Storer Set for Worlds Test
Western Australian Institute of Sport cyclist Michael Storer is preparing to compete in his second U19 campaign at the Road World Championships in Richmond, USA this week.
Storer will contest both the junior men’s road race and the individual time trial, with the 18 year-old looking to emulate his feats of 2014, where he claimed bronze in the race against the clock on his road world championship debut.
WAIS head cycling coach Clay Worthington is in Richmond, leading the U19 contingent for Cycling Australia, and he believes the green and gold athletes will provide a strong challenge in all formats.
“There will be a number of athletes from different countries capable of winning in both the road race and time trial, we just think we’ve got a team full of athletes who are also in that boat,” Worthington said.
“We have no intention of trying to stand on last year’s results,” explained Worthington. “We want new results that are just as good or better, and the riders have been working all year with this race in mind.
Worthington added that whilst the results will speak for themselves, the athletes had proven their credentials to make the starting line.
“The world is going to throw the book at us, no one is going to give us an inch, but that’s the exciting thing. The riders want to be the best, but just as important, is having earned the opportunity to test themselves and find out where they actually stand this time.”
Since 2011, the Under 19 Road World events have been held in conjunction with the elite and under Championships. The ability for young riders to be exposed to the racing at the elite level is something that is not lost on Worthington.
“This is an exceptional aspect to the Road Worlds,” he said. “For our young, impressionable, and capable athletes to get to rub shoulders with the best of Australia and the world, is a priceless experience.
“It’s important for them to start pushing past their “dream” of being elite, professional cyclists and start to see it as achievable.
“I think it’s equally as important for the elite riders because having the opportunity to give back to the pathway and positively impact our youths is an important responsibility that all sportsmen have.
“Positive experiences on both sides can go a long way to inspiring and rejuvenating individuals for different reasons and Australian cycling culture seems to embrace this aspect very well.”
The 2015 junior team arrived in Richmond earlier last week after basing themselves in Australia with their respective state institutes.
Storer, the reigning age-level Australian road champion and Oceania time trial champion, has enjoyed a superb overall 2015 season and is fresh from a racing stint in Belgium which saw him race three UCI Tours in which he placed inside the top ten and won the final stage and points jersey at Aubel-Thimister-La Gleize in Belgium.
“My preparation has been going really well, have had a lot of good training and racing,” Storer said.
“I feel I can do a really good performance, I’m really looking forward to putting it all out on the course.”
Storer’s World Championship campaign commences on Tuesday (Sept 22) when he competes in the 30km Individual Time Trial, before the Junior Road Race takes place on Saturday (Sept 26) over a 129.6km course.
-CyclingAus