RaboPlus New Zealand Track Cycling Championships Underway

Invercargill’s Tom Scully has taken out the first elite title of the RaboPlus New Zealand Track Championships much to the delight of a boisterous Invercargill crowd with victory in the Men’s 30K Points Race.

Scully, a former New Zealand junior representative rode a smart and consistent race, picking up the big points throughout the race and excelling on some of the closer sprints to take the title from Waikato Bay of Plenty’s Shem Rodger.
“It was a hard race, very good competition out there and it’s what I’ve always dreamed of, a New Zealand title”, said the 19-year-old.
Two of the race favourites, New Zealand representatives Hayden Godfrey and Jason Christie kicked off proceedings with Godfrey picking up the first five points on offer with Christie right behind him.
However it was Scully and Rodger who consistently racked up the points in the early stages of the race with the pair providing some classic sprints near the end as they went to the finish with Rodger narrowly ahead.
However it was Scully who crossed the line before Rodger on the last lap to take the victory.
Veteran Godfrey, the Omnium World Champion finished third.
Tomorrow sees the sprinters in action with qualifying in the morning and finals tomorrow night for both the men’s and women’s sprint race.
Expected to shine are Invercargill’s Simon Van Velthooven and Eddie Dawkins in the men’s, while in the women’s event Christchurch’s Natasha Hansen is one to watch.
This year’s RaboPlus New Zealand Track Cycling Championships are the biggest ever with 273 riders in attendance, a reflection of the growth and popularity the sport has experienced in New Zealand over the last few years.
The major incentive for the riders this week is selection in the BikeNZ team for next month’s UCI World Championships in Poland. The worlds’ will be a major stepping-stone towards the 2010 Commonwealth Games and ultimately the 2012 London Olympics.