ARMIDALE’S mountain biking star, Holly Harris, is preparing for a World Cup race in Germany as well as a World Championship in South Africa later in the year.
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The teenager, who is the Australian Under 19 champion, left for Europe late last month to compete on the world stage.
A UNE Sports Scholarship Recipient, she is travelling with a group of nine athletes.
Her first stop was in Switzerland for a week-long training camp with a Swiss coach before competing in a Swiss provincial MTB race.
Dave Harris, Holly’s father and an accomplished rider himself, said the Swiss are by far the best women riders in the world and thought that initial race would give Holly “an idea of her world positioning”.
“This is the first time Holly has competed at this level and we are hoping for a top 20 result or to be within 110 per cent of the winner’s time,” he said.
Holly will now race in the first of two rounds of the UCI MTB World Cup at Albstadt in the south-west of Germany on Saturday.
“The second race will be in Nove Mesto na Morave in the Czech Republic on May 25,” her father said.
“Holly will compete in both the XCO (Cross Country Olympic format) and XCE (Cross Country Eliminator format) style races.
“When Holly arrives home at the end of May she will continue with her preparations for the World Championships to be staged in Pietermaritzburg, Republic of South Africa in late August.”
