MEET OUR LATEST NATIONAL CHAMPION
Toowoomba rider lives national cycling dream
CYCLING: Hard work and dedication have delivered Toowoomba’s Declan Trezise his ultimate triumph.
“It still hasn’t sunk in yet, I don’t think,” Trezise said yesterday after winning double gold at this month’s 2020 Australia Road National Championships.
Seventeen-year-old Trezise confirmed his high standing in Australian junior road and track cycling with wins in both the under-19 criterium and road race at Buninyong in Victoria.
“It was great. It was an ideal start to the year,” Trezise said.
“Friday night was the criterium – 22 kilometres around Sturt St, Ballarat.
“It was raining, which wasn’t ideal, but I got into a breakaway of about five halfway through the race – got a good gap and managed to hold on.”
Trezise finished fifth in last year’s national under-19 criterium, but his effort to step up for “surprise” 2020 road race wins exceeded his own expectations – but not his dreams.
“The road race was the big one everyone was going for,” Trezise said.
“Coming out on top was pretty good – pretty cool.
“105 kilometres around Mount Buninyong – nine laps up the climb was pretty brutal, But it was good.
“It’s huge for me. “Coming into these championships, I wasn’t expecting to win, (but) I had dreamt about winning.
“I hadn’t focused on the criterium too much. It was more the road race and the time trial I was aiming for.
“To pull off the result in the crit was awesome, and that took the pressure off my shoulders for the roady.
“So I was able to concentrate on my plan in full and execute my plan in the road race.”
Trezise is moving to Brisbane to study commerce and law at Griffith University but will continue to work with his Toowoomba coach and former under-19 national champion Darren Rolph.
“Hopefully now I’ll go to track nationals in April and try to get a few good results there,” Trezise said.
“Then it will be onto the Oceania road championships in late April to try and qualify for the world championships.”
# TOOWOOMBA’S Anne Elliott won bronze (50-54 years) in her Gran Fondo National Championship event.