Day 1: MACT Riders Shine at Masters Nationals
Viking’s Masters ACT Cycling Team riders have been some of the big performers on Day 1 of the Cycling Australia Masters National Track Championships at Dunc Gray Velodrome today.
The stand-out performance today came from Kerry knowler with two amazing Gold Medal performances. The first coming as Kerry set an Australian Masters Championship Record in the Women’s 45 – 49 years 500m Track Time Trial, whilst the second came when Kerry teamed up with ANU rider Jessica Laws in the Women’s Team Sprint and set yet another Australian Record.
Jim Veal was the other Masters ACT rider to bring home bling from Day 1 of the Nats. He won Bronze in the Masters Men’s 500m Track Time Trial 65 – 69 Years Category.
Coach Jim Veal shows off his bronze medal from the TT
Day 2: MACT Riders Re-Write The Record Books
Day 2 of the Cycling Australia Masters National Track Championships and Viking’s Masters ACT Cycling Team Riders are at it again with another 2 Gold Medals added to the tally, and another two Australian Records to go with them.
Once again the stand-out performance of the day came from an amazing performance from Kerry Knowler who totally annihilated the Australian Record in the Women’s 45 – 49 years 2000m Individual Pursuit by 2 seconds. Then, despite some anxious moments in the warm up when he punctured a tubular on his rear disc, Mark Harris rose to the occasion to also break an Australian Masters Record and secure the Gold Medal in the Men’s Masters 2000m Individual Pursuit in the 55 – 59 years category.
Day 3 promises to be an extraordinarily interesting day as Mark Harris fronts up for the first time in a decade in search of a podium position in the Masters 6 Sprint!
Kerry Knowler smashed the individual pursuit record on her way to gold
Day 3: Medals Continue to Flow at Nats
Day 3 of the Cycling Australia National Masters Track Champs completed and even more medals coming the way of our Masters ACT riders.
It was an exciting day for Pat Rooke who qualified 3rd fastest in the Sprint Qualifier and ultimately proved too strong for her opponent Sue Cruikshank in the Bronze Medal Final of the Women’s Masters 50 – 54 years Sprint.
Meanwhile, in the Men’s Masters 55 – 59 years Sprint, hardened enduro Mark Harris, stunned all, not just by simply entering the event, but also when he earned a berth in the Gold/Silver Sprint Final before settling for the silver medal from his opponent, the current World Sprint Champion Gary Mandy.
And, the highlight of the day, as has been the case every day of the Championship thus far, saw Kerry Knowler once again take another Australian Masters Gold Medal and compliment it with another Australian Masters Record Time. This time Kerry set an amazing 12.4 seconds for the Sprint Qualifier, bettering the existing Australian record by 0.2 of a second, before going on to claim the Gold medal against Gabrielle Belz in the Women’s Masters 44 – 49 years category.
Pat Rooke (right) receives her bronze medal from the sprint
Day 4: Masters Presented With Champion of Champions Honours
Day 4, and the final day of the Cycling Australia Masters National Track Championships has drawn to a close, and Viking’s Masters ACT Cycling Team Riders have been on the podium again collecting another 2 Gold and 1 Silver Medal, as well as two Champion of Champions Jerseys.
Kerry Knowler and Mark Harris were both presented with the 2015 Champion of Champions Honours after stellar performances throughout the Championships. Earlier in the Day Harris won the Men’s Masters 55 – 59 years category Points Race to bring his total for the Championships to 2 Gold, and 1 Silver. Mark also went into the record books with a new Australian record in the Individual Pursuit.
Kerry Knowler’s Champion of Champions Jersey was never in doubt. Kerry not only collected 5 Gold and 1 Silver Medal over the course of the Championships, but also set new Australian records in the Sprint Qualifier, the 2000m Individual Pursuit, the 500m Time Trial, and also in the Team Sprint.
In the last event of the Championships, Peta Brill and Kerry Knowler overcame adversity in achieving a very creditable Silver Medal in the Women’s +120 Teams Pursuit Final. Despite losing Jessica Laws before the event due to injury, the girls were able to regroup with the help of Joanne Troutman of Dulwich Hill and Rebecca Williamson of Brunswick and still record the fastest time in qualifying.
Kerry Knowler (left) and Mark Harris (third from right) win the Champion of Champions Jerseys for their age groups