Australian junior team enjoying success in Europe

Australia’s junior national team has enjoyed a successful week abroad, with the squad winning Italian junior race Tre Giorni Orobica. While quick to express his teammate’s contribution, the overall victory went to Australian junior road champion Jay McCarthy.

The team defended McCarthy’s lead for three stages after he took a solo victory on the opening stage, two seconds ahead of Italian Lorenzo Di Remigio (Team 999 Caffè Mokambo). The squad backed up its success at the Tour of Bergamo where McCarthy claimed the overall title in addition to the points, mountains and non-European classification wins while the Australian National Team won the teams’ classification.

“The Australian junior team is a great team and we wouldn’t be getting the results we have been if we hadn’t been demonstrating the great team work,” McCarthy told Cyclingnews.

The form couldn’t come at a better time for McCarthy and his teammates, which include Calvin Watson, Damian Howson, David Edwards and Samuel Spokes. The riders are preparing for the UCI Junior World Road Championships, held in Italy next month, and the Youth Olympic Games which will be held in Singapore also during August.

“We are back in Castronno this week at the European AIS base, where we have a couple of easy days,” said McCarthy. “Then some more intensity before we head to Belgium this weekend, for a four stage event over three days. This will conclude our final preparations before the world titles.

“At this stage I will compete in the time trial with Dale Parker on the sixth of August and then endure the grueling 128 km road race set on the eighth of August,” he added. “Personally I think we can be the first junior Australian team to take out the event. A lot of our success comes from the great staff we have behind us in Dave Sanders and Gene Bates. They have put us through some very tough training and racing over the last four weeks.”

McCarthy will also compete at the Youth Olympics with the time trial on August 18 followed by a road race on August 22.

McCarthy and his teammates haven’t been the only young Australians enjoying success in the last week. In Canada Port Macquarie’s Lachlan Morton, who rides for Team Holowesko Partners, won the Tour de l'Abitibi after time trialing his way into the race’s lead before claiming a second stage victory with a solo effort.

The Australian National Women’s team also had reason to celebrate at the weekend with 21-year-old Carlee Taylor taking a stage victory at the Tour Féminin en Limousin. Taylor claimed the stage victory with a solo move that saw her finish 38 seconds ahead of the peloton in Roussac, France.