Queensland win breakthrough team pursuit national title and set new championship record

Nearly a decade of near misses and a victory they thought they owned in 2024 before a timing correction demoted them to silver has made Queensland's breakthrough elite men's team pursuit national championship all the more sweeter on the third night of the 2025 AusCycling Track National Championships.

The quartet of James Moriarty, Noah Blannin, Declan Trezise and Rohan Haydon-Smith were in an unstoppable mood in the gold medal final versus New South Wales, making the catch of their rivals after 10 laps around Anna Meares Velodrome.

Queensland powered on in a pre-planned attack of the 3:55.988 championship record held by Western Australia since 2017 by a star-studded line-up of Cameron Meyer, Sam Welsford, Michael Freiberg and Stephen Hall.

As the men in maroon crossed the line, heads turned to the timing board and the already jubilant celebrations were boosted by a confirmed new championship record time of 3:55.599.

The new championship record marker could very well have been dropped even lower had Liam Walsh not withdrawn through illness earlier in the week, and had a rainy week in Brisbane not delivered sub-optimal conditions for a fast track.

That 'what if' will likely be answered in 12 months, but for now, the Queensland team were only focused on soaking up a "special moment" several years in the making.

"I think good redemption for last year but the many, many years previously," Trezise said post-race.

"Since I started with the program, it's been the same sort of core group of boys and to finally pull one off is pretty special.

"It (tonight) was just all about the gold medal and the record is a bonus."

Moriarty, the most experienced member of the team courtesy of involvement with the ARA Australian Cycling Team, echoed his teammates words.

"Like Declan said, since the first year of under-15s, getting put away by Victoria a lot in the past and then as you come into elites, SA (South Australia) and even WA (Western Australia) last year," Moriarty said.

"So, with those teams missing there is only one way to sort of your make your mark and that's the championship record and I'm super proud of these boys.

"They've ridden the fastest time ever at a Track Nationals, a massive PB for a lot of them and they've been really chipping away up in Queensland and I've been doing the same in Adelaide. I'm super grateful that they trust me and back me in to come and get the job done with them and it's a super special moment for myself too personally.

"Massive shout-out to Liam Walsh, he was on the start line until the ProVelo Super League (Q Tour) last weekend and had to make a tough call to pull out because he's been in just as many and come just as close as the rest of us so I feel for him missing out tonight, but he's been a massive part of the work for the past 10 years."

Victoria completed the podium in third.

Feature picture: Mackenzie Sweetnam