Tasmania's Christmas Carnivals have secured another boost, with the state government providing additional funding to attract two Argentinean riders to the series. Labor member of Parliament Brenton Best has announced that the state government has provided an extra $5,000 to carnivals organisers to fly Sebastian Donadío and Sebastián Cancio to Tasmania to compete in the Latrobe, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie Carnivals.
It will be the first time Argentina has ever been represented at the Carnivals, with both riders strongly expected to compete off the elite scratch mark. "Securing the Argentineans is a masterstroke by Carnivals organisers and the state government is delighted that we've been able to help make it happen," Mr Best said. "Their presence will add further interest to the series and I'm certain they will create a lot of excitement among Carnivals fans."
Sebastián Cancio is the reigning World Cup points race champion (having recently secured the title in Moscow) and is also the current Pan American pursuit champion. He's also a four-times champion of Argentina in the points race, scratch race and individual pursuit. Sebastian Donadío was champion of the 'West Indies vs the world' track meeting in Trinidad and Tobago and won this year's Six Days of Torino in Italy. He was sixth in the World Cup Madison in Moscow and is a five-times team pursuit national champion.
Carnivals organisers had been keen to attract the Argentineans earlier this year but had been unable to secure a commitment from them. When the pair contacted organisers again recently to say they would be able to make the trip to Tasmania, SCAT's budget had already been exhausted. Mr Best said funding to fly the pair to Tasmania was made available by the state government after the personal intervention of the Premier, Paul Lennon. He said the Sports Carnival Association of Tasmania [SCAT] had written to Mr Lennon seeking his assistance and he was pleased to be able to provide the special, one-off package in addition to the carnivals' usual state government funding arrangement. "It would have been a great shame for Tasmanian crowds to miss out on seeing this exciting pair in action," Mr Best said.
For more information see the SCAT website.
