Lone Kiwi ready for UCI Junior Road Worlds

Aug 4th, 10. 18 year old Ashleigh Neave has been in Europe for the past four weeks preparing for the UCI Junior World Road Championships, where she is the only New Zealand representative.

Neave takes RoadCycling.co.nz to the world!

The UCI Junior World Road Championships run from Aug 6-8th in Offida, Italy.  

Neave, the NZ U19 Time Trial Champion, will compete in both the 15.1km time trial and the 80km, five lap road race two days later.

It is the first time New Zealand has had any representative at these championships for a number of years. 

It was Neave's gutsy front of the pack racing style which brought her to the attention of the NZ selectors, and they are hoping she will come home with a Top 6 placing in the time trial, her specialty event.

The Napier teen has been in Europe with coach Ivar Hopman and training partner Jeremy Stephens.  They've been training and racing mainly in Holland, but took a trip to Italy last month for Neave to study the Worlds' course.

"We spent hours going over the 15.1km of time trial; noting and photographing corners, cracks, intersections, climbs, descents, distance landmarks, the whole lot really," said Neave.

"It was good to get a feel for the course, riding it a few times and getting to know gear changes."

Fortunately, between Italy and Holland the Kiwis happened across a certain famous road race.  Neave and Stephens rode up the Col de Madeleine, and watched the Tour de France peloton race by.  It was perfect motivation.

At present the trio are in Austria as they work their way down to Italy for the big race.

"There are just a few short nights before race day and things are getting a bit nervous," Neave told RoadCycling.co.nz in an update.  "I know that as soon as the start gun goes I'll be fine though, it will be the same old time trial smash fest and at the end when I am totally wrecked I will ask myself why I didn't pick poetry instead! "

"Then there is the road race on Sunday. I am suspicious I am going to feel very alive very soon, and am so keen to get into the race."

That is a great Kiwi attitude!