TRAINING alongside Australia's best in the lead-up to the world championships is next up for Bendigo cycling sensation Blake Agnoletto.
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He will head to Adelaide on Good Friday for several big workouts on the velodrome.
The 19-year-old claimed the full set of medals - gold, silver and bronze - across his two latest major track campaigns at the Australian titles and then Oceania champs.
Both events were contested at Anna Meares Velodrome in Brisbane.
Among the many highs for Agnoletto was bronze in the individual pursuit at the nationals.
"It was my first individual medal elite level and meant a lot," he said.
In a remarkable performance, Agnoletto cut his personal best in qualifying by eight seconds and then by another three in the ride-off to decide the bronze medal.
"The final was one of the best rides I have put together," he said of the 4000m duel.
"I had put in a lot of work training for the individual pursuit at sessions in Melbourne and Bendigo."
Blake's father, Sandy played a key role on the motorbike for pacing sessions at Bendigo's Tom Flood Sports Centre track.
"It would often be three laps behind the bike, and two laps off the bike."
A goal was 16-second lap for the 250m distance of the indoor velodrome.
In the final, Agnoletto was a second behind his opponent at four laps to go.
"I did look across and thought my chances were gone, but then he started to slow as my pace lifted.
"I just kept on pushing as hard as I could and was able to get there."
By the final lap Agnoletto was almost a second up.
"It was an amazing feeling as I crossed the line."
Victoria's young guns caught Queensland to strike gold in the teams pursuit.
Agnoletto's all-round skill and strength in track endurance was on show as he was fourth in the points score on countback, and fifth in the 15km scratch race.
Experience from racing at the '21 nationals also played a big part in his success.
"I went to these championships a lot stronger than a year ago."
At the Oceania titles, Agnoletto earned silver in the scratch final, bronze in the teams pursuit and madison.
It was New Zealand's Aaron Gate and Bendigo's young gun in Agnoletto who lapped the field on their way to a one-two result.
"The madison was a great result, too," Agnoletto said.
He teamed up with Western Australia's Oliver Bleddyn to be third in a race won by Josh Duffy and Connor Leahy, the Bendigo International Madison champions of 2020.
In a brilliant summer of track racing, Agnoletto was runner-up in the Australian Madison and the Austral Wheelrace, and dominated on Bendigo's track to win the Lindsay Harrington Memorial and the Frank McCaig Memorial wheelrace finals.
After his stint in Adelaide, Agnoletto will head to New Zealand for more track competitions.
The lure of racing in Europe has also caught on with Agnoletto aiming to head to Girona in Spain for some world-class events.
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