BENDIGO cyclist Jackson Hadden is counting down the days to the biggest challenge of his young career at the Australian National Road Race Championships.
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The 16-year-old will head to Ballarat on a high following a string of impressive performances in open class races at last weekend's Bendigo and District Cycling Club Christmas Carnival and a major award win.
Hadden was honoured in Cycling Victoria's year-end awards as the male junior cyclist of the year.
Highlighting the tremendous depth in Bendigo's cycling ranks, Hadden was joined on the podium by fellow youngster Patrick Eddy, who was named male road cyclist of the year, and international star Peta Mullens, who was named female cyclo-cross rider of the year.
All three riders will be in action at the road nationals, which run from January 8 to 12.
Hadden, who represented Victoria at both the junior national road and track championships in 2019, is stepping up to the ultra-competitive under-19 level and is excited at the prospect.
"I'm aiming for a top 10 finish in the national road race and a top 10 in the criterium," he said.
Toughest opposition at Ballarat is likely to come from a rider Hadden, who won the under-17 road race and champion of champions crown at last year's junior nationals on the Gold Coast, is well and truly acquainted with, his Bendigo and District Cycling Club team-mate Eddy.
Seventeen-year-old Eddy, who was last month crowned Cycling Australia's top male junior road cyclist, is the defending national under-19 time trial and road race champion, and is hoping to add an extra gold medal in the criterium this year.
Hadden described his Cycling Victoria award win as a bit of a shock.
"I thought I had a good year, winning the champions of champions at the road national championships was probably the highlight, along with winning the national team pursuit," he said.
A stellar 2019 campaign for the Marist College student included team pursuit gold at the national junior track championships in Brisbane (he also returned with silver and bronze medals), a bronze medal at the national criterium championships, victory in the under-17 National Junior Road Race Series, and a silver medal at the Victorian state road race championships.
The youngster was a standout performer at Tom Flood Sports Centre on the weekend, finishing an eye-catching third in the Lindsay Harrington Memorial Wheelrace behind the backmarkers Luke Wight and Bendigo's Isaac Buckell, and second in the keirin.
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