This is the night all track fans wait for, the one that brings fans to their feet, the night when they call
for the blood of victims just like the days of the Roman Emperor Caligula. If they are on the side of he who is
blessed by the Gods they will get there wish,for such is the intensity of the Sprint finals that it can well be likened
to those heady Roman days.
Tonight its down to the big end of business for the gladiators of the track...the mens sprint stars.
With a top line up of four of the very best of our cycling sprint stars looking to take the
coveted crown of sprint king....no-one will get an easy ride into the final. Just like the gladiators
of old this is a cruel and merciless side of cycling where no quarter is given, nor is none expected.
Two riders standout in Sean Eadie and Gary Neiwand up against what can only be seen as two young
upstarts who are inexperienced and ill-equiped to compete against such battle hardened warriors.
Especially the likes of Neiwand who like Spartacus in the roman days despatched many a happless
victim to their death.
Showdown One....Eadie V Selin
Eadie wasn't in the mood to allow Selin any room in the first of their rideoffs coming from behind
on the final turn to easily pass Selin with the line in sight. In the second of the ride-offs Selin
went on the attack jumping Eadie and opening up a good break. On the bell Selin had nothing to lose
and had wound up to a 20mtr lead but when Eadie hit the 200mtr mark the big legs clicked into over-drive
and with a blistering turn of speed reeled Selin in, once again on the bottom turn. Going the long way
round didn't bother the pumped Eadie and in the end it was most probably a good workout for Sean as he
headed into the final.
Showdown Two....Neiwand V Dajka
Dual World and current Junior World Sprint Champion Jobie Dajka wasn't about to let the reputation of
Neiwand worry him and made more of a race out of the two heats it took Neiwand to advance to the
final. In the first ride-off the junior showed the more senior Neiwand the way to grab inside running but
then relinquished the lead by driving too hard into the finishing straight allowing Neiwand to regain the
sprinters lane. Ride two and Neiwand was just too quick for the younger Dajka covering the flying 200 in
a shade over 11secs.
So the stage is set for a huge battle between the brash, powerfull Eadie and the battle hardened,
cunning of the veteran Neiwand who is in his twilight years.
THE FINAL SHOWDOWN
EADIE WINS 2-0
New South Wales premier sprint rider Sean Eadie only needed two heats to stamp his authority on the national
sprint championship and effectively put a big question mark over the future of Victorias Gary Neiwand. In a
devestating display of power the talented Eadie put Neiwand one down blasting to the finishing line by the barest
of margins with a time of 10.863. In the second round Neiwand chose to try and ride Eadie off but into the bottom corner he drifted out of
the sprinters lane as he had with Jobie Dajka, but Eadie read the track right and grabbed the lane back and it was all over.
Even with the absence of Darren Hill it was still a great sprint final and Eadie is determined to make this year a big year.
HIGGINSONS 500M ITT CROWN
The womens 500 metre individual time trial produced a flurry of quick times as the list moved down through
the ranks to the fastest seeded times. Rhana DeMarte was the first to push the 36 second barrier with a
hard pressed 36.586. Next off the block was Lyndelle Higginson who looked good from the very first turn of the
cranks as she left the starting gate. With the sprint spot in the squad now firmly in the hands of Ferris
this was her best opportunity to grab an unchallenged selection spot and grab it she did with a
fabulous time of 35.811. Last ride went to Michelle Ferris but a time 35.878 was not enough to shut the
door on Higginson.
DAWSON DOES A DOUBLE
One to watch for the future is talented youngster Peter Dawson a Western Australian junior with a lot of talent and a huge
future. After winning the U/19 Junior Points Race Gold he has backed that effort up with a brilliant win over Mark Renshaw
in the 3000m Individual Pursuit. The youngster from the far west did a big job demolishing the New South Wales rider who was
expected to do well in the event.
