Mackay’s cycling stalwart David O’Connell, affectionately known as “Stickman”, has once again proven he's not just spinning his wheels, taking home bronze in the Sprint at the Australian Masters Track Championships at the Anna Meares Velodrome.
Up against a stacked field of national and world age group champions, O’Connell rode tactically in the Sprint – a cat-and-mouse three-lapper that’s as much mind games as muscle – to outwit and out-wheel his way to the podium. It was a gutsy effort against serious firepower, with Stickman showing he can hold his line and his nerve when the banking gets steep.
He also reached the bronze medal ride-off in the 2,000m Individual Pursuit, a gruelling time trial that tests sheer grit and pacing precision. O’Connell not only laid down a personal best in the morning qualifier but returned in the afternoon to better it again, emptying the tank in pursuit of the podium. While he narrowly missed the medal, finishing fourth, the double PB effort shows Stickman is peaking at the right time.
He rounded out the week with two fifth-place finishes and a sixth in other events – and, true to track tradition, even took a tumble at one point but walked away unscathed.
Still riding the high (and perhaps some residual lactic acid), Stickman swapped the hardwood boards for digital watts, lining up in the AusCycling eSports Masters Championships on the MyWhoosh platform. Despite the pain cave still echoing from nationals, O’Connell powered through the 20.2km virtual version of the Wollongong Worlds course, including its brutal 1.8km climb, to snare second in his age group. No virtual jersey this time, but he’s getting closer with every click of the cassette.
Earlier in the season, Stickman struck gold for the first time at the Queensland State Masters Track Championships, bagging five podiums across seven events – a haul that hinted something big was coming.
With nationals bronze now hanging proudly, he’s already asking the important questions: “Do bronze sleeve bands exist?” Sadly, no – but if they did, Stickman would be wearing them with pride.
David "Stickman" O'Connell celebrates a hard-fought bronze on the podium at the Australian Masters Track Championships in Brisbane, proving he's still got plenty of pace in the legs – and perhaps just enough room on the jersey for a sleeve upgrade. Photos supplied
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