Ripped skinsuits and broken cranks: Cornish, SA win on final night

Crashes, mishaps and magnificent racing provided plenty of drama on the final night of the 2026 AusCycling Track National Championships at the Anna Meares Velodrome in Brisbane on Sunday.

Tom Cornish (NSW) recovered from an early crash to claim a brave victory in the men’s elimination race, with ripped skin and lycra hanging from him as he crossed the line in first place. 

Cornish held his nerve in a thrilling final lap to out-sprint reining champion Kurt Eather. 

Cornish (right) sprints against NSW teammate Kurt Eather for the elimination title.

It was Cornish’s first national championship since 2021, and his first as an endurance rider after switching from sprint.

“I made a bit of a mistake at the start,” Cornish said of his crash. 

“I was trying to reposition and I wasn’t watching the wheel in front of me and came down. Luckily, it was only a bit of skin and I was fine, and the bike was fine, and I was able to get back in. 

“I was probably a bit more cautious after that and I sort of rode from the back.

“I can’t remember the last time I won a national title, so to do it now, my first time as an endurance rider, I’m pretty happy with that.”

It's Cornish's first national title since switching from sprint to endurance events.

South Australia’s Rylee McMullen won her third national title of the week, claiming the women’s points race with a consistent ride in front of Sophie Edwards and Keira Will (NSW). 

The win added to McMullen's victories in the scratch race and the team pursuit.

“I love a points race, we went in with a plan to make it really hard,” McMullen said. “It was nice not to let it come down to a sprint finish.”

Rylee McMullen (front) sets the pace en route to a third national title this week.

There was more drama in the men’s team sprint final when South Australia’s James Brister snapped his crank at the start line. Brister managed to stay upright as the left crankarm sheered away from his bike under load, remaining attached only to the cleat on the bottom of his shoe.

The mechanical mishap required a delay and a restart in the gold-medal final against Queensland.

When racing resumed, South Australia were too strong, with the team of Maxwell Liebeknecht, Brister and Tayte Ryan taking out the national championship in 43.813. It was South Australia’s fifth consecutive win in the event. 

South Australia prevailed despite a mechanical problem for James Brister (centre).

"There was a bolt that let go; the whole crank disintegrated and bent,” Brister said of his mechanical incident. 

“I was going around with one crank on my foot. Thankfully, got that sorted and got the job done. I was a little shook up and sore, but we got it done.”

New South Wales’ Elsie Apps announced herself as an emerging star of Australian cycling in the under-19 events.

Apps’ added a third national title of the week with an impressive win in the women’s U19 keirin. 

The Goulburn rider’s speed was on show throughout the competition and she put an exclamation mark on an incredible week, leading from the front of the keirin and managing to extend her gap on the final lap, with her competitors unable to go with her.

Elsie Apps of NSW led from the front of the U19 women's keirin final.

The young star adding to her 1000m time trial and the women’s scratch race. 

“Super happy, I wasn’t expecting to win that one,” Apps said. “We couldn’t do the team pursuit with New South Wales, so this event couldn’t hurt me for any other race, so I gave it a crack. 

“I will head to Belgium in late April for two and half months and hopefully I'll be able to go to Worlds.”

In the Para cycling events, Erin Rowell (VIC) won the WC4 time trial, Jessica Gallagher took out the WB time trial with pilot Jacqui Mengler-Mohr, and Beau Wootton (SA) claimed the MB time trial with pilot Byron Davies.

Wootton and Davies beat Paralympians Kane Perris and Luke Zaccaria to gold in the kilo.

Queensland’s Korey Boddington claimed his fifth national title of the championship, winning the Para MC4 time trial.

Sunday's program brought an end to the elite and under-19 events of the AusCycling Track National Championships, with the under-15 and under-17 events set to continue until April 1.

The Brisbane Cycling Festival is proudly supported by Brisbane City Council through Brisbane Economic Development Agency and the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland. 

Photos: Con Chronis