with UCI regulations but gives them an aero hand position on the top of the bars. These bars were made by someone close to the team with input from the riders and the coaching staff. I have never seen anything quite like them.
Experimenting with unusual handlebar configurations is commonplace for these guys and the ones in the photo look quite tame compared to things they have trialled.
The bike skills of the Olympic track team have to be seen to be believed. They could ride anything without an issue.

[P!N20]

The bike is available to the public via Argon 18 for US$18,000 (£13,800), which includes the Zipp wheelset and the sprint and pursuit forks.

Sweet. Need a new fixie.

[stevenaaus]

The frame looks exactly the same as the bikes they have been using for the last 12 months. The slightly different fork wont make any noticeable difference to the handling.
Sam Welsford showed me a set of weird handlebars at the Nationals last December, something he said complied with UCI regulations but gives them an aero hand position on the top of the bars. These bars were made by someone close to the team with input from the riders and the coaching staff. I have never seen anything quite like them.
Experimenting with unusual handlebar configurations is commonplace for these guys and the ones in the photo look quite tame compared to things they have trialled.
The bike skills of the Olympic track team have to be seen to be believed. They could ride anything without an issue.

Yeah, i know nothing about track.. but hard to think new bikes inside a week of a competition is a good thing. How subtle are any improvements in team pursuit (for eg) where we qualified fifth today, an event which we've won three of the last four years... but whatever

[Derny Driver]

How subtle are any improvements in team pursuit (for eg) where we qualified fifth today, an event which we've won three of the last four years... but whatever

I dont think we even ran our A team today mate.
The big engine is Kell O'Brien and he's still recovering from a broken collarbone. The others are in training load mode.
The target has always been the Olympics. Sadly CA has no interest in World Championships. Im betting that in Tokyo the Aussies will not only win Gold in the TP but smash the World record. Like 3:35 or something. We will wait and see.

[stevenaaus]

Sadly CA has no interest in World Championships

Hmm - not great results.

In the bronze medal final, Italy lapped previous world record holders Australia to take the bronze.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/uci-t ... 2/results/
And today, no one in the top 10 in the Men's Individual Pursuit.

Hell - it's only the UCI World Track Championships.
Maybe professional race commitments are a determining factor ?.

[Derny Driver]

Sadly CA has no interest in World Championships

Hmm - not great results.

In the bronze medal final, Italy lapped previous world record holders Australia to take the bronze.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/uci-t ... 2/results/
And today, no one in the top 10 in the Men's Individual Pursuit.

Hell - it's only the UCI World Track Championships.
Maybe professional race commitments are a determining factor ?.

The Olympic pursuit team rode the Tour Down Under which shows they have no interest in results at the Worlds. You cant come off those sorts of road miles and then win gold at track worlds a few weeks later. Porter and Howard were struggling in the TP. Wouldnt surprise me if the Olympic TP team is Welsford, O'Brien, Scott and Plapp or Porter. Howard is more of a madison specialist.
Coach Decker is acting all surprised but the sly fox knows they were not in perfect condition. I have no doubt they will be right for Tokyo.

Since we lost Jordan Kirby to NZ we have not had an individual pursuit specialist. We've abandoned any hope there. Australia will be focused on the TP, scratch (Welsford), madison (Howard and O'Brien) and possibly Points race (Scott?) in Tokyo.

[foo on patrol]

There must be sompin wrong with me, I'd have a "World" Championship in a heart beat! I've said it before and I'll say it again The High Performance Coaching BS and their crap that they go on with is killing our sport!

Foo

[stevenaaus]

I'm sure most cyclists would agree and have plenty of motivation for the WChs.
But it getting new bikes one week in advance shows what the governing body's priorities are
- mass public and media adoration (and moolah) of gold medals. Irony is that Tokyo may be in doubt.

How good is it to see Gary Sutton training the USA girls to a Team Pursuit win and sticking it to that Pommy !! BAN ME NOW FOR SWEARING !! that sacked him

Tell us what you really think !

[foo on patrol]

Okay, I will.

of idiots.

Foo

[stevenaaus]

Australia finished 11th out of 21 countries, with no gold medals.



https://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/a ... bout-tokyo

Jones brushed away speculation that the Olympics could be cancelled due to coronavirus.

“I’d rather have a corona beer than talk about the coronavirus,” he laughs. “Yes it is a really, really bad flu, but just everyone wash your hands.”

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_UC ... mpionships

[foo on patrol]

Jones is a bloody halwit! He wasn't good enough for his own country, yet he came out here and sacked all of our best brains trust and wonders why, they failed. On a positive note, Gary Sutton has turned the USA girls around and he will continue to me the fool from Pommy Land pay!

Foo

[Derny Driver]

.. On a positive note, Gary Sutton has turned the USA girls around ...

Foo

Yep they won the Team pursuit and the Individual pursuit. Plus silver in points race.
Gary is the womens endurance coach.
Say no more

[foo on patrol]

.. On a positive note, Gary Sutton has turned the USA girls around ...

Foo

Yep they won the Team pursuit and the Individual pursuit. Plus silver in points race.
Gary is the womens endurance coach.
Say no more

He's a bloody top bloke, with a brilliant mind for endurance racing.

Foo

[RobertL]

.. On a positive note, Gary Sutton has turned the USA girls around ...

Foo

Yep they won the Team pursuit and the Individual pursuit. Plus silver in points race.
Gary is the womens endurance coach.
Say no more

He's a bloody top bloke, with a brilliant mind for endurance racing.

Foo

He also had a young Chloe Dygert drop into his lap (so to speak). She's going to make any coach look good!