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ARA Australian Cycling Team announcement: UCI Track Nations Cup in Konya, Türkiye
Mar 10, 2025
The ARA Australian Cycling Team returns to track action at the 2025 UCI Track Nations Cup in Konya, Türkiye from March 14–16.
The biggest story out of the 16-strong squad is the return of 41-year-old Kristine Perkins to international racing, 18 years after winning bronze in the team sprint alongside Anna Meares at the 2007 UCI Track World Championships.
Perkins donned the Australian kit alongside Sophie Watts and Alessia McCaig in the team sprint at the 2025 Oceania Track Championships in February. The trio will do the same again on Friday.
Kristine Perkins, Alessia McCaig and Sophie Watts racing in the team sprint at the 2025 Oceania Track Championships. (Picture: Mat Gilfedder)
Watts, 28, is all set for a UCI Track Nations Cup debut, four years after switching to track cycling from beach sprinting and athletics sprinting via the AusCycling Olympic Fast Track program, which is now defunct.
McCaig completes the women's sprint squad as the only member of last year's UCI Track World Championships bronze medal-winning team sprint trio that has travelled to Türkiye.
Olympic team pursuit gold medallist Oliver Bleddyn is joined by Blake Agnoletto, Josh Duffy, James Moriarty and Liam Walsh in the men's endurance squad.
Josh Duffy (second in team pursuit line) last raced for the ARA Australian Cycling Team at the Hong Kong 2024 UCI Track Nations Cup in March. (Picture: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)
The return of Duffy, 24, to the ARA Australian Cycling Team is the feel-good story of the squad after he suffered a season-ending crash last June at the Six Days of Fiorenzuola in Italy.
A UCI Track Nations Cup debut awaits Dubbo's Danny Barber after he received the nod as the lone change from last year's silver medal-winning team sprint squad at Track Worlds.
Barber, 22, finished second in the sprint at the 2025 Oceania Track Championships in Brisbane last month behind Leigh Hoffman.
Barber joins Hoffman and Ryan Elliott in the men's sprint squad.
Elliott, who is the expected team sprint starter, will also be racing at his first UCI Track Nations Cup.
Olympians Sophie Edwards and Maeve Plouffe will lead the women's endurance quintet that includes rising talents Sally Carter, Claudia Marcks and Keira Will.
Konya is currently the only scheduled event of the 2025 UCI Track Nations Cup, which has ordinarily been a three-round series since 2021.
ARA Australian Cycling Team in Konya
Sprint Men
- Danny Barber (Dubbo Cycle Club/NSWIS)
- Ryan Elliott (Balmoral Cycling Club/QAS)
- Leigh Hoffman (Whyalla Cycling Club/SASI)
Sprint Women
- Alessia McCaig (Bendigo and District Cycling Club/VIS)
- Kristine Perkins (Track Cycling WA)
- Sophie Watts (Balmoral Cycling Club/QAS)
Endurance Men
- Blake Agnoletto (Bendigo and District Cycling Club/VIS)
- Oliver Bleddyn (Norwood Cycling Club/SASI)
- Josh Duffy (Launceston City Cycling Club/TIS)
- James Moriarty (Balmoral Cycling Club/QAS)
- Liam Walsh (Balmoral Cycling Club/QAS)
Endurance Women
- Sally Carter (X-Speed Australia Cycle Club/WAIS)
- Sophie Edwards (Adelaide University Cycling Club/SASI)
- Claudia Marcks (Canberra Cycling Club/ACTAS)
- Maeve Plouffe (Port Adelaide Cycling Club/SASI)
- Keira Will (Lidcombe Auburn Cycle Club/NSWIS)
Schedule
Friday, March 14
Morning session: 10:00 GMT+3 / 18:00 AEDT; 17:30 ACDT; 17:00 AEST; 15:00 AWST
Evening session: 18:30 GMT+3 / 02:30 AEDT; 02:00 ACDT; 01:30 AEST; 23:30 AWST
- Women's team pursuit
- Men's team pursuit
- Women's team sprint
- Men's team sprint
- Women's elimination race
- Men's elimination race
Saturday, March 15
Morning session: 10:00 GMT+3 / 18:00 AEDT; 17:30 ACDT; 17:00 AEST; 15:00 AWST
Evening session: 18:00 GMT+3 / 02:00 AEDT; 01:30 ACDT; 01:00 AEST; 23:00 AWST
- Women's sprint
- Men's omnium
- Men's keirin
- Women's Madison
Sunday, March 16
Morning session: 09:30 GMT+3 / 17:30 AEDT; 17:00 ACDT; 16:30 AEST; 14:30 AWST
Evening session: 16:00 GMT+3 / 00:00 AEDT; 23:30 ACDT; 23:00 AEST; 21:00 AWST
- Men's sprint
- Women's omnium
- Women's keirin
- Men's Madison
How to watch
Broadcast information for Australia is yet to be confirmed.
Start lists and results can be found on Tissot Timing.
Characteristics of Konya Velodrome
- Surface: Finnish spruce
- Length: 250 metres
- Width: 8 metres
- Bends: 45.5 degrees
- Straights: 12.69 degrees
Feature photo: Oliver Bleddyn racing in the men's omnium at the Adelaide 2024 UCI Track Nations Cup. (Con Chronis)