Townsville cyclist Sienna Monteith has finished eighth in the Madison at the 2026 UCI Junior Track World Championships in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium, a standout result in her first year as an under-19 rider.

The 17-year-old Townsville Cycling Club product raced three events for the ARA Australian Cycling Team, also placing 11th in the points race and 16th in the elimination race. She was named reserve for the individual pursuit and omnium.

“As a first year, I took this as a learning opportunity and I’m already super excited for what next year could bring,” Monteith said.

Her selection followed a strong domestic season. She won national junior titles in the Madison and omnium, and claimed gold in the scratch race at the Oceania Championships in New Zealand.

The 2024 NQ Junior Sportstar of the Year, Monteith is one of ten athletes in the inaugural Team Townsville squad, backed by Townsville City Council, the Aussie Athlete Fund and NQSF.

Townsville cyclist Sienna Monteith is set to take on some of the world’s best young cyclists after earning selection in the Australian Under-19 team for the Cycling Track Junior World Championships in Belgium.

The 17-year-old has been selected to compete in three track events: The Elimination, The Madison and The Points, giving her the opportunity to represent Australia on the international stage.

Sienna competes across both road and track cycling and has already gained valuable international experience this year. She recently travelled to Belgium to compete in road cycling with the Australian Cycling Academy, experience she hopes will help her as she turns her attention to the world championships.

“I just went over to Belgium already this year to compete in road cycling, I think I’ve shown myself that I can do it, and now I can put it into action and try and get that world championship medal,” Sienna said.

The young cyclist said she is excited about the opportunity to test herself against the best riders in the world.

“I think I’m just excited to really show myself what I can do, and show the world what I can do as well.”

While road and track cycling share many similarities, Sienna says the two disciplines require different skills and approaches.

“On the road it’s more about strength and everything like components, where track is a lot of tactical knowledge,” she said.

“It’s not just about how fast you are, it’s how you can navigate the bunch, and make wins by going off the front early.”

Behind the scenes, Sienna is balancing an intensive training program with the demands of her final years of schooling.

Her weekly training includes gym sessions, track sessions and longer periods of riding, with the workload increasing during school holidays.

“I usually do two gym sessions a week, if it’s in school time, normally one and half hours on a school day, and then three to four hours on the weekend,” she said.

“But, if it’s school holidays, normally three to four hours everyday. And then I usually do two sessions on the track a week.”

Sienna’s selection is a significant achievement and another milestone in what is shaping as an exciting cycling journey. With international experience already under her belt this year, she will now have the chance to compete for a world championship medal and showcase her talent on one of cycling’s biggest stages.

Team Townsville is proud to support Sienna through our athlete scholarship program and to play a small part in helping talented local athletes pursue their goals and compete at the highest level. We look forward to following Sienna’s progress at the world championships and celebrating what comes next in her cycling journey.