Orange’s Luke Tuckwell and Ben Anderson produced some incredible results at the Australian Junior Road National Championships in Western Australia, both impressing on the big stage, with the former also bringing home a bronze medal.
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Tuckwell, who isn’t widely-known for his sprint finishes, rode a tactically-perfect race on narrow roads to finish third in the under-15 road race after bunch sprint, and only just missed out on another medal in the time trial too, finishing fourth there.
He came seventh in the criterium final as well after running fourth in his heat, and that’s where Anderson shone, he finished third in his heat before backing up to finish fifth in the final.
Anderson also came fifth in the time trial and 10th in the road race, but considering he’s a first-year rider in the under-15 division those results suggest he’ll be one to beat next year as a top-age athlete.
“Luke did really well to win a medal,” Western Region Academy of Sport coach Marian Renshaw, who coaches Tuckwell, said.
“He had a really good time trial, just missing the podium.
“In the criterium, Luke broke away from the field for four laps, before he was reeled in what was a tough, uphill battle to the finish. He was still in touch with the bunch but finished seventh.”
It was a successful championship for Anderson and Tuckwell’s NSW team, in fact for all the state’s teams, however they were unable to snag an elusive gold medal.
Although he’s from Orange Tuckwell rides for Bathurst Cycling Club, which had another representative at the national championship as well in Kalinda Robinson.
Like Anderson and Tuckwell, she shone too, picking up a silver medal.
It was in the criterium where she managed to get on the podium, just losing out on the gold medal via a photo finish.
Francesca Swell was the eventual winner, with Robinson finishing ahead of Ella Sibley in third.
Renshaw was stoked with how 14-year-old Robinson went too.
“She’s really developed on the road as a rider in the past months and now she’s proven that she has what it takes to race at such a high level,” she said.
“It was a difficult and technical course in the criterium, with some climbing in the course. However, she managed to stay up the front of the race.
“It was a great result for Kalinda, to get a silver medal. The silver medal is more remarkable because she’s just a first year in the under-17 grade.
“Time trial wasn’t her targeted event but she finished well in that. She also got a top 10 finish in the road race.
“Overall, she was in great form for the championships.”
