Aussie 'Boy band' hits right notes

The foursome of Jack Bobridge, 22, Rohan Dennis, 21, Michael Hepburn, 20 and 18-year-old Alex Edmondson produced the second fastest time in the event's history of 3 minutes and 54.615 seconds to beat Britain (3:56.330) convincingly in the final of the London World Cup round.

Thomas, a member of the Beijing gold medal and world record-setting team, said in the build-up to the competition he and his team-mates wanted to "take out the Aussies and smash them".

But after the Brits captured the lead during the opening kilometre, the Australians pegged them back.

Kitted out in the grey outfits for the World Cup leaders, the foursome dubbed a "boy band" in the UK press were never threatened once in front despite a parochial British crowd.

All four riders, including newcomer Edmondson, completed the race in a promising sign five months before the Olympics.

Such was their performance and potential for improvement that the world record of 3.53.314 looks to be on borrowed time before the Melbourne world track cycling titles in April.

"You are in an absolute cauldron here. You have 5000 people barracking for one team," Cycling Australia's national performance director Kevin Tabotta said.

"They knew what their job was and that is the most positive experience for them.

"It is not the win. It is the fact they did it with that sort of support going for the other side.

"That will give them great impetus."

Not only that but the quality of riders on the fringe of selection.

Edmondson this week squeezed out Luke Durbridge for a ride despite Durbridge being a member of the last year's world title-winning team.

Not that Durbridge is alone with the likes of Glenn O'Shea, Cameron Meyer and Mitch Mulhern all trying to break into one of Australia's best hopes for gold in London.

Bobridge expects the world record will fall if not at April's worlds titles then in London in August.

"I think come the Games we are going to see around the 3:51, 3:50 mark," he said.

"We have proved it over the past few years, we are getting quicker every time we get on the boards."

But Bobridge said the team was wary of the opposition from Britain and also from Russia and New Zealand.

"We never give an inch," he said.

"They are a world-class team and Olympic record holders. We would not give any team an inch.

"We won't be letting our guard down for a second."

The Brits easily topped the medal table at the four-day Olympic test event but Tabotta was encouraged by his team's overall performances.

"I think we are a medal chance in every event (at the Olympics)," he said.

Australia's world champion women's sprint team was rolled by the locals and Anna Meares struggled to back up following her semi-final win over Victoria Pendleton in the sprint.

However, the women's team pursuit has made strong gains and Annette Edmondson announced her arrival in London as medal contender in the omnium.

In her first international outing in the multi-discipline event, the former sprinter missed out on victory on a countback from Sarah Hammer in a quality field.

After being level on points, the American won courtesy of a superior average speed.

"For me to show I can can keep my head and mix it with these girls is really, really positive," Edmondson said.