The 2022 UCI Road World Championships begin in 26 days and the Australian Cycling Team was due to announce the starters for the ‘home’ worlds today but, with two riders appealing the initial selection, we will not know the composition of the national team until next week.

 

– By Rob Arnold

 

While riders from other nations were told about their selection – injuries and fitness pending – long ago, the Australian Cycling Team has delayed its official announcement of who will race for the national team at the upcoming world championships in Wollongong.

The team announcement was due today but AusCycling has just issued a seven-paragraph statement (see below) explaining that it will now wait until next week before advising who will wear the green and gold on home soil for the championships that begin in just 26 days.

Of course, it’s important that the right combination of riders is selected and we respect the right of AusCycling to respond to the appeal. Still, for those who are in contention for a place on the national team, the preparation phase has been thrown into disarray because of the decision by Jesse Korf to “ensure the appeal process was thorough and fair”.

Some riders have reached out to RIDE Media and, on the condition of anonymity, explained that they have had very little correspondence from the national federation. Some have said they are yet to hear anything about world championship selection. Others have explained that queries about the selection for Wollongong have been met with aggressive responses from some officials, but no answers given.

We will continue to monitor the selection process and report when updates are offered.

It is worth noting that when RIDE Media contacted AusCycling earlier today in the hope of finding out when the team selection announcement would be made, the answer given was “this afternoon”.

We can therefore assume that the riders who have opted to appeal the selection have only been notified very recently of the composition of the team.

Once again, we see a fine opportunity for promotion of a world championships at home being squandered. Alas, the date of the worlds is getting closer but Australians riders – and cycling fans – are left in the dark about who will be representing the nation in Wollongong in just 26 days’ time.

 

 

Australia ranked 10th in elite women and elite men

Australia’s elite men are ranked 10th in the world, meaning that the host nation will be able to field a full contingent of eight starters for the final event on the program, the elite men’s road race. At 266.9km, this is also the longest race of the championships.

In the women’s world ranking system, Australia is also 10th but this doesn’t qualify for  the maximum number of seven starters (reserved for the five top nations: Netherlands, Italy, France, USA and Switzerland). Still, there will be six Australians in the penultimate race of the championships in Wollongong, the 164.3km elite women’s road race.

 

Junior team selection announced in June

The junior selection for the Australian Cycling Team at the 2022 worlds was announced on 30 June (see below). It includes riders from the ACT, Tasmania, Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales.

Junior men

  • Oscar Chamberlain (ACT) Canberra Cycling Club
  • Cameron Rogers (ACT) Canberra Cycling Club
  • Hamish McKenzie (TAS) Northern Districts Cycling Club
  • William Eaves (TAS) City of Burnie Cycling Club

Junior women

  • Isabelle Carnes (QLD) Balmoral Cycling Club
  • Lucinda Stewart (VIC) Carnegie Caulfield Cycling Club
  • Bronte Stewart (NSW) Tolland Cycling Club
  • Talia Appleton (VIC) Mansfield Mt Buller Cycling Club
  • Belinda Bailey (VIC) Bendigo & District Cycling Club