Ballarat youngster Ziggy Lee is one to keep an eye on in Friday’s Ballarat Sebastopol Cycling Club track carnival at Marty Busch Reserve.
The 12-year-old has already enjoyed success in the opening three legs of the Cycling Victoria Christmas Track Carnival at Wangaratta, Shepparton and Bendigo.
Lee has seen great development in his riding throughout the year and is hoping to continue those strides in the Ballarat leg of the four-day series, which
AT A GLANCE
Ballarat Sebastopol Cycling Club
Track carnival
at Marty Busch Reserve, Sebastopol,
Friday, December 30
10am: juniors
12.30pm: seniors and juniors
FEATURE EVENTS
Victorian boys’ under-15 scratch race championship
Godfrey family women's omnium
offers $5000 in prizemoney and has attracted more than 150 riders.
Ballarat Sebastopol club junior coordinator Paul Crack said Lee was a talented and dedicated cyclist with great attributes for a rider of his age.
“He’s got great determination, reasonable endurance and a good sprint to finish off,” Crack said.
“If you looked at him as a rider I’d consider him an all-rounder. He’s pretty solid across all the disciplines.”
Crack said one of the challenges with cycling was retaining riders beyond under-15 level. He said Lee was simply enjoying competing at the moment and was not looking too far ahead.
Crack also highlighted fellow emerging junior Jesse Norton (under-17), who was in the road cycling state team earlier this year, as another to watch on the velodrome on Friday.
“Having someone that’s not much older than Ziggy is really good to help him maintain a bit of motivation and try and strive to be like his peers.”
Fellow Ballarat riders Daniel Bucknall and William Key will ride in the senior B grade category, Jeremy Humber in D grade and David Chadderton in the masters.
Lesha Humber, Holly Potts, Cayleb Bromfield (under-15) and Josh Jolly (under-11) will be representing Ballarat in junior ranks.
BENDIGO’S Sam O’Dea arrives in Ballarat as one of the form riders of the Christmas carnival.
He opened the series impressively by taking out the Wangaratta Wheelrace on Tuesday and is sure to make his mark in the Ballarat feature event.
O’Dea beat home Jake Brooker and Nathan Bof, who won Wednesday’s Shepparton Wheelrace.
O’Dea is among leading contenders for the Ballarat Men’s Wheelrace with the likes of Australian World Cup rider Braeden Dean.
