Welsford and Meyer Earn World Championship Selection

Olympic silver medallist Sam Welsford and six time track world champion Cameron Meyer have today been named on Cycling Australia’s 22-strong team for the April Track World Championships in Hong Kong.

The duo who both collected dual track national championships at the recent titles in Brisbane will form part of the Australian men’s endurance squad, with both men likely to feature in the team pursuit squad that is looking to defend its world championship crown, of which Welsford was a part in 2016.

The selection of Meyer highlights a remarkable return to the track boards, with the Beijing Olympian having retired from the Velodrome to focus on a successful road career that saw him tackle the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia.

In Brisbane last week, both men rode in the Western Australian squad that broke South Australia’s dominance of the team pursuit event, with WA recording a famous win to lift the Southcott Cup.

Welsford added a scratch race crown to his collection, before Meyer produced a master class in the points race showing why he is a three time world champion in that event in the process.

The 2017 Track World Championships will be held at the Hong Kong Velodrome from April 12-16 with Asia hosting the championships for just the second time in the competition’s history.

Cycling Australia CEO Nicholas Green said the squad selected for Hong Kong represented both experience and a look towards Australia’s track cycling future.

“As we commence another four-year campaign towards Gold Coast 2018 and Tokyo 2020, it is exciting to see a team with such a rich blend of youth and experience named for these World Championships,” he said.

“We witnessed so many world-class performances at last week’s Track National Championships in Brisbane, and it was encouraging to see our experienced riders continue their strong form while our rising stars put their hands up for selections with some strong results.

“I wish all the best for the team in Hong Kong.”