Travis Meyer to Compete in U23 Road World Champs

WAIS cyclist Travis Meyer will compete this week in the Under 23 time trial at the 2009 UCI Road World Championships in Mendrisio, Switzerland.

Meyer gained one of three spots along side another young prodigy in Jack Bobridge and 22 year-old Jack Anderson for the event, with the Australian cyclists considered genuine medal prospects.

Meyer – who has won five junior world track titles – made an impressive start to his road career, with a win in the Tour of Berlin in 2008 and other top ten finishes with Team AIS-Jayco throughout 2009 despite several injuries.

Meyer will be looking to follow in the footsteps of older brother Cameron Meyer who claimed bronze in the Under 23 time trial at last year’s Road World Championships.

The Mendrisio course runs 33.2km with two laps of a 16.6km circuit with a difficult climb reaching a ten percent gradient.

WAIS head cycling coach Darryl Benson believes Meyer will be ready to give his all once on the starting line on Wednesday.

“There’s no second chance with the time trial, you either perform on the day or be left wanting for what could have been,” Benson said. “But knowing Travis, he will give a hundred percent and wear the green and gold with pride.”

The newest cyclist to the WAIS cycling program has begun with a strong result, after Jess Allen claimed gold in the U17 national junior road time trial championships in Canberra recently.

WAIS athletes dominated at the state road championships in Pinjarra last weekend with scholarship holders Sarah Kent and Josie Tomic combining with Davina Summers to win the 40km road teams time trial in convincing fashion.

Luke Durbridge, Michael Freiberg and Adam Semple represented WAIS alongside AJ Giacoppo to secure a comprehensive win in the men’s road race, clocking home 1:40min ahead of second place.

Durbridge and Semple will travel to take part in the Tour of Tasmania for Team AIS-Jayco, before attending a two week track training camp in Adelaide.