Sprinters Size Up Uk Rivals

The Sunday Age

Sunday February 19, 2006

MELISSA RYAN

BEFORE the Commonwealth Games come the mind games. Today in Perth, Australia's sprint group will match wheels and wits with English and Scottish opponents at the SpeedDome in a pre-Games clash.

In an event that is bound to reveal as much psychologically as physically for the riders less than a month before the Games, Australian track cycling coach Martin Barras - who is considering hopping on a flight to Perth for the day - believed all the nations were likely to play "a few mind games" on the velodrome.

Athens Olympic gold medallists Ryan Bayley and Anna Meares, Shane Perkins, Commonwealth champion Kerrie Meares, multiple world champion Shane Kelly, and Bayley's sister, Kristine, will line up against Scotland Olympic gold medallist Chris Hoy, as well as English sprinters Victoria Pendleton and Ross Edgar, and Sydney Olympic gold medallist Jason Queally at the Perth International track cycling grand prix.

Having had little news of how English and Scottish rivals are progressing in preparations for Melbourne, Barras said it was a good opportunity to catch up and check out the opposition.

"Absolutely - it's twofold and it's going to be the last hit-out before the Commonwealth Games (for some) before we get into preparation just to sharpen the guys up," Barras said.

"We were always going to do the same, as well - have a good final look at what we're getting ourselves into. And we like a few mind games, as well.

"Mind games are always good. The only information that we have is what we've seen from them throughout the course of the European summer and World Cup. Considering how much we've seen already, I'm not sure we want to see any more. We're going to be up against it."

It was as much for the value of the track racing as the chance to compete against next month's rivals that the sprint group is in Perth, but the nature of modern sprinting - "it's a two-edged sword" - means all will be seeking psychological advantage.

Four years ago in Manchester, the Australian team "made a point of chasing the British guys on their own turf as part of the mind games", racing against them on a number of occasions.

Here, the aim is a little different, with challenging racing sought rather than stalking their opponents through competition.

Bayley rekindled his fire for racing at the recent Australian track titles and is looking for another round of skills-sharpening. But he won't need to play mental games.

"Ryan is so far above mind games," Barras said.

"With Ryan, anyone who tries mind games ends up defeating himself. He either doesn't play the game or he operates at another level."

© 2006 The Sunday Age

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