Track cycling in the Goulburn Valley is back in vogue, with three of Victoria’s brightest talents representing Shepparton Cycling Club in Brisbane this week as they compete at the AusCycling Junior Track National Championships.
The tournament will run from March 13 to 17 at the Anna Meares Velodrome, with Luca Lancaster, Isla Shaw and Billie Russell set to compete in a variety of track events.
Russell will be representing two clubs as she lives in Melbourne and trains with a metro club as well.
Lancaster’s father, Olympic gold medallist, OAM recipient and president of Shepparton Cycling Club, Brett Lancaster, will attend the championships in a mentor/trainer capacity.
Brett believes that after finding success at the recent Victorian titles, the three athletes are coming into the championships in good form and have the chance to push for podiums.
“Results-wise, Luca learnt a lot last year as it was his first-ever track season,” Brett said.
“Now he is winning state Keirin titles, so it will be interesting to see how he goes and steps up.
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s a hard competition, but if everything goes right, a medal should definitely be on the cards.
“Billie would be the biggest achiever out of these three. She came from an ice skating background, switched across to cycling, and she was winning Australian titles on the track as a first-year under-15 in events like the Keirin.
“She has got multiple Australian championships; she is a little gun, a little rocket.”
Meanwhile, Shaw has missed the best part of a year due to anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus injuries, only recently returning to cycling.
The talented multi-sport athlete (Shaw is also an accomplished swimmer) missed out on an opportunity to ride in the bottom age of the under-15 championships and will enter these championships as a top-ager.
With no prior nationals experience, Lancaster believes the tournament would be a tough ask on any other junior rider, but not Shaw.
“I think Isla, nothing fazes her,” he said.
“I have seen a lot of young girls that get on the track and they are quite scared, but she adapts to things really quickly.
“I noticed when we put, we call them tri-bars or pursuit bars, for the first time on her bike, (she was) straight into it, no issues at all.
“There are some good kids around and, over the last month, she has really stepped up quite a few levels. It’s exciting for her going forward to next year and the year after.
“For her, it will be a lot of experience gained; that’s probably the biggest thing she will takeaway from this (nationals) being part of the Victorian team.”
Luca will compete in as many under-17 events as he can (individual pursuit, Keirin, teams pursuit, points race and scratch race) as he looks to cement his place among Australia’s best junior riders.
Shaw will also be competing in a mix of events in the under-15 category (Keirin, time trial, scratch race, individual pursuit and points race) as she tries to gain experience and belief that she belongs at the level.
“This is my first time at an event like this,” she said.
“I am kind of nervous because I don’t know what it is (nationals) about, but I’m kind of excited because it’s a new thing (for me) and a new feeling.”
Teammate Luca can relate, having competed for the first time at nationals last year.
“I’m not as nervous this year,” he said.
“I was a lot more nervous last year, but I’m feeling really relaxed going into (the events) this year and feeling good.”
For the three young Shepparton Cycling Club athletes, having an experienced mentor such as Brett Lancaster will provide invaluable insight as the former Tour de France rider reflects on his time as a junior cyclist.
“I raced at the same level, I didn’t win the Australian title, then at the same time, I got second,” he said.
“Australia is a strong cycling track nation and you will get a feel for that pressure. It is a lot of pressure; you get a lot of nerves.
“And when you step up like Luca will next year to the under-19 category, you need to be doing this now to be ready for that.
“To represent your state is pretty nice and it is a stepping stone to what they can achieve in the future.”
If you or someone you know is interested in cycling, head to the Shepparton Cycling Club Facebook page to learn more.