GOLDEN MILE
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Olympian Sam Welsford became the first rider since Stephen Pate in 1996 and 1997 to win back-to-back Golden Mile Wheelrace finals.
Welsford scored a brilliant win in Sunday night’s final in a star-studded event.
Welsford and fellow backmarkers Nick Yollouris and Cam Meyer were the benficiaries of some brilliant lead-out work from Kelland O’Brien.
The backmarkers caught the frontmarkers with one lap remaining and it came down to a sprint finish.
Yallouris led Welsford with 50m to go, but the latter pipped the New South Wales star in the shadows of the post. Meyer finished third.
“I’m honoured to go back-to-back in this race,’’ Welsford said.
“It’s a special race for me.
“Kell (O’Brien) put in a ripper turn which was vital for us at the end.”
Welsford won a silver medal in Rio in the team pursuit and hopes to go one better at the world titles next month.
“I’m holding my form okay at the moment...hopefully it stays that way for Hong Kong next month.”
KEIRIN
Nick Yallouris showed his sprinting class with a strong win in the invitation keirin final.
The New South Welshman trailed Cameron Scott entering the home straight, but he powered home to win comfortably from Scott and young gun Godfrey Slattery.
Bendigo’s Isaac Buckell narrowly missed out on making the final after finishing fifth in his heat.
Yallouris is a proven performer at the Tom Flood Sports Centre track, having won the 2015 Golden Mile Wheelrace.
