The New Zealand men’s team sprint trio will have their final outing in the rainbow jerseys of 2016 world champions in the UCI World Cup in Los Angeles later this month.
Ethan Mitchell, Sam Webster and Eddie Dawkins have been named in an 11-strong team to tackle the final World Cup which will lead in to April’s World Championships in Hong Kong.
The trio were in strong form at the recent national championships with coach Anthony Peden pleased with their training levels and preparedness ahead of the world championships.
Three of the Rio Olympic women’s endurance team - Jaime Nielsen, Rushlee Buchanan and Racquel Sheath - will compete in Los Angeles - while track rider of the year, Lauren Ellis leads a young combination for next week’s World Cup in Cali. Otago’s Alysha Keith and Manawatu’s Michaela Drummond will also compete in Los Angeles.
Olympian Natasha Hansen makes her international return in the women’s sprint events.
With no men’s team pursuit on the programme, rising young guns Campbell Stewart (Manawatu) and Tom Sexton (Southland) will divert from Cali to compete in the Madison and scratch races in Los Angeles.
The team for the UCI World Cup in Los Angeles:
Sprint:
Women: Natasha Hansen. Men: Ethan Mitchell, Sam Webster, Eddie Dawkins.
Endurance:
Women: Jaime Nielsen, Rushlee Buchanan, Michaela Drummond, Racquel Sheath, Alysha Keith. Men: Campbell Stewart, Tom Sexton
CAPTION: The world champion New Zealand team sprinters (from left Ethan Mitchell, Eddie Dawkins and Sam Webster).
Photo courtesy Guy Swarbrick