A STELLAR year for the Bendigo and District Cycling Club’s junior riders continued at last weekend’s Austral Wheelrace Carnival in Melbourne.
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Five riders scored podium finishes, highlighted by wins to Alessia McCaig in the junior under 17 women’s wheelrace from scratch and Belinda Bailey in the under 15 women’s Austral handicap.
McCaig’s win gave her back-to-back victories in the prestigious Austral, which is recognised as the world’s oldest track cycling race.
It capped a stunning year for the 15-year-old, who in February won four gold medals at the Junior Track National Championships in Melbourne in the women’s under 17 keirin, sprint, 500m time trial and pursuit events.
McCaig has again set her sights on representing Victoria at the nationals in February and will ramp up her training after Christmas.
Bailey narrowly missed adding a second gold medal, when she finished second in the under 15 women’s wheelrace.
She added a bronze medal in the C-grade criterium.
Harry Willen and Michaela Meharry added to the medal haul by respectively finishing third in the under 17 men’s wheelrace and under 17 women’s wheelrace, while Angus Gill won silver in the under 15 Austral handicap.
More than 2000 cycling fans filled Melbourne Arena for what was the 121st edition of the Austral Wheelrace.
In road cycling, Bendigo brothers Patrick and Sam Eddy have signed with the InForm TM Insight MAKE team for the 2019 season.
The pair will compete in the under-19 category and have won immediate plaudits from team manager Pat Lane.
“We put a big emphasis on young talent and selecting riders and after watching Sam and Pat’s performances this year they were an obvious fit for our organisation,” Lane said.
In September, Patrick Eddy won dual gold medals at the Junior National Road Championships in Western Australia in the individual time trial and criterium.
He was also crowned champion of champions in the under 17 men’s division.
His success on the road followed a pair of gold medal performances at the Junior National Track Championships in Melbourne in February.
Eddy claimed wins in the under-17 men’s 50-lap point score and team pursuit events.
He also scored wins this year in the Cycling Australia Junior Road Series and Victorian Junior Road Series.
Sam Eddy has made the switch to InForm after racing the National Road Series with AM<R Renault.
The 17-year-old is heading in his second year in the under-19 category with some impressive performances behind him.
He finished second in the under 19 Victorian State Road Championships road race and third in the time trial.
Fellow Bendigo and District Cycling club rider Blake Agnoletto will spend the 2019 road season riding for Van D’am Racing.
The 16-year-old made his debut at last weekend’s National Criterium Series before representing the team at the under 19 national championships in January.
