A bronze medal to cyclist Callum Scotson has ensured Australia's depleted world championship team won't go home empty-handed. Cycling Australia sent just four riders to Apeldoorn as it focuses its resources on April's Commonwealth Games.
Finishing third to Belorussian Yauheni Karaliok in the 10km men's scratch race in the Netherlands early this morning, the 22-year-old Scotson added to his team pursuit gold and madison silver medals he's won in the past two years.
“Feels really great (to win bronze), coming here it has been the Madison we have been focusing on,” Scotson said.
“Cam (Meyer) and I want to try and improve on silver in 2017, so for me to come here in this event, after a good ride in the scratch at the World Cup earlier in the season, I am pretty stoked to find myself on the podium.”
Scotson led an attack halfway through the 60-lap race with Scartezzini and Karaliok, the trio taking a lap, ten laps later. This meant the podium was all but decided with ten laps to go but Karaliok had the legs to best his breakaway companions.
“It was certainly hard one tactically and physically,” said Scotson. “It was certainly hard just getting there (the lap), I had good legs in the breakaway and we worked hard to get to the back of the bunch. But the winner played it right, I got stuck and bit back towards the final run and caught a bit wide."
Australian Stephanie Morton did enough in her quarter finals to qualify for tomorrow's semis where she will face Hong Kong's Wai Sze Lee. Enough being a fast qualifying time of 10.645 seconds and then a quick and easy match up against Ukranian Liubov Basova.
Meanwhile Matthew Glaetzer raced for seventh in the men's keirin ultimately won by Colombian Fabian Puertas. The South Australian stormed through the first round with a victory but was pushed into fourth place in the second and out of the final.
Un día lo soñé 🌈 y hoy campeón del mundo por fin 👊🏻 pic.twitter.com/LQvC08T9dA — Fabián Puerta (@FabianPuerta141) March 1, 2018
Great Britain continued its men's team pursuit dominance finishing in three minutes 53.389 seconds to Denmark's three minutes, 55.232 seconds in the final. Interestingly enough, bronze medallists Italy finished faster than the Danes with three minutes 54.606 seconds.
The USA also retains its dominance in the women's team pursuit, besting Great Britain with four minutes, 15.669 seconds. (Great Britain four minutes, 16.980 seconds).
