Dancing with ourselves

It's always enjoyable watching Australians win medals on the boards but the track squads dominant Commonwealth Games performance was not indicative of our true strength, writes Mike Tomalaris.

How good was the track cycling program at the Commonwealth Games last week?

I mean how good is Australia - really?

If you didn't know better, you'd think we have the best nation on two wheels on the planet by a mile.

Problem is the real cycling world is not represented in Delhi, and the truth is Australia is possibly the only fully developed cycling nation which had bothered to take its strongest squad to the Games.

"Gold, gold, gold to Australia" has been the constant cry from those calling the action on TV and radio in the last few days.

But is it surprising given so much real opposition never made the trek to India? Yes, I'm looking at you Sir Chris Hoy.

Of course, you can only race against those who turn up and the Australians were left to compete largely against themselves - practically tripping over each other in the medal rush.

Australia's national anthem was on speed-dial in the velodrome.

But when ignorant sections of the commercial news media constantly talk-up our two-wheel warriors as if they're super heroes, then it's time blog about it.

Anna Meares, Cameron Meyer, Shane Perkins and Jack Bobridge are the best in their respective fields but are they unbeatable?

In most cases, yes, but that's not the point.

Did you see the way Australia's team pursuit carved up the Kiwis for the gold medal? The Aussies were incredible but the Kiwis just weren't in the same velodrome.

What about the way Megan Dunn left rivals in her wake as if they were standing still on the last two laps of the women's scratch race?

Simply awesome! But again, where were the rest?

And did you see the way Meyer outsmarted everyone else on the track in the men's equivalent?

He was superb and justifies his place as a star of the future, but he was racing against himself.

There's no doubt we have a marvelous array of talent showing their wares and there's no question each is a wonderful advertisement to the sport and brilliant role models and ambassadors to their nation.

But I feel the lop-sided competition in Delhi is doing more harm than good to cycling, even if several PBs were recorded, not to mention the many Games records that were set.

When one country obliterates the opposition in every race it contests, I feel it doesn't conform to the true spirit of sport anymore.

I say bring on the track World Championships in March next year, or wait until the London Olympics to compare notes and results.

Only then can Australia be in a position to continue its chest-beating and claim cycling superiority.