Last hit out for key athletes
The Revolution Track series is about as cool track cycling event as you can get. Thumping tunes, great riders and a packed program gives it a real 'blink and you'll miss it' feel. 'Rev series' as it is known, was a huge success in Melbourne when it premiered last season. That being said, Melbournians will go and watch two flies walking up a wall if you call it sport. But the Rev series certainly delivered. June 12 sees Revolution three hit the boards and being so close to the Beijing Olympics it will no doubt generate plenty of interest.
Two-time Olympic gold medallist Ryan Bayley is getting revved up for Beijing and his Olympic preparations will be under the spotlight when he suits up for Revolution 3 at Vodafone Arena next week. By his own stellar standards, Bayley struggled at this year’s track worlds in Manchester. The super-sprinter didn’t make it through to the medal rounds in his three events – the sprint, keirin and team sprint, however he feels this may work to his advantage in Beijing.
Speaking at the announcement that the UCI Track World Cup is coming to Melbourne, Bayley said he was working on new tactics as he felt he was becoming a little too predictable. "We didn't mean to, but they haven't seen the full potential of myself at the moment, so they don't exactly know what's going to happen when I come out at the Olympics. “I've got a lot of new tactics, I've worked out a lot of things, I'm actually working out better ways to suit my own riding style. Going into it, I will be a very different to what they've seen.
"With the sprint, I have a lot of faith, I think I can go top three - a win is going to go between four of five people, it's going to be very difficult because there are so many people who are at that level now."
Track fans won’t need to wait until the Olympics to witness a withering burst of Bayley in full flight, with the “Farewell to Beijing” themed Revolution 3 at Vodafone Arena on Thursday 12 June set to be a crucial final domestic hit out for our track stars. Highlights will include a crucial pre-Olympic fitness test over a flying 200m sprint for Athens gold medallist Anna Meares. After a horror world cup crash in America in January, Meares must ride faster than 11.77 seconds at Rev 3 otherwise her dream of capturing her second Olympic gold medal will be over.
The Australian team will depart soon after Revolution 3 for their pre-Beijing training camps in Germany and Italy.
