White will compete in his usual events, the elite men’s road race and the criterium, but this year he has also added the time trial to his week.

After an impressive 2018 which saw him race among some elite company through Asia and Europe, White enjoyed a much-deserved break through October and is pleased with how he will enter the Road Nationals, beginning on Friday in Ballarat.

White spent the week leading up to the Road Nats in Geelong and Williamstown, competing in the Bay Crits. He said it was an ideal preparation to just put the final touches on his racing.

“It’s a good way to start your year, you get a bit of intensity and can put the final touches on your preparation,” White told The Courier.

“I went through a few phases where the loading was pretty intense (last year), so you don’t feel great…but the last couple of days I’ve felt really good, my preparation has been good.

“My preparation has been a lot stronger this year, definitely a lot more consistent.”

With a forecast of 40 degrees in Ballarat on Friday, before cooling down to the mid-20s over the weekend, White said the heat would clearly provide some challenges, but it was something that was always a possibility at this time of year and it was a matter of being strong above the shoulders.

“Mentally you just try and block out how much that stuff can effect, you control the controlables.”

As for brother Nick, he too is in a good space. 

White is gearing up for the men’s under-23 road race on Saturday. Given this will be the last year where he is eligible to race in the under-23 division, White is aiming to finish on a high and is not shying away from expectation. Well aware of the strong field that he will be up against, White remains confident.

“You try to not put too much pressure on yourself,” White said.

“But it is my last year of under-23s, so I’d like to do well. I am putting a bit of pressure on myself to get a good result, there’s definitely a lot on the line.

“I definitely think I’m in there with a chance.

“But at the same time you can’t overlook that there is a lot of really good competitors there.”

White took to the road simulator in the lead-up to the Road Nationals, going beyond the required distance (11 laps totaling 127.6km) for his race to ensure his body is up to the rigours of the road race.

“Doing stuff like that has really helped with the preparation, it gets your body to know what it feels like to do that many laps.”

White has enjoyed a “chilled” week prior to the national event, giving his body time to recover and a mental freshen up down at the coast.