Culling was part of the four-girl Victorian team that won gold in the under-17 team pursuit at the Cycling Australia Junior Track National Championships in Melbourne on Wednesday.

Culling and team-mates Alana Field, Sarah Gigante and Georgia O’Rourke took on a powerful NSW squad in the final of the 3000-metre event.

On a slow track they finished with a final time of 3:44.416, 1.68 seconds ahead of the NSW team.

It was Culling’s first gold medal at national level after claiming bronze in the under-15 girls 2000-metre individual pursuit at last year’s nationals.

Her father Harold Culling said Alice and the rest of her family were over the moon with the result.

‘‘It was an unbelievable night,’’ he said. 

‘‘The NSW team they raced in the final was a very good team.

‘‘Alice is bottom age in under-17s and all four of their riders are top age, so to beat them was fantastic.

‘‘It was a slow track so they were about three seconds off the Australian record.’’

Victoria qualified for the final on Wednesday afternoon, competing against Western Australia, the ACT, Queensland, South Australia and NSW.

Victoria posted the fastest qualifying time – 3:45.912 – to advance to the gold medal race.

NSW was 0.81 seconds behind in qualifying with a time of 3:46.725.

South Australia qualified third-fastest for the bronze medal race ahead of Queensland, but Queensland got its revenge by winning bronze in the final.

With the team pursuit now out of the way, Culling had three individual events to come on Thursday and Friday.

Culling was set to compete in the 12.5-kilometre points race on Thursday after the Mail-Times went to press.

● See Monday’s Mail-Times for a wrap of Culling’s results at the nationals.