BikeNZ’s junior track team have arrived in Moscow ahead of the UCI World Championships that begin on Wednesday.
The 11-strong squad has completed their final preparations at the UCI Headquarters in Aigle, Switzerland. The squad comprising five male endurance riders and six female cyclists – four endurance and two sprint – enjoyed a 12-day final staging camp at the UCI before heading to Moscow.
“It has been a matter of fine tuning while we’ve been here,” said coach Ross Machejefski.
“They’ve been on the WCC track nearly every day, with a few road rides included as well. It’s been an excellent training experience and they’ve been getting better and better every day. We’re feeling pretty good but of course you can’t control what other countries are doing.”
The juniors follow on from other BikeNZ teams – the Under 23 endurance track squad and the BMX team – to training in Aigle while coach Machejefski completed the Coach Development Programme course there earlier this year.
Three of the team competed in last year’s Juniors Worlds in Montichiari, Italy led by Stephanie McKenzie, the Southland-based Aucklander who won a silver medal in the team sprint with Henrietta Mitchell. The others back for their second world championships are Christchurch’s
Alex Frame and Havelock North’s Fraser Gough.
The rest of the squad are making their debuts at this level and no doubt keen to impress as they look forward to New Zealand hosting the next UCI Junior World Championships in Invercargill next year.
The BikeNZ squad is: Scott Creighton (Hamilton), Alex Frame (Christchurch), Fraser Gough (Havelock North), Dylan Kennett (Waimate), Hayden McCormick (Te Awamutu), Cassie Cameron (Wanganui), Stephanie McKenzie (Auckland), Paige Paterson (Auckland), Georgia Williams (Auckland), Sophie Williamson (Alexandra), Georgina Wilson (Auckland),
Coaches: Ross Machejefski, Lynn Murphy, John Rastrick. Mechanic: Chris O’Connor. Physiotherapist: Antony Croucher. Manager: Stephen O’Connell.
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