HE IS part of Australia’s biggest billed professional cycling outfit but today, it all comes down to Cameron Meyer solo.
The West Australian enters today’s elite men’s 38.2-kilometre time trial for GreenEDGE as reigning champion.
He is determined to walk away from Learmonth with a third consecutive title in the discipline at the MARS Cycling Australia Road National Championships.
A stronger, more decorated field means he will have to be faster, more focused in pulling off the feat – a day before his 24th birthday.
Major time trial threat Richie Porte (Team Sky) sits nearby in a media interview as Meyer talks to The Courier.
Two big contenders in the one room.
But Meyer said he had more than just Porte to worry about when he powers off at the Sunraysia Highway start line.
“There are seven or eight guys out there that are a big chance, guys like Michael Rogers, Jack Bobridge – this is one of the best fields for a (national) time trial we’ve had in many years,” Meyer said.
“It’s a little different riding for GreenEDGE come Tuesday – you don’t have a team to help out, it’s just down to the individual.
“You just have to go out there and go as fast as you can, focus on your race as a specialist event.”
Meyer, a versatile track and road cyclist, arrived in Ballarat with big plans.
He wanted to win Sunday’s elite men’s road race as one of 16 GreenEDGE riders in the field.
Meyer, yet to win a national road race title, made a bold effort to take the lead 60km from the finish and was caught with 30km to go.
GreenEDGE teammate Simon Gerrans claimed the green-and-gold jersey.
But Meyer placed equal weight on winning the time trial as defending champion.
Meyer said there was a lot of talk about his team and he felt like he should deliver.
Ballarat marks the start of a massive year for Meyer.
The Tour Down Under looms in Adelaide next week, then Meyer will hit the European circuit before returning to Melbourne for the UCI World Track Championships in April. All in an Olympic year.
Meyer knows he has a lot of work ahead to qualify for London.
The track championships will be a major selection event but he wants to also perform well on the road and boost his contention.
Meyer was an Olympian at Beijing in 2008 and received a reminder in Ballarat on Friday, with processing of the Australian shadow squad, just how much he wanted to feel Olympic fever again.
“Before I came here my mind was all about the nationals but then hearing all the Olympic talk has got me thinking about the Olympics a little,” Meyer said.
“I was young (in Beijing) and fourth in my event so there are a few things I want to do differently.
‘‘I want to take that extra step in my racing and I want to re-live the Olympics.’’
That was why Meyer wanted to make the most of every step along the way, why Ballarat – and Learmonth today – was so important to his preparations.
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