02.23.10 - Canadian Track Team Announcement for Worlds

February 23, 2010 – The UCI has announced the qualification quotas for the upcoming World Track Championships in Copenhagen March 24-28, 2010. Canada started the international season with a successful Panamerican Championships, setting 1 Pan Am record, 5 Canadian Records, and winning 7 medals. Small teams were sent to the first two World Cups where newcomers to the Elite International scene gained valuable experience. Full teams competed in the last two World Cups where Canadian continued to set Canadian records and personal bests in every event they entered and came home with 6 medals. The success of the riders has earned the team starts in 11 events.

Team veteran and Olympian Zach Bell will be competing in the Points Race and Scratch Race. He won gold medals in both of these events at the World Cup in Beijing and is currently ranked second in the World in the points race. At the 2009 World Championships Bell gained a wild card entry in to the omnium, a new Olympic event, and came home with the silver medal. He finds himself in the same position going in to Copenhagen and does not currently have a start position.

Travis Smith, who is also a veteran of the National Team Program, will be competing in the Sprint and Keirin. He has had his strongest season so far since crashing and breaking his hip in 2007 and is pleased with how his training is going heading in to Worlds.

Smith will be joined by Stephane Cossette and Joseph Veloce for the Team Sprint. The team started their partnership with a bang by posting the third fastest time in qualifying at the third World Cup in Cali where they finished 4th. All three members are training in LA before leaving for Worlds where they hope put together a fast and technical perfect performance and improve on their 8th place World ranking.

Monique Sullivan will represent Canada in the 500 meter time trial and the Keirin. She has placed in the top 10 in both events in World Cups and is looking to do the same in Copenhagen.

Tara Whitten, World Silver medalist in the Omnium last year is looking to take one more step on the podium this year. She will compete in the Individual Pursuit and Points Race, events that she is currently ranked 3rd and 4th in the World respectively. Laura Brown, Steph Roorda, and reserve rider Julia Bradley will join Whitten in the Team Pursuit. This team has set a new Canadian record 3 of the 4 times they have raced internationally and placed on the podium each time winning a gold and bronze medal. Currently ranked 3rd in the World, these determined women have their sites set high for the World Championships.

Most of the team have set up a home base in LA over the winter months and will head to the Netherlands for a training camp before arriving in Copenhagen on March 20th. Fans are encouraged to cheer on the team via the wall on facebook (Canadian Track Cycling).