Bryony Botha (left) with her silver medal after the Elite Women's Points Race. Photo / Supplied
Bryony Botha (left) with her silver medal after the Elite Women's Points Race. Photo / Supplied
Te Awamutu Sports Cycling Club has proven once again that they are a force to be reckoned with at the 2023 Oceania Track Cycling Championships at Brisbane’s Anna Meares Velodrome.
There were several impressive performances over the first three days of racing with TASC Cycling New Zealand riders Kyle Aitken, Dan Bridgwater, Bryony Botha, Jessie Hodges, Ellesse Andrews, and Rebecca Petch securing multiple podium finishes, including two gold medals.
Aitken, in particular, delivered an epic Individual Pursuit ride, finishing fourth in the bronze final in his first year as an elite.
TASC’s U19 and U23 elite riders Kane Foster, Hamish Banks, Maui Morrison, Molly Hayes, Jaxson Russell, and Oli Watson-Palmer have also put in hard work on the boards.
In the elite men’s team sprint, Russell and his teammates performed strongly, earning themselves a silver medal.
Banks and his team secured the U19 men’s team sprint bronze medal, while Foster and his team grabbed a silver medal in the U19 men’s team pursuit.
Te Awamutu Sports Cycling Club's Dan Bridgwater (middle) took the Oceania Title in the Elite Men's Elimination at the Oceania Track Cycling Championships. Photo / Supplied
On day four of the competition, TASC competitors again shone in their respective events with podium finishes.
In the U19 women’s teams pursuit, Hayes and her team took home the silver medal behind a record-breaking Australian team, while Petch earned herself a silver medal after a fantastic ride in the elite women’s time trial.
In the U19 men’s madison, Morrison and his partner Marshall Erwood (Southland) dominated the competition, taking a well-deserved gold medal and the coveted Oceania jersey.
Foster and honorary TASC member Austin Norwell (CMC) faced a minor collision during the U19 men’s madison but managed to overcome the setback and secure a bronze medal. Their performance earned them a spot on the all-Kiwi podium, demonstrating the strength of New Zealand’s cycling talent.
In the elite women’s madison, Botha and her teammate were dominant winning gold.
The elite men’s madison was a dramatic finale to the session, with several crashes, including one involving Bridgwater. Despite the setback, the team managed to get back up and secure the bronze medal.
Watson-Palmer and his partner Ed Pawdon (CMC) delivered an aggressive performance in the elite men’s madison, finishing fifth.
The final day of racing saw silver go to Botha in the 25km elite women’s points race and a Kiwi clean sweep of the junior men’s omnium start in the 7.5km scratch race, won by Norwell ahead of Magnus Jamieson and Erwood.
Erwood was second in the tempo behind Australian Alex Eaves to move to equal top of the standings on 74 points along with Norwell who was fourth in the tempo race.
Erwood showed his craft with victory in the omnium elimination with teammates Jamieson and Morrison third and fourth respectively, before Norwell prevailed in the points race with an impressive ride to claim the title from teammate Jamieson.
