Cycling New Zealand has named both Track and Para-cycling Track teams for respective upcoming UCI World Championships in South America.
An exciting five-strong team, led by Paris Paralympic medallist Nicole Murray, has been named for the 2025 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 16-19 October.
The following week, Olympic double gold medallist Ellesse Andrews will head a 12-strong New Zealand team for the UCI Track World Championships in Santiago, Chile on 22-26 October.
It is the first time the teams have been jointly announced and prepared for respective world championships since Para-cycling moved under the Cycling New Zealand operation.
“Both track programmes have been running side-by-side at the Grassroots Trust Velodrome, and while their coaches are separate, there are joint crossovers with staff and, of course, interaction between the coaches,” said Cycling New Zealand High Performance Director, Ryan Hollows.
The Para-cycling campaign is in action first in Rio, with the quartet led by Murray, who has recently returned from winning a medal at the UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Belgium.
Murray has won 10 medals at the UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, including gold medals in Paris in 2022, and two bronze medals last year at Rio in the C5 500m time trial and scratch race.
She heads a strong team including world championship gold medallist Devon Briggs and Rotorua swimmer-cum-cyclist Siobhan Terry, along with the return out of retirement of six-time Para-cycling track world champion, Emma Foy.
Briggs, 21, won a world championship C3 time trial title last year, along with a silver in the omnium and bronze in the individual pursuit. He was injured in the preparation for the Paralympics, but still competed in Paris, placing fifth in the individual pursuit and seventh in the time trial.
Terry, 25, came to prominence as a Para-swimmer and like Briggs, suffers from bilateral talipes (club foot). She moved to Para-cycling in 2023, finishing on the podium in her first international competition in the C4 500m time trial. The Halberg Regional Advisor will be competing in her first UCI Para-track World Championship.
There is considerable interest in return of Foy, who initially retired five years ago. The double Paralympic medallist in Rio has won six Para-cycling track world titles. Foy, who was born with oculocutaneous albinism, will team up on the tandem with retired Tokyo Olympian, Jessie Hodges.
The UCI Track World Championship team will head to the Chilean capital of Santiago which hosts the world championship for the first time in the event’s 132-year history.
With Paris Olympic teammates Rebecca Petch (pregnant) and Shaane Fulton (injured), Andrews will focus on her individual sprint disciples as will teammate Sam Dakin.
The men’s endurance squad is a mix of the proven, led by World Tour rider Campbell Stewart, and the new in young Southland prospect Marshall Erwood.
The most interesting is the selection of North Canterbury’s Ben Oliver, who can arguably boast the honour of the country’s most versatile rider. He is a Commonwealth Games medallist in mountain bike, and a versatile road cyclist, including overall victory in the American Criterium Cup series.
Now he turns his talents on to the track, impressing coaches during the training camp, and forms part of the men’s endurance squad.
The women’s endurance squad, headed by Olympic medallists Bryony Botha and Ally Wollaston, is all currently based overseas on road racing contracts.
The illustrious pair are joined by Paris Olympic reserve Sami Donnelly from Christchurch and Auckland’s Prudence Fowler, who was part of the team pursuit quartet that won the silver medal at the Nations Cup earlier in the year.
Hollows said both teams are a mix of the proven experience and riders with an eye to the future.
“Nicole and Devon were stars of the Paris Paralympic campaign, while Emma Foy has been impressive in her return, forming an emerging team with Jessie Hodges. And Siobhon is only in her third year in Para-cycling and will look forward to her world championship experience.
“Like the Paralympic group, the Paris Olympic riders form the heart of the track team for Chile but there are some newcomers and this is an important opportunity for them.
“The world championships are important, of course. But they are our first World Championships of this Olympic cycle as we look towards the Commonwealth Games next year and the start of our push towards Los Angeles.”
The Teams are:
Para Track: Devon Briggs (MC3), Emma Foy (WB - with Pilot Jessie Hodges), Nicole Murray (WC5), Siobhan Terry (WC4).
Track, Women’s Endurance: Bryony Botha, Sami Donnelly, Prudence Fowler, Ally Wollaston.
Male endurance: Marshall Erwood, Keegan Hornblow, Nick Kergozou, Ben Oliver, Tom Sexton, Campbell Stewart.
Sprint: Ellesse Andrews, Sam Dakin.
