Welsford Selected for Cali World Cup

Published On: 13 February 2017

World Champion track cyclist Sam Welsford has been named in the Australian squad for the Cali World Cup starting Friday.

The Olympic silver medallist and reigning WAIS Athlete of the Year forms part of the men’s endurance squad with the 21 year-old joined by world champion teammate Alex Porter, whilst triple track champion Leigh Howard returns for world cup duty for the first time since the 2010/11 season.

The 15 event program in Cali includes eight events for men and seven for women across three days of competition.

Men’s and women’s team sprint, team pursuit, omnium, points race, sprint and keirins feature alongside the women’s scratch race, men’s Madison and 1km time trial.

“It is great to see some of Australia’s Olympic heroes selected for the final two rounds of the 2016-17 World Cup season with a number of rising stars number making their debut,” said Cycling Australia CEO Nicholas Green OAM.

There will be little time for Welsford to familiarise himself with the local surrounds, with the team having arrived in South America earlier this week, following a lengthy travel itinerary.

The Cali World Cup in Colombia precedes the Australian Track National Championships which will be held in Brisbane in the first week of March.

This event will form the selection criteria for the Australian team to contest the 2017 Track World Championships, which in April will be hosted in Hong Kong.