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A STRONG representation of seven Bendigo and District Cycling Club riders in Victoria’s junior national road championships team will include three debutantes.
The three-day championships for under-17 and under-15 cyclists in Bunbury, Western Australia, start with this Friday’s individual time trial.
The titles continue with Saturday’s road race and Sunday’s criterium.
The championships will be the first for under-15 team members Harry Knight, Chris Douglas and Belinda Bailey.
They will join fellow Bendigo riders Jasmine Eddy (under-15), Blake Agnoletto, Alex Allott and Patrick Eddy (all under-17), who have all represented Victoria at least once before, in the 20-member state team.
Their selection followed impressive results at the Victorian State Championships and throughout the road season.
After a long grind to win qualify for the team, an excited Knight said he was looking forward to joining the team in Western Australia.
“My road season was pretty good; I had a few ups and downs – those sort of days,” he said.
“But apart from that things went well through the series.
“A lot of the other Bendigo riders went really well during the series. Chris Douglas was a bit of a standout (in under-15). He has a real good future ahead of him.”
Being his first championships, Knight is largely aiming to enjoy the experience as opposed to setting any lofty goals.
“It will be great just working with my team-mates and urging them along,” he said.
“A few of the older boys have been to the championships before, so they have told us what to expect.”
Knight, a student at Bendigo South East College, has been riding competitively for four years.
A few of the older boys have been to the championships before, so they have told us what to expect.
- Harry Knight
Team-mate Douglas, who lives in Macedon but rides for the Bendigo and District club, said he was pleased with his form leading into the championships following a string of top three placings in the road series.
“I’m sure I’ll get plenty of experience out of it, racing against the best in Australia,” he said.
“I hope to be up around the top 10.”
The Gisborne Secondary College student did not hesitate in rating Patrick Eddy, who dominated and won the state road series, as the best gold medal chance among the Bendigo contingent.
Unlike his team-mates, road racing is Douglas’ sole cycling discipline and he won’t continue on to the national junior track series, which follows the championships in Bunbury.
Thirteen year-old Bailey’s first state team selection comes nearly seven years after she took up racing, starting in BMX.
She later graduated to road and track cycling and has steadily put together some impressive performances, which culminated in her selection in the state team.
Bailey finished fourth overall in the under-15 state road series.
The teenager, who also competes in mountain-biking, rounded out her preparation at a training camp in Ballarat on the weekend.
Four of the seven Bendigo riders – Jasmine and Patrick Eddy, Allott and Agnoletto - represented Victoria earlier this year with great success at the Junior Track National Championships in Melbourne.
The team will leave for Western Australia on Wednesday.