ICC reaps gold at the 2021 NSW Masters Track Championships
Combined forces of Gary Mandy, Shane Dirks, James Robinson, Daniel Swanbury and Deborah Coulls collected 12 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze medals over the past few weekends. Gary Mandy was also awarded 2020 MMAS7 NSW Cyclist of the Year.
The men won the ICC’s first silver medal at the Team Sprint Championships on 19 Feb. Led out by Swanbury, the team qualified 2nd to Randwick Botany in 50.572, only 1.4 seconds off the pace. Robinson led out the final enabling the team to shave a further second from their time in what became a very close and exciting race.
Last weekend, Dirks surprised everyone (including himself) by riding the fastest MMAS3 3000m IP in a QF time of 3:37.420. Later he was proclaimed the fastest man of the championships after riding a blistering 200m sprint QF time of 10.828. Dirks went on to win 4 gold medals, catching his opponent within 2 laps in the IP final, riding the best time of all age categories for the 750m TT (49.935), winning the MMAS3 sprint and placing first in his age category in the MMAS1-3 scratch race.
Mandy claimed the 3rd fastest 2000m IP time for all age categories, 2:25.196 lapping his MMAS7 opponent twice in the QF and catching him in 1.5 laps in the gold final. Mandy won the MMAS7 500m TT in 34.890 (3rd fastest of all age categories), won his scratch race and earned a silver medal in the MMAS6-7 sprint after some highly tactical and close run final heats.
Coulls WMAS6, was dubbed the ‘tactician’ in the combined WMAS5+ scratch race and won this race and the WMAS5+ points races outright. She earned her third gold medal for the WMAS5 2000m IP and bronze in her age category in the TT and in the sprint.
Swanbury proved he is a man to watch after collecting two gold and two silver MMAS1 age category medals in his first ever track cycling championships, He won gold in the 3000m IP final in a quick time of 3:49.720, gold in the 1000m TT and silver in the sprint and scratch race.
Robinson rode the 3rd fastest MMAS4 200m QF time of 12.121 but finished just outside of the medals in 4th place. He came 5th in the 750m TT with a very respectable time of 54.743 in a highly contested age group.
All five riders have now set their sights on representing the ICC at the Masters National Track Cycling Championships in Brisbane.
Deb Coulls
