London 2012 Stars To Hit The Track In Melbourne Next Week

Reigning world and Australian champion Glenn O?Shea and London Olympic Games bronze medalist Annette Edmondson will headline a quality field at the 2013 Cycling Australia Omnium Championships to be held in Melbourne, December 13-14.   The 2013 Cycling Australia Para-cycling Championships will also be contested over the two days of competition at the Darebin International Sports Centre, with 2012 London Paralympic champions medalists Michael Gallagher and Susan Powell to feature.   South Australia?s O?Shea has enjoyed tremendous success in the omnium over the past twelve months, with the twenty-three-year-old claiming the national title at DISC last December, before a memorable victory at the UCI World Championships in Melbourne in April.?   The former Victorian then claimed the teams pursuit silver medal and fifth in the omnium on his Olympic debut in London.? Most recently, he took the silver medal in the second leg of the 2012/13 UCI Track World Cup Classics in Glasgow.   ?I have just returned home and started training straight away so I am hoping for a big result,? said O?Shea, who is fresh from victory in the Ghent Six Day track classic.   ?My goal is to win and my strength is that I am consistent over the whole six events, but Luke Davison just won at the Oceania Championships, so he will definitely be one of my major competitors,? he added.   O?Shea forms a trio of South Australian favourites with fellow Olympian Alexander Edmondson and last week?s Oceania omnium champion Luke Davison (SA).?   Australia?s 2012 junior world champion team pursuit quartet of Jack Cummings (Victoria) Alex Morgan (Victoria), Tirian McManus (New South Wales) and Miles Scotson (South Australia) will look to challenge the three favourites.?   In the women?s field, South Australia?s Edmondson will be looking to continue her blistering form which saw her claim the Oceania title last week with a clean sweep of all six events.?   Earlier in 2012, Edmondson claimed the silver medal behind Great Britain?s Laura Trott at the 2012 World Championships, before claiming the bronze medal in her Olympic debut.   ?The Oceania Championships were going to be an interesting competition considering how much time off I had after the Olympics,? said Edmondson, who will celebrate her twenty first birthday on the eve of the Championships.   ?I honestly didn?t know where my fitness would be but it is so satisfying to come away with a gold from Oceania?s leading into the Nationals and hopefully I can perform well which will set me up for the next couple of months.   ?I know this is going to be a big season for me because we have some really high level competition in Australia and I feel I need to perform my best at every opportunity I can,? added Edmondson. Edmondson will likely be challenged by fellow Olympian Amy Cure (TAS) and dual 2012 junior world champion Georgia Baker (TAS), with West Australia?s Isabella King and Canberra?s Rebecca Wiasak also expected to continue their recent good form.   In the Para-cycling Championships, Victoria?s Gallagher, the 2012 London Paralympic individual pursuit gold medalist, will be joined in men?s events by fellow Paralympians Bryce Lindores (QLD) and David Nicholas (QLD).   Canberra?s individual pursuit Paralympic champion Susan Powell will headline a quality women?s Para-cycling field which will feature no less than four Paralympians in Powell, Jayme Richardson (NSW), Simone Kennedy (NSW) and Alexandra Green (NSW).?   The 2013 Cycling Australia Omnium and Para-cycling Championships will be held at the Darebin International Sports Centre (DISC) in Thornbury, Melbourne, on Thursday 13 and Friday 14 December.   Omnium championships will be held in the elite and under 19 categories, with Para-cycling titles to be decided in the pursuit and time trials.   It is free entry into the day sessions, with evening sessions (Adult $10.00, Concession/Child U13 $5.00) with tickets available at the gate upon entry into the velodrome or by calling the Cycling Victoria offices on 03 8480 3000.   On Saturday December 15, the 2013 Cycling Australia Madison National Championships will be held at DISC as part of the Melbourne Cup on Wheels Carnival.