Danes to the Thousand

The Danish National team will head to Australia to race in the historic Sydney Thousand, to be held at the Canterbury Velodrome in Tempe on Sunday, October 29th. The Danish team is coached by Heiko Salzwedel, who is regarded as one of the finest coaches in the world. Salzwedel worked with the Australian Institute of Sport as national road coach for seven years, making Australia a major force in world cycling in the 1990's.

Under Salzwedel's guidance, the Danes chalked up their biggest win at the Sydney World Cup this year, defeating Ukraine in the team pursuit and breaking their national record. The Danish team of Jens-Erik Madsenm Casper Jorgensen, Daniel Kreutzfeld and Michael Christensen are familiar with the Canterbury Velodrome having used the facility earlier this year in preparation of their World Cup victory.

Steve Wooldridge, the Olympic champion and current World champion, said, "If you thought Canterbury Velodrome was ideal earlier this year you will get a huge shock with the improvements undertaken by Canterbury City Council in preparation for the Sydney Thousand."

Wooldridge will be pitted against the Danish team in a 2000 metre team event, and will head a team comprising members of the NSW Institute of Sport. The Danish team will contest many events on the program including the Sydney Thousand. It will be the first time that the Danes have attempted to win one of Australia’s most historic events since Thorwald Ellegaard contested the race in March 1905.