Anna Meares has cruised to gold in the 500m time trial to notch up her 14th elite Australian title on the opening night of competition at the Australian Track Cycling Championships in Sydney.

The last time the 23-year-old raced the 500m time trial at Sydney's Dunc Gray Velodrome was at last year's World Cup in November where she lowered the world mark she set to win gold at the Athens Olympic Games.

Meares, who missed the event last year due to injury, was the last to start and was on song from the first pedal stroke stopping the clock at 34.542seconds.

Her time was one second faster than defending champion, Kristine Bayley, 23, (WA) who rode 35.548s with Sydney's Kaarle McCulloch, 19, claiming bronze in a time of 35.650s in her first year in the senior ranks.

"I really wanted to get the title back because the 500 is my pet event and my favourite so it was hard for me to sit it out last year," said Meares.

"So it was extra special to win it back and be able to say the only ones I've lost are the ones I didn't compete in."

Meares has also sounded a warning to the rest of the women lining up in the championships that she wants to take home gold in every event she contests.

"I want to add (win) all of them," she said of her plans to dominate the sprint, teams sprint and keirin events in coming days.

"I want to go home with a clean sweep and I know it's going to be really tough but I'm going to give it a good try.

Earlier in the night Phil Thuaux, 27, claimed gold in the men's 4km individual pursuit riding a time of 4min24.955sec to defeat Victorian Zakkari Dempster, 19, (4min30.145) in the final.

West Australian teenager Cameron Meyer, 19, (4min29.691sec) won the bronze medal final over Melbourne's Michael Ford, 20,(4min30.686).

Thuaux, a bronze medallist in the pursuit at the Sydney round of the 2006-07 World Cup, was down on Dempster at the halfway mark of the final for gold but responded to the pressure to claim the win.

"I always finish strong so I tried to use that strength," said Thuaux who is hoping for selection in the Australian team for the 2007 World Championships in Spain next month.

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