Cam Meyer King of the Points Race
WAIS-AIS cycling star Cameron Meyer has won a second consecutive points race world championship after blitzing the field in the first day of competition at the 2010 Track World Championships in Denmark.
From the start of the 40 km (160 lap) men’s points race it was obvious defending champion Cameron Meyer was on a mission. Meyer, who rides with ProTour road team Garmin-Transitions, went into the event with a winning mindset and delivered.
“I had a really good night and I was very confident going into it,” said Meyer. “I had very good legs and I kept to my tactics. I knew the second half of the bike race I was going to one of the strongest there and knew I just had to be confident going into that second half and that’s what I did.”
Meyer won four of the 16 sprints contested and placed in six more which gave him 30 points but it was laps gained that cemented his win. He took a lap midway through the race with a small group of contenders and with 50 laps to go he went again but this time no-one could go with him.
“I was told by my coach (Matt Gilmore) on the sideline all the other guys were tired and I still had a lot left in me so I sort of rolled away and looked behind and there was no-one with me so I thought ‘Righto this is the time to go again’,” Meyer explained. “I went again and while I was out there I just controlled my breathing, controlled myself, took points while I was out there and took the lap. I knew from there all I had to do was cover the rest of the riders from 30 laps to go and I had it won.”
Win was an understatement as the young Australian collected 20 points each time he lapped the field to him a winning total of 70 points, more than double that of silver medallist Peter Schep of the Netherlands who collected 33 points with Czech rider Milan Kadlec third on 27 points. Meyer says having two Australians in rainbow jerseys on day one makes it an extra special night.
“Last year we (Anna Meares and he) had some nice photos taken when she was a medallist and I had won the world title and this year it was like ‘let’s both try and win a rainbow jersey and get the photo in the rainbows’,” he said. “It was inspirational to see Anna win the 500 prior to me going out there and it gave me motivation to try and win a rainbow as well so I could get that photo with her.”
It was a busy night of competition for WAIS cyclists with Sarah Kent (WAIS-AIS) competing in the women’s individual pursuit for 13th, and Scott Sunderland (AIS-WAIS) teaming up with Jason Niblett and Dan Ellis for ninth place in the men’s team sprint.
Australian track Queen Anna Meares was the first to claim a gold medal with a personal best ride to reclaim the rainbow jersey of World Champion in the 500m time trial before West Australian Cameron Meyer 22, decimated the opposition to win his second straight points race world title.
Meares, who was the silver medallist last year behind a world record winning ride by Lithuania’s Simona Krupeckaite, was the second from last rider to post a time and it was a sizzler. She knocked two tenths of a second off the time she rode to win the title in 2007 clocking a personal best of 33.381sec, an agonising 85 thousandths of a second off Krupeckaite’s world record.
“I’m very thrilled with that time and that ride,” said an emotional Meares after her win. “It was always going to be tough against Simona being the World Record holder and when I crossed that line and knew that she was yet to come I thought ‘33.3 is a great time and I’m really happy with that but not sure if it was going to be enough’.
Meares not only had to overcome her rivals tonight but she also found the courage to race after an emotional roller coaster in the lead up to the Championships.
“My Nan passed away two weeks ago (Olive Meares – her father’s mother) and my husband Mark’s Grandpa passed away two days ago (Dave ‘Poppy’ Chippendale) so (i had) a bit of extra spirit on the shoulders tonight,” said Meares who was a bundles of nerves and tears after her ride as she waited for Krupeckaite to race.
“She ran an 18.9 lap and with the strength of Simona she actually comes home harder in the second lap than she does in the first lap and I thought that I was in quite significant trouble and didn’t have enough lead over her in the first lap,” Meares explained. “You know it was a little bit unlike her not to come home as strong as she normally does but credit to her she’s a phenomenal rider and for me to beat her I feel so privileged.
“It was very important (to win back the title),” said Meares. “You know it’s my pet event, the one I enjoy the most. It seems to suits me, only person on the track, knuckle down, only person to race is the clock and I just love getting in that focus zone and being so determined to hurt myself and to come away with such a great performance, I’m so happy.”
Krupeckaite finished second in a time of 33.462sec with Olga Panarina of Belarus third in 33.779sec. Sydney’s Kaarle McCulloch rode 34.349sec to finish sixth.
– Cycling Australia