Cycling Australia

2007 Australian Cyclist of the Year - Cadel Evans

Friday, 14 November 2008

Cycling Australia is pleased to announce the finalists in the 2008 Cyclist of the Year Awards.

The Awards will be presented at a gala celebration being staged at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne Hotel on Sunday 23 November. The 2008 Cyclist of the Year Awards will culminate with the presentation of the Sir Hubert 'Oppy' Opperman Medal and Trophy to the 2008 Australian Cyclist of the Year.

"I congratulate all the nominees who have been and will continue to be outstanding ambassadors for cycling and for Australia," said Mike Victor OAM, President of Cycling Australia. "We have a wealth of talent in our sport from masters to juniors and across all the disciplines and we continue to rank amongst the world's top nations in the sport.

"I look forward to enjoying a night of celebration to mark the great achievements of our cyclists in 2008."

The complete list of finalists in the respective Award categories are listed below. For more detailed infomation on each of the finalists please go to the Cycling Australia website.

Awards will also be presented in the following categories:

• Australian Sports Commission Volunteers of the Year
• Cycling Australia Event Merit Award
• Tripleplay National Road Series Champions (men's and women's)
• SBS Television National Road Teams Series Champion
• Australian Club Premiership
• Norm Gailey Trophy for Champion State

Finalists in the 2008 Cyclist of the Year Awards

Toshiba Elite Track Cyclist of the Year - Male

• Leigh Howard (VIC)
  Howard has posted numerous impressive results in 2008 including a silver medal in the Omnium at the World Championships. He also collected Australian titles in the Madison, scratch race and team pursuit.
• Mark Jamieson (TAS)
  Jamieson claimed the gold medal in the individual pursuit at the Australian Championships and in the team pursuit on the world stage collected gold at the Oceania Championships and bronze at the World Championships. He was a member of the team that placed fourth in the pursuit at the Olympic Games in Beijing.
• Cameron Meyer (WA)
  Meyer collected gold medals in the points race at the Oceania Championships and the Los Angeles World Cup. At the World Championships he was fourth in the event and in his Olympic debut out rode a host of more experienced campaigners to finish just out of the medals in fourth place. He finished the season at number one on the world points race rankings.

Toshiba Elite Track Cyclist of the Year - Female

• Belinda Goss (TAS)
  The 2008 Australian Champion in the points race headed to the World Championships to contest the scratch race where her savvy style saw her secure the bronze medal.
• Katie Mactier (VIC)
  Mactier won a bronze medal in the individual pursuit at the World Championships in Manchester and represented Australia in the same event at the Olympic Games where she finished seventh.
• Anna Meares OAM (QLD)
  Meares' season began well with victory in the sprint at the Oceania Championships but in January she suffered major injuries in a crash at the Los Angeles World Cup. She fought back from a broken neck to secure a start in the Beijing and an Olympic Games silver medal in the sprint.

Elite Road Cyclist of the Year - Male

• Cadel Evans (VIC)
  The peak of Evans' 2008 saw him on the podium for the second year running when he finished second overall in the Tour de France during which he wore the leader's yellow jersey for five days. Despite a knee injury he lined up in Beijing to finish fifth in the time trial and 15th in the road race at the Olympic Games.
• Simon Gerrans (VIC)
  Gerrans this year became the first Australian to win a mountain stage of the Tour de France when he sprinted clear to win Stage 15 into Prata Nevoso. During the year he also claimed a stage and the mountain jersey in the Criterium Internationale in France and a stage of Route du Sud.
• Robbie McEwen (QLD)
  A perennial performer McEwen collected five major victories in 2008 including two stages of the Tour of Switzerland and a stage of the Tour of Romandie. He also won Paris-Bruxelles for the fifth time and led an Australian clean sweep of the podium in the Vatenfall Cyclassics ProTour event in Germany.

Elite Road Cyclist of the Year - Female

• Rochelle Gilmore (NSW)
  Gilmore took home the gold medal in the road race at the Oceania Championships and was on the podium in numerous UCI road events during the season. She represented Australia at the World Championships.
• Vicki Whitelaw (ACT)
  Whitelaw posted two significant wins in Europe in 2008 with victory in the time trial stage of the women's Tour of Italy and a stage win in the Tour de l'Aude in France. At the World Championships she placed 16th in the road time trial.
• Oenone Wood (ACT)
  Wood kicked off her final year of international competition with a win in the road race at the Australian Open Road Championships and in the early season also had wins in the Geelong Tour and the Tour of New Zealand where she finished second overall. Wood represented Australia at the Olympic Games and was a major player in Team Columbia which ended the year as the world's top ranked women's professional team.

Elite Mountainbike Cyclist of the Year - Male

• Jared Graves (QLD)
  Graves might have had his eye on BMX in Beijing but that didn't stop him from collecting wins in the four cross in two rounds of the MTB World Cup Series and fourth place at the MTB World Championships.
• Sam Hill (WA)
  Hill ended the season ranked number three in the world. He won the downhill in two round of the World Cup Series in which he finished second overall and claimed a bronze medal at the World Championships.
• Nathan Rennie (QLD)
  Rennie claimed the Australian Downhill crown in Canberra and when the World Cup headed to the same venue in August he snatched a silver medal on the Mount Stromlo course. He ended the season ranked eighth in the world.

Elite Mountainbike Cyclist of the Year - Female

• Caroline Buchanan (ACT)
  Buchanan lined up in the elite four cross competition and performed so well she ended the season ranked sixth in the world. She was fifth in the World Championships and on home turf in Canberra collected gold in the World Cup. She is also the Australian Elite 4X Champion.
• Dellys Starr (VIC)
  Starr collected gold medals in both the Oceania and Australian Championships in the cross country competition. In Europe she won overall honours in the MTB Tour de France 'Hexagonal. She also represented Australia at the Olympic Games in Beijing.

Elite BMX Cyclist of the Year - Male

• Jared Graves (QLD)
  Graves was a consistent performer at international level in BMX in 2008. He claimed the Australian Championship and was seventh in the World Championships. He picked up a silver medal in the Copenhagen round of the Supercross World Cup Series and finished the season ranked second in the world. At the Olympic Games in Beijing he was unlucky to be caught up in a crash in the final and finished sixth.
• Kamakazi (QLD)
  The flamboyant showman notched up a podium place in the Supercross World Cup Series when he finished third in the Adelaide round. At the World Championships he qualified for the semi finals and was a semi-finalist at the Olympic Games in Beijing.
• Luke Madill (NSW)
  Madill ranked sixth in the world at the end of the BMX season and was a semi-finalist at the World Championships, silver medallist at the Australian Championships and placed sixth in the Adelaide round of the Supercross World Cup Series. He also represented Australia at the Olympic Games.

Elite BMX Cyclist of the Year - Female

• Tanya Bailey (WA)
  Bailey was a semi finalist at the Olympic Games in Beijing and at the World Championships. She placed fourth in the Adelaide round of the Supercross Series and was the silver medallist at the Australian Championships.
• Nicole Callisto (WA)
  Her Olympic debut saw her win through to the BMX final where a crash brought her campaign undone and she finished the event in sixth place. At the Adelaide Supercross event she placed seventh.
• Melissa Mankowski (NSW)
  Mankowski won the gold medal at the Australian Championships and had her sights set on the Olympic Games before a knee injury derailed her campaign.

Para-cyclist of the Year - Male

• Michael Gallagher (VIC)
  Gallagher collected four gold medals from four starts at the Australian Championships winning the pursuit, kilometre time trial, road race and road time trial for the LC1 Men's division. At the Paralympics in Beijing the Victorian won the individual pursuit and was fourth in the team sprint on the track and on the road collected bronze in the 72km road race.
• Kieran Modra OAM & pilot Tyson Lawrence (SA)
  Tandem duo Modra and Lawrence powered to a world record to win gold in the tandem pursuit and took home bronze in the kilometre time trial at the Paralympic Games.
• Chris Scott OAM (QLD)
  Scott lined up in his fifth Paralympic Games in Beijing and made sure he added to his already impressive medal collection. At the Laoshan Velodrome he won gold in the CP4 3km individual pursuit and bronze in the kilometre time trial whilst out on the road he completed the full medal set with silver in the 25km road time trial.

Para-cyclist of the Year - Female

• Lindy Hou OAM & pilot Toireasa Gallagher (NSW)
  Hou and Gallagher won two gold medals and a silver in Australian Championships competition before they headed to Beijing where they scored silver in the tandem pursuit and bronze in the kilometre time trial on the velodrome. On the road they placed fourth in both the road race and road time trial.
• Felicity Johnson & pilot Katie Parker (SA)
  Johnson and Parker claimed the gold medal in the tandem kilometre time trial at the Australian Championships and qualified for selection in the Australian team for the Beijing Paralympic Games. In China they collected silver in the time trial on the track.
• Jayme Paris (NSW)
  Paris made her Paralympic debut in 2008 setting a world record for the CP3 women's 500m time trial. Racing in the combined event she was awarded the bronze medal for her performance and in the combined pursuit event placed fourth. At the Australian Championships she collected the gold medal in both the pursuit and the 500m.

Masters Cyclist of the Year - Male

• Ron Boyle (QLD)
  Boyle claimed two rainbow jerseys at the Masters Track Cycling World Championships with wins in the Masters 7 sprint and 500m time trial. He also won gold in the 135 years and over team sprint and was named Champion of Champions for the 60-64 year division. At the Australian Championships he won three gold medals.
• Peter Coulson (VIC)
  Coulson's medal cabinet was bolstered with two gold (pursuit and points race) and one silver medal (scratch race) in Masters 2 competition at the Masters Track Cycling World Championships where he was also named Champion of Champions for 35-39 Division. At national level he claimed two road and two track titles.
• Keith Oliver (NSW)
  Oliver mined a lot of metal at the Masters Track Cycling World Championships collecting three gold medals in Masters 8 competition through wins in the scratch race, points race and pursuit. He also picked up silver medals in the 500m time trial and the sprint to secure the Champion of Champions crown for the 65-69 division. This season also saw him claim six Australian titles, three on the road and three on the track.

Masters Cyclist of the Year - Female

• Michelle Crawford (NSW)
  Crawford dominated the endurance events for the Masters 2 division at the Masters Track Cycling World Championships to score gold in the pursuit, scratch race and points race. In the sprint events she backed up to claim silver in both the sprint and the 500m time trial. She was named the Champion of Champions for 35-39 Division. She also won two gold medals at the Australian Championships.
• Elizabeth Randall (VIC)
  Randall won two gold medals at the Masters World Championships in the Masters 7 division with wins in the 500m time trial and the scratch race (60-64 years). She was just as successful on the road collecting two gold medals at the Masters Road World Championships. Her results at the Australian Titles saw her collect a gold and two silver medals on the road and two bronze medals on the track.
• Janelle Smith (TAS)
  Smith won gold in the 500m time trial and the sprint in the Masters 2 (35 - 39 years) competition at the World Championships as well as silver in both the pursuit and points race. She also claimed a silver medal on the track at the Australian Championships.

cyclingnews.com Junior Cyclist of the Year - Male Track

• Luke Davison (NSW)
  Davison collected a swag of gold at the World Championships with victory in the Madison, omnium and team pursuit. He is also the reigning U19 Australian Champion in both the Madison and omnium events.
• Rohan Dennis (SA)
  Dennis is the U19 Australian Champion for the points race and the pursuit and at the World Championships this year won gold in the team pursuit and silver in the individual pursuit.
• Tom Palmer (ACT)
  Palmer was a member of the victorious Australian U19 pursuit team at the Junior World Championships and teamed with Luke Davison for a second gold in the Madison. He also claimed silver in the kilometre time trial.

cyclingnews.com Junior Cyclist of the Year - Female Track

• Ashlee Ankudinoff (NSW)
  Sydney's Ankudinoff was the silver medallist in the U19 individual pursuit at the Australian Championships but when she lined up in Cape Town for a shot at the World Title she turned the tables on her team mate Sarah Kent to win the rainbow jersey. She claimed a second gold when she teamed with Kent and Megan Dunn for the women's team pursuit.
• Megan Dunn (NSW)
  Dunn was unstoppable in South Africa at the Junior World Championships storming home for three wins in the points race, scratch race and in the team pursuit. She is also the reigning U19 Australian Champion in the points race.
• Sarah Kent (WA)
  Kent won the U19 individual pursuit at the Australian Championships in February and at the World Championships collected silver for the second year in a row. She then added a gold to her collection with victory in the team pursuit alongside Megan Dunn and Ashlee Ankudinoff.

cyclingnews.com Junior Cyclist of the Year - Male Road

• Luke Durbridge (WA)
  Durbridge was crowned U19 Australian Champion in the road race and claimed the bronze medal in the road time trial.
• Michael Freiburg (WA)
  Freiburg impressed both at home and abroad in 2008 winning the U19 road time trial at the Australian Championships to earn a start in the event at the Junior World Championships in South Africa. He finished 18th. He also clinched second place in both the prologue and time trial stage of the Brescia JM19 Tour in Italy.
• Michael Matthews (ACT)
  Matthews won both the prologue and time trial stage of the JM19 Brescia Tour in Italy and in the road stages was on the podium twice with a second and a third placing. He was on track to win the race overall but was with a leading group that was directed the wrong way on the mountain stage. In the General Patton Tour de Nations in Luxembourg Matthew finished second overall and won the first stage of the race. At the World Championships he finished seventh in the road race.

cyclingnews.com Junior Cyclist of the Year - Female Road

• Chloe Hosking (ACT)
  Hosking is only a junior but against elite competition in the Canberra Tour won three of the four stages on offer. She was fourth in the road race and sixth in the time trial at the Junior Australian Road Championships and represented Australian in the road race at the Junior World Championships.
• Lauren Kitchen (NSW)
  Kitchen's most impressive performance in 2008 was her stunning ride in the road race at the Junior World Championships where she attacked repeatedly and succeeded in breaking away with one other rider in the last lap only to be caught one kilometre from the finish line. Kitchen is the reigning U19 Australian Road Champion and, in an elite level field, won a stage of the Jayco Bay Series,
• Sophie Ootes (SA)
  Ootes is the U19 Australian Time Trial Champion and was only seven seconds off a bronze medal in the event at the Junior World Championships in South Africa where she finished in fifth place.

cyclingnews.com Junior Cyclist of the Year - Male MTB

• Shaun O’Connor (NSW)
  O'Connor was Australia's best performed rider in the junior downhill at the World Championships finishing in eighth place. He was the silver medallist in the junior four cross at the Australian Championships.
• Rhys Willemse (QLD)
  Willemse won the gold medal in the junior four cross at the Australian Championships and in the downhill at the World Titles finished in ninth place.
• Sam Willoughby (SA)
  In the elite level four cross at the Canberra round of the World Cup Series, 17 year old Willoughby, rode off with the silver medal in his first World Cup race.

cyclingnews.com Junior Cyclist of the Year - Female MTB

• Caroline Buchanan (ACT)
  Buchanan put her stamp on both elite and junior competition this season. She claimed fifth place in the elite downhill at the World Championships and won the Australian downhill junior crown. As a junior in elite competition she collected gold in the World Cup round in Canberra. She is also the Australian Elite 4X Champion.
• Rebecca Henderson (ACT)
  Henderson is the reigning Australian junior cross country champion and at the World Championships finished in 22nd place.

cyclingnews.com Junior Cyclist of the Year - Male BMX

• Josh Callan (VIC)
  Callan rode home in fifth place at the Junior World Championships whilst back in Australia he finished the 2008 season ranked second in the BMXA Probikx Series.
• Stevie Janssen (QLD)
  Janssen claimed the silver medal in the junior division at the Australian Championships and was ranked number three on the BMXA Probikx Series for 2008.
• Sam Willoughby (SA)
  Willoughby has an impressive year including being crowned Junior World Champion. He also won the Australian Title and the Probikx Series overall. In the elite level Supercross round in Denmark he placed ninth.

cyclingnews.com Junior Cyclist of the Year - Female BMX

• Rachel Bracken (QLD)
  Bracken collected a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships and back on home soil was the silver medallist at the Australian Championships.
• Caroline Buchanan (ACT)
  Buchanan took home the bronze medal from the Australian Championships and in the Supercross round in Adelaide finished 13th in an elite level field.
• Lauren Reynolds (WA)
  As the reigning Junior Australian Champion Reynolds set her sights on the World Championships and didn't disappoint coming home with silver medal. Riding in the Adelaide Supercross round she finished 11th.

SBS Television Coach of the Year

• Darryl Benson
  Benson heads a program of excellence in West Australia that continues to nurture talented young cyclists. Riders from 'the west' were represented in significant numbers on the podium at Australian Championships and were selected in Australian teams at both junior and elite level.
• Brian Stephens
  Under his guidance Stephens the SouthAustralia.com-AIS U23 team achieved major wins in the Tours of Japan, Berlin and Wellington along with a host of stage wins and podium places. He also coached Cameron Meyer to a bronze medal in the time trial at the road cycling World Championships. His work with Australia's developing talent saw three of his riders secure professional contracts for 2009.
• Garry Sutton OAM
  Sutton's role in 2008 as National Junior Director saw him lead the most successful Junior World Championships campaign in Australian history. Working with Australia's emerging talent and their home state coaches, Sutton moulded a group of teenagers into a team of champions that secured seven gold, five silver and three bronze medals in South Africa.

Scody 2008 People's Choice Cyclist of the Year

The finalists nominated by popular vote are:

• Cadel Evans
• Simon Gerrans
• Anna Meares
• Stuart O'Grady

Keith Esson Regional Media Award

• Ballarat Courier
• Barossa & Light Herald
• Sooty Park - Channel 31

Cycling Australia Media Awards - Best Photo

• Simon Hayes - Bicycling Australia
• Sarah Reed - Adelaide Advertiser
• John Veage - Fairfax Media

Cycling Australia Media Awards - Best Story

• Mark Falahey - SBS Television
• Mark Heintz - Ride Cycling Review
• Amanda Lulham - Daily Telegraph

 

 

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