Sep 5th, 10. At 19, Courteney Lowe is the youngest member of the Kiwi women's squad for the UCI Road World Championships, but she is ready to hold her own against the world's best.

The New Zealand women's road team for the October 2nd event was announced late on Friday night.  Lowe is part of the six rider team to tackle the 127.2km circuit course.

Understandably the Tauranga teen is excited at the opportunity presented to her and is looking forward to doing what she can to add to the strength of the team.

The New Zealand team is Lowe, Cath Cheatley, Linda Villumsen, Toni Bradshaw, Serena Sheridan and Emma Crum.

"I'm over the moon.  It is going to be such an amazing experience, and I am so lucky to be able to go," Lowe told RoadCycling.co.nz over the weekend.

It isn't luck which earned Lowe her place in the team.  Since the begnning of the year Lowe has been performing well in all the opportunities the NZ selectors have given her.

She began the year with an impressive Top 10 placing in the Elite Women's National Championships road race in Christchurch.

She was then selected to join the BIkeNZ team at the NZCT Women's Tour of New Zealand where she proved a valuable asset to the team, and gained experience alongside NZ's best riders including World's teammate Villumsen.

In February, Lowe won the Sprint Ace and the Queen of the Mountain Classifications at the Bev May Women's tour, and was later named in the NZ team for the Tour of Chongming Island.  

In the tough China competition Lowe again raced with her World's teammates, this time Cheatley and Bradshaw.

Knowing she had a chance of making the World's team, Lowe has been training accordingly.  

She is hitting her peak at just the right time, two weeks ago she won the Auckland 1000 after outsprinting her breakaway companion Melissa Holt. Holt is also competing at the UCI Road World Championships, in the time trial event.

Lowe has looked over the Geelong World's course and believes it will suit her style of racing.

"I have had a few looks. I do like the look of it, hills are definitely my strength so I'm glad there are a few of them in there," she said.

"I think we have a really strong chance of medaling with Linda and Cath. My job will obviously be to try my hardest to help them out."

All photos ©RoadCycling.co.nz

Related

• New Zealand Worlds team announced
  
• 2010 UCI Road World Championships start list

If you are heading over to Geelong for the Worlds, join our facebook group "Kiwis invading Geeling" so we can keep in touch and maybe create a Kiwi corner somewhere around the circuit!