The 18-year-old Armidale cyclist celebrated his selection in the three man Australian Under 19 road racing team to compete in September’s 2015 UCI World Championships in the USA this week.

The Year 12 Duval High School student has been training about 24 hours a week riding between 500 to 700km around Armidale.

“I’ve done a few rides down through the Dorrigos too,” he said.

“It’s brutal down there.”

But so too will be the opposition in Richmond ,Virginia for the September 19 to 27 World Under 19 Championships.

“It’s a big step for me, racing against the world’s best.

“I will be able to see where I am.”

Placed that it is, and what he has to do to reach his cycling goal.

That goal has just been played out over the last three weeks in France – the Tour de France,

Twenty-odd stages of pain and endurance won by Englishman Chris Froome at the start of the week and won, a few years back, by a Duval High old boy, Cadel Evans.

The cycling link with such a wonderful Aussie riding star is another spur for Sam.

It shows him it doesn’t matter where you are from, your dreams can be made a reality.

He’s been riding for about a decade, despite his tender years.

He’s also made four or five state teams and ridden in national titles in Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra and Wagga Wagga.

This is excitingly different for Sam – his first national team and overseas trip.

The young student describes himself as a “bit of an allrounder” with a penchant for technical courses. Being out on his bike riding alone can be a relaxing experience although he can convert that individuality into a “team” thinking when needed in a race situation.

It is an individual sport, he said but in a team environment, something he will enhance in Richmond.

He will not only race for his three-man team and Australia but see what he has to do to make it in the professional ranks and ride that Tour de France.

“That’s my goal,” he said

He’s also had plenty of help along the way from the local cycling community.

Tamworth’s Sam Spokes, who also raced in an Australian Under 19 team and is now riding professionally in Asia and the USA has been an inspiration and a great help.

“He and his father (Alan) have been great,’ he said.

“A lot of people up like the Bullens and the Sunderlands (Inverell) have helped me.”

Sam will find out this week just what he is expected to do in his final two months or so of training.

Whether they will go into camp or what is expected of him in the lead-up to leaving for Richmond is uncertain.

Whatever it is he will follow that regimen.

“I’ll do what I need to do to race the world’s best,” the humble but forthright young cyclist told The Leader.