Darwin Cycling Club

20 year old Bobridge posted a time of 4min14.427sec knocking six tenths off the time set by Welsh cyclist Gerraint Thomas at the Manchester round of the World Cup in October last year. The time is also faster than the Olympic record set by Britain's reigning Olympic Champion Bradley Wiggins in Beijing.

The only rider who has gone faster than Bobridge is Chris Boardman, who set the world record time of 4min11.114sec to win the 1996 World Championships in Manchester and a qualifying time in the same event of 4min13.353sec. But those times were set using an aerodynamic stretched out position that has since been banned which means Bobridge is, effectively, the fastest rider in the world over 4km under the current rules. 

"It is fantastic, to come here and do that today, after my form prior to January was a bit off," said Bobridge. "To be able to set a new personal best and quickest time since the superman position is an awesome thrill.

"But to come away with the win is the goal at the end of the day."

The ride has also given Bobridge the Australian and All-Comers records wiping Brad McGee's 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games time (4min16.358sec) and Germany's Robert Bartko's Sydney Olympic Games time (4min18.515sec) from the Australian record book.

The qualifying round saw another young South Australian shine with elite debutant, Rohan Dennis, 19, clocking 4min15.764sec to earn a place in the gold medal final against Bobridge. Dennis, who rode the heat before Bobridge, briefly held the Australian, All-Comers and Championship records but ten minutes later Bobridge stole the show.

"When Travis (Meyer) pulled out a 4.18, it got me a little worried, but I just stuck to my schedule of 4.19," said Dennis. "When I finished, I was just over the moon when I saw the 4.15 thinking it should get me in the final for the gold definitely.

"I just had to hope that Jack didn't pull out a better time, but he was on fire today and did a great time as well," said Dennis.

Meantime West Australian Travis Meyer also broke the 4min20sec mark posting a time of 4min18.607sec to qualify for the bronze medal ride against the 2009 junior World Champion, Michael Hepburn, who clocked 4min22.163sec, in his first year in the elite ranks.

In the women's 3km individual pursuit qualifying Sydney's Ashlee Ankudinoff knocked nine seconds off her personal best to set the fastest qualifying time of 3min34.769sec. She'll ride off against West Australian Sarah Kent (3min37.442sec) for the gold medal. Josephine Tomic (WA) was the third fastest qualifier in 3min39.700sec and will race against Victorian Tess Downing (3min41.029sec) for the bronze medal.

The South Australian team had more reason to celebrate when junior rider Dale Parker broke the world record for the U19 3km pursuit, a time set by Hepburn, at last year's Junior World Championships. Parker clocked 3min13.958sec to clip more than one and a half seconds off Hepburn's previous mark of 3min15.586sec.

"I think ecstatic is the word for it, it just feels like a dream," said Parker. "It has always been my goal, and today I just tried to relax. 
 
"I have been working for this since junior worlds in 2008 and I sure didn't leave anything out there on the track today and when I crossed that line, words can't describe what I felt."

A detailed event schedule, ticketing information, entry list and results can be found on the Cycling Australia website.