ARA Australian Cycling Team to chase rainbows at Cali Junior Track Worlds

The world championships bonanza isn't over for 2023 just yet. Say hello to the 2023 UCI Junior Track World Championships in Cali, Colombia.

From August 23-27, 10 ARA Australian Cycling Team junior trackies will be chasing rainbows at Cali's Velódromo Alcides Nieto Patiño.

The premier track event for cyclists in the U19 category comes hot on the back of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland or the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago for eight of the 10-strong squads.

Newly-crowned junior women time trial world champion Felicity Wilson-Haffenden travelled straight to Cali from Glasgow to be a part of what is arguably Australia's most exciting junior women's team pursuit squad in recent memory.

It was the same story for Commonwealth Youth Games gold medallists Keira Will and Lauren Bates from Trinidad, who will be joined in the unchanged team pursuit national record-setting squad by Sally Carter and Nicole Duncan.

Wilson-Haffenden said the team pursuit is the main target for the women's endurance team.

"We have a really strong team of five so will be certainly looking to win the rainbows," she said.

"Personally, I’d love a podium performance in the individual pursuit but will focus on that after the team pursuit.

"Ideally I would come into a world championship a bit fresher but the road form should convert nicely onto the track and it’s been great to have a week here in Cali to reset after the emotional rollercoaster of Glasgow."

The 18-year-old added that arriving a week ahead of the racing had been beneficial to learn the ins and outs of Velódromo Alcides Nieto Patiño.

"The Cali track is very different to anything we have at home, with long straights, tight bends and open sides," Wilson-Haffenden said.

"The wind adds a challenging element but we are a strong team and have had time to adapt which should make the conditions an advantage more than a hindrance."

While Wilson-Haffenden was donning a rainbow jersey, Tayte Ryan was over in Trinidad having his own winning party, picking up three gold medals from three sprint events.

The 17-year-old from Adelaide is thriving in his first overseas racing experience and enters Cali full to the brim with confidence.

"Commonwealth Youth Games was an excellent lead up to worlds, we got to get comfortable with the team, and become acquainted to racing overseas and adjusting to new weather and the new track," Ryan said.

“The team is very eager to get stuck into some racing and I can't wait to race."

Women's sprinter Liliya Tatarinoff showed she was on form at the Commonwealth Youth Games, picking up a 500m time trial gold medal and two bronzes in the sprint and keirin.

The men's endurance squad is equally exciting, comprising Commonwealth Youth Games scratch race gold medallist Sam McKee and double bronze medallist in the points race and individual pursuit, Noah Blannin.

Blannin is the only member of the squad to have competed at the 2022 Junior Track Worlds in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Talented first-year U19 rider Wil Holmes completes the men's endurance trio.

Holmes delivered an impressive ARA Australian Cycling Team junior debut in Glasgow and finished with two top-20 performances in the time trial and road race.

"It will be really good to test what I have learnt after spending a total of three months racing overseas on the road this year," Holmes said.

"Of course, road and track are not the same but the main principles that I have learnt from the massive bunches on the road should help me to position myself well throughout the track racing.

"I think I have really good base fitness behind me from the solid year of racing, which I'm in the last week of here in Cali. I've just been focusing on short explosive efforts to get ready for the fast-paced racing style of the track."

"The velodrome here in Cali is really fast because the temperatures and barometric pressure make the track super quick. But the track not having any walls around it allows the wind to push through the velodrome.

"We have found over the last week that in the afternoon the wind picks up a lot and has always delivered a headwind on the back straight. So with all the finals being in the afternoon and evening - it will sure make it interesting."

ARA Australian Cycling Team for 2023 UCI Junior Track World Championships

Women Sprint

• Liliya Tatarinoff (Central Coast CC, NSW)

Men Sprint

• Tayte Ryan (Port Adelaide CC, SA)

Women Endurance

• Lauren Bates (Canberra CC, ACT)
• Sally Carter (X-Speed Australia CC, WA)
• Nicole Duncan (Central Coast CC, NSW)
• Felicity Wilson-Haffenden (Hobart Wheelers Dirt Devils, TAS)
• Keira Will (Lidcombe Auburn CC, NSW)

Men Endurance

• Noah Blannin (Gold Coast CC, QLD)
• Sam McKee (Launceston City CC, TAS)
• Wil Holmes (Norwood CC, SA)

Feature image: Mat Gilfedder