Feb 5th, 10. With three super fast riders and one they knew wouldn't be able to hold the pace, South Australia employed non-traditional tactics at the Australian Track Champs - and they paid off. 

South Australia riding to glory ©Cycling Australia / John Veage

The SA team of Jack Bobridge, Rohan Dennis, Dale Parker and James Glasspool posted a blistering Australian Championship record time of 4m00.417s to defeat defending champions and former record holders Cameron and Travis Meyer, Luke Durbridge and Michael Freiberg of Western Australia.

It's the first time since 1999 South Australia has claimed the crown and it comes in the wake of a stunning performance by the state's men in the pursuit events contested so far this week.

On day one Jack Bobridge set the fastest time ever under the current international bike regulations for the 4km individual pursuit with Dennis not far off his time in the qualifying round.

In the same session Parker set a World Record for the U19 men's 3km pursuit. The fourth member of the team, Glasspool, was the 2009 U19 Australian kilometre champion and is a first year senior.

Realising Glasspool would be unable to match the pace of his pursuit team mates over the full distance South Australian coach Tim Dekker opted for an unusual pursuit strategy.

Australia's team pursuit champions ©Cycling Australia / John Veage

That combined effort gave the team a first kilometre of 1min04sec, two seconds quicker than their qualifying mark.

It left Bobridge, Dennis and Parker to bring it home and they posted sub-minute kilometres all the way to the finish line.

The tactic also put a lot of pressure on their rivals who were almost a second down after one kilometre. By the halfway mark the Western Australians were close to three seconds slower and they didn't come back from there.

Their final time of 4min03.370sec was also under the previous Championships record they set last year but well off the pace of the winners.

"It is a different tactic and you haven't seen that one exposed yet in the teams pursuit at this level," said a jubilant Bobridge after the race. "It was a bit awkward to start off with at trials last week, but we got it together tonight and all four of us, it is a team effort.

"To come out and ride on four minutes in the final, we couldn't be happier," said Bobridge. 

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