WAIS Cyclists Heading for Russia with Love

Three WAIS cycling athletes have this week been named in the Australian track team for the Junior World Championships.

Michaela Anderson (Ballajura) and Melissa Hoskins (Lesmurdie) will both head for their first Junior World Championships – to be held in Moscow, Russia from 7-15 August 2009 – whilst Luke Durbridge (Bassendean) will be looking to repeat his efforts at last year’s Junior Worlds in South Africa where he claimed two medals and a fourth place.

For WAIS head cycling Coach Darryl Benson, hearing the news of the trio’s inclusion for Russia was another positive step in their cycling careers, with all three having tasted success at this year’s Australian Youth Olympic Festival and recent National Track Championships.

Benson pointed out that in recent years, WAIS athletes who have travelled to the Junior World Championships have gone on to bigger and better things.

“It is pleasing to see young athletes coming through the system and making national teams,” said Benson.

“Cam (Meyer), Trav (Travis Meyer), Scotty (Scott Sunderland), Josie (Tomic) and Sarah (Kent) all had success at Junior World Championships and each has gone on to make senior national teams.”

“Between 2005-2008 WAIS athletes returned 28 Junior World Championship medals with 14 of those being gold,” Benson said.

“The hope is that Luke, Michaela and Melissa are inspired by this and follow in those footsteps,” the reigning WAIS Coach of the Year added.

Although being named in the squad is just the first step towards the Moscow meet in August, Benson believes the hard work starts now for the three athletes.

“We will now target the National Junior Road Selection events including the Mercy Valley Tour in Tasmania at Easter and the Australian Junior U19 Road Championships in Murwillumbah (Northern NSW) in May,” said Benson.

“There are two national camps in Adelaide, one towards Easter and the other in July, aside from that they will be carrying out regular track preparation work as part of the WAIS cycling squad.”

Benson is confident that the experiences gained in Europe will be a vital building block in the athletes development towards London and beyond, with none of the selected WAIS cyclists having competed there.

“Going to Russia will be a significant cultural change,” Benson said. “It is their first venture into Europe and they will find it takes some adjusting to, but that is part of the experience that they will learn.”

With such a talented field of junior athletes around the country no positions are settled at this stage of preparations, how ever, it is anticipated that Durbridge and both Anderson and Hoskins will feature in the endurance events in Russia.

“The current standard of the men’s endurance riders in Australia is very high and Luke will need to show good form in the training camps in order to be selected for the Individual Pursuit,” Benson revealed.

“He has shown as part of the WA team that set a senior national record in the teams pursuit that he is capable of being a leader in that quartet, with Australia looking to retain its junior world title.”

“Both girls have shown tremendous maturity with strong performances at the AYOF and national track champs,” said Benson. “Australia will again be strong in the women’s pursuit and there will be four girls fighting for the individual and teams pursuit spots.”

The road team to contest the Championships will be announced on 12 May, 2009.