“A great week of new experiences, learning and maybe a reality check or two,” Leighton Cook.

The Veris Racing Team was represented at the Cycling Australia National Road Cycling Championships held in Bunningyong, Victoria. Riders competed in the u23 and Womens National Criterium, Individual Time Trial and Road Race. Veris Racing Team was represented in the u23 Men by Leighton Cook, Connor Lambert, Callum Pieterson, Ashley Mackey and Jonathan Lewis and in the Elite Women by Liz Leyden.

Australia’s best riders were there and representing some of the major teams in international cycling, including Orica Scott, BMC, Cannonade Drapac and Dimension Data. The experience is invaluable in preparing riders for the oncoming national and international racing season and introducing new riders to the toughest level of racing in Australia.

Leighton Cook elaborates on his experience racing his first national campaign for Veris Racing and supported by the Cycling Development Foundation through its partner sponsors.

“The u/23 Road Race proved to be a cracking race. The hot conditions and a scorching early pace proved to be too much for many of the enthusiastic men. Only 17 of the 127 starters managed to finish the gruelling 13 laps of the Buningyong course. Early on in lap two at a crucial part of the hill I found myself in a move with fellow team mate Ash in an attempt to join the front group.

“The pace that was set proved to be too much for me resulting in losing contact with the group after one lap. Ash (Mackay) was able to go with the chase group with some of the strong riders that had came across.

“The combination of hot conditions and caliber of riders took its toll on me and I was dropped by the main group which had already splinted by lap three. I ended up being pulled from the course after 80km.

“It was nice to still feel like I could take something away from the race in that it was a great learning curve and gave me some hunger to work harder to be more competitive and a real contender for next year.

“Thanks to Veris Racing Team, all the sponsors and the support staff who made the trip less stressful and allowed the team to perform to the best of its ability.”
Leighton Cook

For full results of the Cycling Australia Road National Championships
http://www.metarace.com.au

To make a tax deductible donation to the Cycling Development Foundation
https://asf.org.au/projects/cycling-development-foundation/