GREEN and gold bands forever. It is a powerful motivator for Horsham cyclist Mark O'Brien ahead of the Cycling Australia Road National Championships, in Ballarat next week.
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The victor at the national championships earns the honour of having the national bands on his or her jersey for the rest of their career.O'Brien's coach, 2007 national road race champion Darren Lapthorne has them, and now 25-year-old wants them too.
"To win nationals would literally be my dream," O'Brien said.
"(Lapthorne) will have the national bands on the sleeves of his kit for the rest of his life and no one can take that away from him. It would be such a huge honour to wear the national jersey overseas, the respect you would receive would be so much greater.
"I know I am up against some of the best guys in the world, so to win would still be a long shot, but to be able to wear the green and gold jersey would be amazing.
"If I was able to achieve that, then I would be satisfied with my life on the bike," he said.
The 2003 Australian under-17 national champion has been training with Lapthorne in regional Victoria and goes into the men's road race on a modified course at Buninyong on Sunday, January 13, in career-best form.
The national road championships begin with time trials on a course taking in Lake Wendouree and the Avenue of Honour on Wednesday, criteriums in Sturt Street on Thursday night and road races at Buninyong on Saturday and Sunday.
AT A GLANCE
Cycling Australia Road National Championships
WEDNESDAY, January 9
TIME TRIAL Lake Wendouree (start/finish) Avenue of Honour
9.30am: under-23 men (29.2km)
Noon: elite and under-23 women (29.2km)
2.30pm: elite men (37km)
THURSDAY, January 10
CRITERIUM Sturt Street
4.30pm: under-23 men (30 laps-33km)
5.45pm: elite and under-23 women (30 laps-33km)
7pm: elite men (40 laps-44km)
FRIDAY January 11
Rest day
SATURDAY, January 12
ROAD RACE Buninyong
9am: under-23 men (137.2km)
1.30pm: elite and under-23 women (106.6km)
SUNDAY, January 13
ROAD RACE
8am: Amy's Ride (100km-70km)
8.15am Amy's Ride (20km)
11.30am: elite men (195.6km)