In action: Bendigo cyclists Brendan Shultz and Todd Schintler (on left) pushing forward to take over Mark Flood and Mark Jamieson at the 2013 State Madison Championships at the Marty Busch Reserve velodrome yesterday. Pictures: Lachlan Bence
BENDIGO track cycling team Todd Schintler and Brendan Schultz are the 2013 State Madison Champions.
The pair won the Victorian event, hosted by the Ballarat Sebastopol Cycling Club, lasting 100 laps of the velodrome convincingly at Marty Busch Reserve in Sebastopol yesterday.
The race had a close start with teams Mark Flood and Mark Jamieson as well as father-and-son team Zac Shaw and Cameron Shaw getting off to a strong start.
Todd Schintler pushed to the lead on the straight shortly though with 84 laps to go.
Ballarat’s one representative, 16-year-old Joshua Liston racing with Hawthorn cyclist Stuart Vaughn, was left early in the race, and dropped a lap to the leaders with 70 laps to go.
Schintler and Schultz were given a lap yet continued to withhold their fast pace with other teams fighting to try and make a move.
The pair weren’t aiming to extend their lead though, and just controlled the field so no other team could gain a lap on them.
They were quick to jump on anyone’s wheels if they started to attack.
In the final 20 laps, the Bendigo team were comfortable and had little reason for concern that another team would grab the gold medals.
The Shaw team made a late attack but the top teams had too much ground in front of them.
Schintler, 21, said although they had competed in Madison events before they had never performed well.
Schultz, 26, said he did not feel good going into the day after being worn out from competing in Ararat the day before.
“The quality of the field wasn’t too strong – so we thought this could be our year,” he said.
Both cyclists saw the race as good preparation for the Bendigo Madison in March.
“There is no better training than actually competing,” Schultz said.
“So for us this is the perfect lead up to the race – now we just have to keep racing and keep our fitness and health up.”
Ballarat’s Liston said although the race was a challenge, it was an eye-opener to race such tough competition at state level.
“We got caught out at the back from the beginning, and it was too hard to get back up from there,” he said.
“I won the under-17 category last year, but it’s great experience to be out there racing with the bigger guys.”
RESULTS: 1: Todd Schintler and Brendal Schultz – 17 points; 2: Mark Flood and Mark Jamieson – 17 points and one lap down; 3: Cameron Parlevliet and Daniel Nelson – 11 points and two laps down; 4: Zac Shaw and Cameron Shaw – four points and two laps down; 5: Callan Douglas and Cam Woolcock – four points and three laps down; 6: Joshua Liston and Stuart Vaughn – one point and three laps down.
nicole.cairns@fairfaxmedia.com.au