Junior Track Worlds preview: ARA Australian Cycling Team set sights on rainbows in Apeldoorn

Fifteen talented young Australians begin their quest for 2025 UCI Junior Track World Championships medals and rainbow jerseys tonight in Apeldoorn, Netherlands – here's everything you need to know.

Over the next five days, 22 junior world championship titles are on offer – 11 each for men and women.

The ARA Australian Cycling Team racing Junior Track Worlds Omnisport Apeldoorn is the largest squad selected since 2013.

The ARA Australian Cycling Team of 15 and support staff in Apeldoorn.

Alex Hewes, Toby Jones, Sam Washington and Leani van der Berg will be competing at their second junior track worlds. 

Hewes won omnium bronze in Luoyang last year, while his three returning teammates all recorded top-10 results as first-year juniors. 

Hewes, Jones and Washington are joined by Jonas Shelverton and Ollie Jirovec in the men’s endurance squad, with all five combining in yet to be determined four-man team pursuit line-ups.

The women’s team pursuit squad is comprised of Anna Dubier, Amelie Sanders and Ava Schmidtke joining van der Berg.

Ella Liang, Ebony Robinson and Olivia Wright make up the women's sprint squad that is predominately focussed on a successful team sprint performance.

The same can be said for the men's sprint squad of Mitchell Louie, Patrick Maye and Angus Withington.

Withington is one of two first-years on the team born in 2008, the other is Jirovec, the youngest member of the Apeldoorn squad.

ARA Australian Cycling Team 

Endurance Men 

• Alex Hewes (Gold Coast Cycling Club/QLD) 
• • Team pursuit, Madison, omnium, elimination race (sub)
• Ollie Jirovec (Brunswick Cycling Club/VIC) 
• • Team pursuit, scratch race, individual pursuit (sub), points race (sub)
• Toby Jones (Balmoral Cycling Club/QLD) 
• • Team pursuit, individual pursuit, Madison, omnium (sub)
• Jonas Shelverton (Hobart Wheelers Dirt Devils Cycling Club/TAS) 
• • Team pursuit, individual pursuit, 1000m time trial, scratch race (sub)
• Sam Washington (X-Speed Australia Cycle Club/WA)
• • Team pursuit, elimination race, points race, Madison (sub)

Endurance Women 

• Anna Dubier (Lidcombe Auburn Cycling Club/NSW) 
• • Team pursuit, elimination race, Madison, points race, scratch race (sub)
• Amelie Sanders (Gold Coast Cycling Club/QLD)
• • Team pursuit, individual pursuit, omnium, Madison (sub)
• Ava Schmidtke (South Coast Cycling Club/SA) 
• • Team pursuit, 1000m time trial, individual pursuit (sub)
• Leani van der Berg (Norwood Cycling Club/SA)
• • Team pursuit, individual pursuit, Madison, scratch race, omnium (sub), points race (sub), elimination race (sub)

Sprint Men

• Mitchell Louie (Balmoral Cycling Club/QLD) 
• • Team sprint, sprint, keirin
• Patrick Maye (Lidcombe Auburn Cycling Club/NSW)
• • Team sprint, sprint, 1000m time trial, keirin (sub) 
• Angus Withington (Canberra Cycling Club/ACT) 
• • Team sprint, keirin, sprint (sub)

Sprint Women

• Ella Liang (Balmoral Cycling Club/QLD) 
• • Team sprint, keirin, 1000m time trial, sprint (sub)
• Ebony Robinson (Bathurst Cycling Club/NSW) 
• • Team sprint, sprint, keirin
• Olivia Wright (Balmoral Cycling Club/QLD)
• • Team sprint, sprint, keirin (sub)

How to watch

Racing will be live streamed via the host organisation website on YouTube.

Schedule

• Full schedule

Wednesday, August 20

Day session: 12:30 GMT+2 / 20:30 AEST; 20:00 ACDT; 18:30 AWST
Night session: 18:00 GMT+2 / 02:00 (+1) AEST; 01:30 (+1) ACDT; 00:00 (+1) AWST

• Women's team pursuit (qualifying)
• Men's team pursuit (qualifying and first round)
• Women's scratch race (qualifying and final)
• Women's team sprint (full event)
• Men's team sprint (full event)

Thursday, August 21

Day session: 13:00 GMT+2 / 21:00 AEST; 20:30 ACDT; 19:00 AWST
Night session: 18:00 GMT+2 / 02:00 (+1) AEST; 01:30 (+1) ACDT; 00:00 (+1) AWST

• Women's sprint (qualifying to quarterfinals)
• Men's keirin (full event)
• Men's scratch race (qualifying and final)
• Women's elimination race (final)
• Women's team pursuit (first round and finals)
• Men's team pursuit (finals)

Friday, August 22

Day session: 10:30 GMT+2 / 18:30 AEST; 18:00 ACDT; 16:30 AWST
Night session: 18:00 GMT+2 / 02:00 (+1) AEST; 01:30 (+1) ACDT; 00:00 (+1) AWST

• Men's points race (qualifying and final)
• Women's omnium (full event)
• Men's sprint (qualifying to 1/8 finals)
• Men's individual pursuit (qualifying and finals)
• Women's sprint (semifinals and finals)

Saturday, August 23

Day session: 11:30 GMT+2 / 19:30 AEST; 19:00 ACDT; 17:30 AWST
Night session: 18:00 GMT+2 / 02:00 (+1) AEST; 01:30 (+1) ACDT; 00:00 (+1) AWST

• Women's points race (final)
• Men's omnium (full event)
• Men's sprint (quarterfinals to finals)
• Women's individual pursuit (qualifying to finals)
• Women's 1000m time trial (qualifying and final)

Sunday, August 24

Day session: 09:30 GMT+2 / 17:30 AEST; 17:00 ACDT; 15:30 AWST
Night session: 15:00 GMT+2 / 23:00 AEST; 22:30 ACDT; 21:00 AWST

• Women's Madison (final)
• Men's Madison (qualifying and final)
• Women's keirin (full event)
• Men's elimination race (qualifying and final)
• Men's 1000m time trial (qualifying and final)

Results

Start lists, live timing and official results can be found here.

Characteristics of Omnisport Apeldoorn

• Length: 250 metres  
• Width: 7 metres
• Bends: 44 degrees (maximum)
• Straights: 12.8 degrees (maximum)
• Circumference at the fence: 285 metres
• Surface: Accoya wood

Feature picture: Toby Jones during official practice in Apeldoorn. (SWpix.com/Alex Whitehead)