Club has strong links with Games cycling

BENDIGO and District Cycling Club’s links to Commonwealth Games cycling action stretch back many decades.

When Alessia McCaig and Blake Agnoletto race around Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow later this month they will be aiming to add to their country’s and Bendigo’s medal tally.

Commonwealth Games champions in track cycling from Bendigo have been Colin Fitzgerald, teams pursuit in 1978; Robert Burns, points score in 1990; and Glenn O’Shea, teams pursuit in 2014.

Castlemaine-raised Sean Finning struck gold in the points score at the 2006 Games in Melbourne.

Silver was won by Bendigo’s Rick Flood in the road time trial in 1982, and by O’Shea in the scratch race at Glasgow in ’14.

Outstanding feats by O’Shea earnt Bendigo’s Sports Star of the Year award on four occasions, as Burns and Fitzgerald are both dual winners of the gold statuette.

All three are in the Bendigo Sports Star Basil Ashman Hall of Fame.

From 30 July until 2 August it will McCaig, Agnoletto and their Cyclones team-mates aiming for gold across many disciplines.

A second Games campaign for McCaig could include the sprint, keirin, and team sprint.

In a brilliant start to the year, McCaig won the keirin at the Perth Track World Cup in March which earnt another monthly win in Bendigo’s Sports Star of the Year awards.

Highs for the 23-year-old track cycling star include bronze in the team sprint at the 2024 world track titles in Ballerup and last year’s worlds in Santiago.

Her Games debut at Birmingham in 2022 included fourth placing in the team sprint in a campaign which included the keirin and sprint.

A silver medallist in the teams pursuit at the 2025 world titles in Santiago, Agnoletto will be aiming to strike gold in Glasgow.

Major challenges in pursuit of glory are likely to be New Zealand and England.

A big year for Agnoletto has included racing for Groupama-FDJ United in road classics and tours in Belgium and France.

The young gun who has won the Melbourne to Warrnambool and Bendigo International Madison is a multiple Bendigo Sports Star of the Year finalist.