In January Jack Bobridge was one of the most aggressive riders in the Tour Down Under, impressing many including seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. The world time trial champion is determined to perform well again in the race, which will mark his ProTour debut with his new Garmin Transitions team, as well as the national road race championships beforehand. As a result, he has decided to tweak his preparation for the events.
“I haven’t been able to train with the intensity I needed to be ready for a 40km time trial,” he said, according to the Cycling Australia website. He has consequently decided to drop the national championship time trial from his racing schedule, and will instead ride the Jayco Bay Classic criterium races.
The talented 20 year old lost a month of high-intensity training due to a knee problem. “The tendonitis has cleared up now. But I need to do some racing to get back up to speed, so have decided to race the Jayco series ahead of the road race at the nationals.”
Race organiser John Trevorrow is very happy with the lineup for the criterium races. They begin in Geelong this Saturday and run until the final event in Williamstown on Tuesday.
“This is the best field we have ever had for the Jayco Bay Classic, ” the former professional enthused.
“It was disappointing to lose Stuart O’Grady and Mark Renshaw to illness but to be topped up in compensation with Jack Bobridge and a former World Champion, Brett Lancaster is pretty special.”
Bobridge feels that the short, fast races will be just the ticket to hone his form. “At this point in time, the Bay Crits are best for me – four days of intensity,” he explained.
O’Grady was force to scratch from the races due to a bout of pneumonia. He’s recovering and is back in training, but lacks the condition to compete. Bobridge will slot into his place in the SASI Team O’Grady outfit, and should attract plenty of attention.
Lancaster will don Jayco VIS colours for the event, and will be joined by Leigh Howard and the former Jayco Herald Sun Tour winner, Matt Wilson.
Tour de France Maillot Vert winners Robbie McEwen and Baden Cooke have also been confirmed, as have top sprinter Graeme Brown, Matt Goss and Scott Law.
The women’s event also has a strong field, with riders of the calibre of Rochelle Gilmore, Tiffany Cromwell, U23 Australian champion Peta Mullens and world omnium champion Josephine Tomic all set to sign on.