DETERMINED TO MAKE HIS MARK: Orange’s Mick Troy is hoping for a successful Nationals campaign in Ballarat this week.
MICK Troy’s bid for redemption at the 2013 Cycling Australia Road National Championships starts today at Ballarat.
A man who lives and breaths the sport, Troy was left devastated at last year’s nationals after he was forced to withdraw just two-and-a-half laps into the first men’s time trial on day one with a severe case of asthma.
Now, 12 months on, Troy will be riding in a new team - he signed with GPM Data#3 Wilson Racing team last week - and a new mantra as one of the squad’s less glamorous riders, but a key figure nonetheless.
“All things being well hopefully I can make an impact on this year’s Nationals,” Troy said.
“Basically my role will be fetching drink bottles for the other guys in the team, especially if the weather man is wrong. Keeping them out of the wind, meaning I’ll be up front and they’ll be in my slip stream.
“I’ll take is as good experience, especially riding against all of the Green Edge boys and the Tour de France guys who come back for it.”
Troy begins racing today in the National Elite Men’s time trial, a 40 kilometre duke-out with some of the country’s best riders.
Troy hopes to finish somewhere in the 50-minute vicinity.
Although, he knows it’s going to be tough.
“Being a flat course, it probably doesn’t suit me,” Troy said.
“It’s more suited to the big powerful riders with a bit more horsepower underneath the hood than the smaller guys like myself.”
He’ll then take to the National Criterium Championship before tackling the Nationals’ 197km road race on Sunday morning.
The road race, one of the more gruelling events on the nationals calendar, is one Troy generally looks forward to.
This year, though, the course has been given a shake up.
And it doesn’t necessarily suit the slightly built rider.
“It’s flatter now which means there will be fireworks towards the end. The first 100 kilometres is now flat so all of the serious racing will be at the end,” he said, adding 2013 will be more about the team than himself.
“I’ll be playing a teammates role in this one which I’m quite happy to do.
“They’ve all got good form at the moment.”
The 2013 nationals begin in Ballarat today.