Junior cyclist takes on national tour

By the end of the tour, he placed third overall in the general classification under 17 mens division, first in the 57 km road race, second in the individual time trial, seventh in the kermesse lap event and clocked the fastest time in the handicap.

It was also the first time the 16-year-old had worn the jersey of the Rauland Cycling Team, the only Junior NRS Development cycling team in the country.

Rauland headhunted Toby after he placed first overall in the GC under 17 men's division at Goulburn Workers Junior Tour in May, where he won the 5km Prologue and the 62 km Road Race and finishing second in the Time Trial and fourth in the Division 1 Handicap.

"They are the only Junior NRS Development cycling team in the country, so to be selected to ride with them was a great honour," he said.

"The 57 km road race was just the best - our team made the plan to push really hard from the start to hopefully get a small group off the front or drop half the peloton.

"We managed to get the front peloton down to 14 riders, including myself and two teammates and we our goal then was to either get a solo breakaway off the front or a break into another small group.

"However unsuccessfully attacking multiple times after a strong chase from the condensed peloton I decided to sit in the peloton for the last five kilometres to recover and sit on a good wheel for the sprint and was able to get the perfect line through and managed to only just get the win.

"It was my favourite race because our team worked really well together and even though our initial plans didn't work completely we still managed to work for the win."

Apart from his own training regime, which includes about 10 hours on the bike six days a week, Toby credits coaching at both the Auscycling Junior Road Development Academy at Kurri Kurri in June and the Auscycling Mountain Bike Development Academy camp at the Australian Institute of Sport in July, for helping refine his skills and technique in both cycling disciplines.

Toby was one of only 25 mountain bikers selected from 150 applicants for the AIS camp, where each required a state or national medal placing.

Auscycling also extended the invitation for the AIS camp to Northern Inland Academy of Sport mountain bikers which included fellow TAS students Thomas Dundon and Abbott White.

"It was great to be able to attend the camps and train with some of the best young bikers in the country, and I'm not just setting my eyes on the state road titles in Wollongong next month," Toby said.

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