NATIONALS: SILK HITS HOME ROADS
Top junior riders hit Toowoomba this week
YOU would be hard-pressed to find a rider who knows the courses for this week’s Junior Road National Championships at Glenvale better than Harvey Silk.
The Toowoomba rider has made the most of having nationals on his home-town roads by studying up on the conditions ahead of the under-15 and under-17 events, which start today and finish on Sunday.
“I can’t even count how many times I’ve been on that course, just to get used to the wind and the corners, the hills, every little bit of road I can ... just so I can get the better advantage on the other states,” the Queensland 17 years boys rider said.
A total of 189 riders will contest the under-15 and under-17 boys and girls events, which start today with the time trial and move to the road race tomorrow and criterium on Sunday.
Silk has designs on making a great start to nationals today.
“The biggest goal for me is I want to win that time trial,” he said.
“The time trial is my biggest, and I’ve definitely got goals in the road race to do well and be within the top 20 riders at all times throughout the race.”
Toowoomba’s Dave Silk is event director and says the courses, which centre on the Glenvale Criterium Track, will test riders.
“It is a lot tougher than people expected,” Dave said. “On paper it looks fairly flat, but it’s not. It is a tough, tough course on technical roads with technical wind conditions.”
Rockhampton sisters Brooke and Lara Tucker, the daughters of Commonwealth Games gold medallist Kenrick, will also represent Queensland, and Brooke is keen to see how she performs on the road.
“I’d like to get a medal, but we will just see what happens,” she said.
“The track is more my thing. This is my first time on the road, so I’m not sure how I will go.”