CYCLING
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BATHURST’S Hollee Simons will take on a huge program from tomorrow when she heads to Adelaide for the Oceania Track Cycling Championships.
The talented teenage star will ride in the individual pursuit, the teams pursuit, the scratch race, the omnium and the points race, meaning she will be on the track for 12 races in the space of just four days.
The omnium is her primary focus, an event which takes in a number of the other disciplines – the individual pursuit, scratch race and points race, as well as a flying one-lap time trial, an elimination race and a 500 metre time trial.
“I really want to do well in it, it’s my main focus for these championships as well as for the rest of the year,” Simons said.
“I have never ridden in one before and it will be a big learning experience trying to figure out the tactics – there is a lot of tactical stuff that goes into each race, so it will be all about learning.
“In terms of my results in general, I think I will be able to get somewhere close to the podium. It will definitely be a big challenge but I feel like I’m up to it.”
Simons has ridden at almost every major level of national competition possible throughout her junior career, but the Oceania titles are one meet she hasn’t been part of in the past.
Illness cost her the chance last year, but now she gets the chance as a top-age rider after two months of fairly intense training and preparation.
“It is good to be able to get the opportunity after I was sick this time last year,” she said.
“Things have been pretty full on for me in the last few months, there have been a lot of trips to Sydney and just in the last week I went down there three times to train.
“Before that I had a quiet time, but it has been all about the quality of training since then.
“It leads me into a pretty busy time, I have a week or so to recover from these championships and then I start to refocus on the National Omnium Championships.
“That will take me up to the new year, and then in January I’m contesting a National Road Series race as part of the Tour Down Under.
“It’s a pretty full-on time from here on in.”