SAM Spokes changed bikes for a quick cross-training exercise at Lake Keepit last weekend that might bear national road-racing fruit next month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The 21-year-old cyclist rode in the inaugural Keepit Real 100 mountain bike race at the Keepit Dam precinct and surprised himself by winning his first mountain bike race in the process.
Spokes won the main race by “about a minute”.
“It was my first mountain bike race,” Spokes said.
“I borrowed a mountain bike after Peter Schultz talked me into it.
“I just went out and had fun.
“It was a hard day though, very hot.
“We were lucky we started at 7am.”
Spokes said organisers had run a “really good race”.
“Daniel Raffaele did well,” he said as he begins to prepare for a return to his European professional team via some major races down south early next month.
“I’ll head down to the nationals at Ballarat in January and do the time trial, road race and criterium.
“Depending on those results I might ride the Tour Down Under and Sun Tours.
“That’s my goal at this stage. It just depends on how I go.”
Spokes is currently riding 600 to 700km per week and will increase that shortly.
Rising teenage cyclist Lewis Chapman has been accompanying Sam on many of those training rides too.
‘“Lewis has been riding with me most days but there’s always someone to ride with,” he said.
He and his fellow Tamworth Cycle Club members will be at Goddard Lane again this Sunday morning to continue the regular club criteriums.
Santa hats might be the go as well when racing starts at about 8am.