ALANI Cockshutt admits being a 14-year-old surrounded by experienced 17-year-old track cyclists can be an intimidating experience.
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But it’s one she’s looking forward to ahead of this weekend’s National Junior Track Series in Brisbane.
The third round of the four-round event has already travelled through Sydney and Melbourne, with Adelaide to wrap things up in mid-January.
“I’m the littlest there and because there are so many of us on the track at the one time it is quite intimidating,” the teenager said.
“They come nice and close to you (on the track), but that comes with confidence which I’ll get because they’ve been doing it since they were little, but it’s getting better.”
The MacKillop College student made the transition from road cycling to the track around 12 months ago when she was accepted into the North Coast Academy of Sport.
“When I got into NCAS they did half track season, half road and I’ve been doing it ever since,” she said.
With no velodrome in Port Macquarie, preparing to race on one is a challenge that faces cyclists around the region.
The teenager is no different.
I’m the littlest there and because there are so many of us on the track at the one time it is quite intimidating.
- Alani Cockshutt
“The closest one we have is Coffs Harbour and I go there once a month usually and it’s outdoor so it’s not very steep,” she said.
It means the 14-year-old has to come up with alternative training arrangements.
“I don’t get to go out on my track bike much other than when I go to Coffs or in an actual competition,” she said.
“So I just use my road bike and do sets and sessions based around doing more sprints.
“The longest track event is 12 laps and that’s it and the shortest is only three so it’s about fast sprints, backing off and then sprinting again.”
After a tough opening 12-month initiation to racing on the track, Cockshutt is still interested in pursuing it for a few years.
“I like it and it’ll be better next year when I’m a bit closer to the girls age and I want to keep doing track, but I prefer road,” she said.
“I want to see if I can place further up so a top 10 result this weekend would be really good.”
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