Qantas Cup - State of Origin Series

Preview     Event List

Preview: Eleven World Champions Clash

Eleven world champions will clash in three rounds as the Qantas Cup State of Origin Series kicks off this March 21st, 2002, at Launceston's sensational Silverdome.

The riders are vying for selection in the Australian team to compete at the Manchester Commonwealth Games and will use the Qantas Cup series as a major lead up to the National Titles being staged in Sydney in April.

From Launceston the riders will fly to Brisbane to race on the Chandler velodrome, the 1982 Commonwealth Games venue, on Friday, March 22, with the deciding round being staged on the Dunc Gray velodrome, home of the Sydney Olympic Games competition, on Saturday, March 23.

Australia's top cyclists will race head to head in a three hour program of events including sprints, keirins, derbies, scratch races, elimination events and madisons. The series will see defending champions NSW take on Western Australia, Victoria, Queensland, and the Tasmania.

The powerful Victorian team will include world junior champions Mark French and Jason Niblett with two time Olympic silver medallist Michelle Ferris and former World champion Narelle Peterson.

Victoria have also co-opted the support of Sydney's Rod McGee, who in 1995 teamed with his brother Brad (plus Stuart O'Grady and Tim O'Shannessy) to win the teams pursuit world title in Colombia. Rod is making a comeback to top level cycling and wants to join his brother in the pursuit line up in Manchester.

NSW will be keen to retain the title in the series with Ben Kersten, the triple world junior champion teaming up with Australia¹s cycling sensation, Mark Renshaw (also a triple junior world champion) and former world champion Shaun Hopkins. Rochelle Gilmore, fresh from her two silver medals in the recent Women's Road World Cup and Katie Brown complete the defending champions' line up.

Western Australia, winner of the inaugural Qantas Cup series in Launceston in 1998, will be one of the favourites again this year with reigning world keirin champion Ryan Bayley leading the charge. Bayley will reunite with his sister Kristine and the powerful Scott Suckling, a dual national track champion and Peter Dawson, another world champion from the west.

Tasmania will be headed by Darren Young, who displayed sensational form in last year¹s series. Young will be joined by Stephen Rossendell, Belinda Goss, and Louise Yaxley.

Queensland will be headed by Kerrie and Anna Meares, both of whom have worn the crown of junior world champion in the 500 metre time trial.

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