New Australian pro track team launched

by Conal Andrews at 7:46 AM EST

Australia’s push to return to the top of track cycling took a boost yesterday when Cycling Australia announced the launch of a five-rider professional track team, to be based in the Adelaide Superdrome.

Titled Team Jayco and sponsored by the recreational vehicle producer, it is comprised of members of the Cycling Australia / AIS High Performance Program.

The quintet range between 21 and 26 years of age and specialise in sprint-distance events. Beijing Olympian Daniel Ellis (21) is the current Oceania Champion in sprint and team sprint. He won the title with Jason Niblett (26) and Scott Sunderland (21), who also won the time trial there.

Shane Perkins (22) is Oceania Champion in the keirin and also the current Australian Champion in keirin, sprint, kilometre time trial and team sprint.

The team is completed by one woman, 21 year old Kaarle McCulloch. She is the reigning World and Oceania Champion in team sprint as well as being the Oceania Champion in the 500m time trial.

Australia was the former dominant force in track cycling but has been upstaged in recent years by British Cycling. The emergence of some very promising young riders, as well as a renewed focus plus financial backing is raising hopes that it will put up a strong challenge in the next Olympic Games in London 2012.

The Jayco team is part of a major sponsorship deal between the company and Cycling Australia. Jayco’s marketing manager Andrew Ryan outlined the reasons it got involved.

“Jayco is delighted to become a major partner of Cycling Australia’s Track Cycling Program,” he said. “Our top young cyclists deserve the opportunity to develop their capabilities and to realise their potential.

“We hope our support will help them achieve their goals. Sport deserves the support of business in helping to prepare our young athletes for international success.”

It will make its debut at the end of the month, riding in round one of the 2009-2010 track World Cup in Manchester. It will then race on home soil in the Melbourne round, running November 19 – 21.

Cycling Australia National Sprint Coach, Gary West, said that Team Jayco will help some very strong riders to develop further. “This allows the sprint riders in the existing program to further hone their skills at an international level, but it also gives us an opportunity to develop future stars,” he said. “At World Cup level we can enter the Team Jayco sprinters while in the national team emerging talent can be given an opportunity to shine."

The team is also supported by the Australian Institute of Sport, BT, Vittoria, Scody, Casco and Skins.

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