LAUREN Kitchen will return to the track for the first time in 10 years in just under a fortnight when she heads to the NSW Omnium state titles in Sydney.
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More at home on the road than on the track, the 26-year-old will only have had two training sessions before the event which marks the first step in a new journey.
But her hand was forced to start her track journey again following the decision from Cycling Australia to cut its funding for road cyclists.
Most of the available funding is expected to be taken from the road and put into the track, so something had to give.
“When I did ride the track before I was only 18 and a little junior rider,” Kitchen said.
“So while I enjoyed it back then, without having a velodrome in Port Macquarie, it was difficult to train for it and compete against girls that train on a velodrome every week.
“It’s going to be an interesting experience to do some racing again on the track, but I’m looking forward to the challenge and starting the track journey again.”
The 26-year-old admitted another reason for moving away from the road circuit and back to the track was to revitalise herself.
“I wanted to do something new to get motivated and fresh again because it’s been a lot of years that I’ve been a professional on the road,” she said.
I wanted to do something new to get motivated and fresh again because it’s been a lot of years that I’ve been a professional on the road.
- Port Macquarie cyclist Lauren Kitchen
Kitchen admitted re-entering the track would make her a more rounded cyclist which would enhance her chances of being selected in the Australian team for the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020.
“The Olympics are the end goal at the moment and beyond that I’m not thinking about,” she said.
“With the Olympics on the road – while there will still be girls going – it will be without a huge amount of support or build-up support compared with the track.
“It will have the full support of Australia in the entire 18 months build-up and on the track it’s a real possibility of winning a medal, whereas on the road it’s more about making the team.
“I’m at a point in my career where I’m not going to target major events just to get a tracksuit.”
Returning to the track does not mean that Kitchen will place less emphasis on the road – she still hopes to make the Australian Commonwealth Games cycling squad for Gold Coast 2018.
I’m at a point in my career where I’m not going to target major events just to get a tracksuit.
- Lauren Kitchen
But she also knows placing a higher importance on making the track team will also help selection at road events.
“If they take you as part of the track team they can take you on the road as well to preserve riders,” Kitchen said.
“They can be combined really well in the next five years so I’m looking froward to that.”
Kitchen’s return to the track will take place at the Dunc Gray Velodrome on November 12.
“I think that jumping on the track gives you a bit more motivation to go for a big result,” she said.