Despite safety induced handlebar switches more Australian gold arrives at Birmingham velodrome
Australia’s governing body for bicycles, AusCycling, was forced to remove the handlebars from its track bike used in the 1,000m time test at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games because it was unsafe to use.
Key points:
- AusCycling released a statement at the same time that the competition started at the Commonwealth Games
- Matt Glaetzer won gold, Thomas Cornish silver and Matthew Richardson was fourth despite theoretically driving a slower set up
- AusCycling came under fire at the Tokyo Olympics when the handlebar set failed during the race
That didn’t stop the trio of Australians as Matt Glaetzer took a stunning gold medal, beating fellow Aussie Tom Cornish by more than half a second to silver.
It was Glaezer’s fifth Commonwealth Games gold.
Matt Richardson was fourth behind bronze medalist Nicholas Paul of Trinidad and Tobago.
The Aussies’ performance is even more remarkable considering the fact that all three ride a theoretically slower setup than their competitors.
In a statement released just hours before the event was due to start, AusCycling said the pursuit bar used in Monday’s 1,000m time trial “could not be used safely” and that the safety bar would be used instead.
The statement reads that the drop bar will be “slightly slower” but will “tolerate the load generated during the competition”.
“We recognize that this decision has created a level of disappointment,” said Jesse Korf, performance manager at AusCycling.
“But the drivers and the wider team understand that safety is our top priority.”
The drop bars are the same configuration that riders use in power-based sprint events and are positioned on either side and slightly below the handlebars.
Riders are not in the aerodynamic position they would be in the pursuit bar.
The pursuit bar is positioned in the center and allows the rider to sit with arms outstretched in front of them, as is the case in endurance events on the track.
AusCycling came under fire at the postponed 2020 Olympics in Tokyo when Alex Porter’s handlebars failed spectacularly in qualifying for the team chase.
Porter was driving at 65 kilometers per hour when his handlebar failed fatally, he later suffered painful facial injuries after crashing face-first into the track.
An AusCycling report issued after the Tokyo Olympics found that inadequate governance was partly to blame for the failure, with the custom-built pursuit handlebars not adequately tested prior to use.
Porter went on to win a bronze medal at the event alongside Kelland O’Brien, Sam Welsford and Leigh Howard after the team was given a second chance to qualify.
“We have made significant changes to procedures, team structure and processes since the Tokyo Olympics and this decision reflects a new and holistic approach to long-term technical excellence, competitive success and athlete well-being,” said Korf.
Questions will be asked about the timing of the announcement, which was made at the same time the day’s session began at Lee Valley VeloPark in London.
AusCycling said the timing of the decision was the result of thorough testing of the equipment and investigating possible alternatives.
Cycling events at the Lee Valley velodrome have been marred by a series of dramatic accidents.
England’s Matt Walls was thrown into the crowd after a horrific crash in qualifying for the men’s scratch race.
The day before, Glaetzer had avoided the same brutal collision at Keirin that had left his British opponent, Joe Truman, sliding face down along the track, unconscious.
The 1,000 meter time trial is a non-Olympic event, but will be contested at the World Championships in France later this year.
AusCycling said it would work closely with Argon 18, which makes the equipment, to ensure there were no problems.
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