General News
12 February, 2021
Helmore set for Melbourne to Warrnambool
CAMPERDOWN’S Riley Helmore will continue the town’s association with the prestigious Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic tomorrow (Saturday).
CAMPERDOWN’S Riley Helmore will continue the town’s association with the prestigious Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic tomorrow (Saturday).
The 19 year-old will make his maiden appearance in the 105th edition of the 267 kilometre race, following in the footsteps of a number of local cyclists who have previously contested the time-honoured event.
Helmore has long been fascinated by the ‘Warrny’, watching the annual race come through the streets of Camperdown as a teen hoping to one day swap spectating for riding.
Now that he can, he said he had mixed feelings about the event but is hopeful of getting through unscathed and “enjoying a few beers” afterwards.
“I’m a little bit nervous and anxious but overall I’m pretty excited for it,” Helmore said.
“It has all that history behind it, especially in Camperdown with older riders previously doing it, so it would be good to keep that history going.
“Watching it all those years you always think ‘I can’t wait to do it’ especially last year because I was 18 years old and getting older and ready to do it.”
Helmore has been preparing for the event for the best part of 12 months, with the Camperdown Cycling Club member regularly pumping kilometres into his legs.
He went to Bright for a week long training camp and has regularly been in the saddle for six to seven hours but even he knows the race intensity will be at another level.
Helmore will ride for Team Hurtbox, CCCC, Uno Projex, a team made up of wildcard riders in the National Racing Series event and he said he was expecting the race to be quite tactical.
“There are some big hitter teams that have strong riders who will be up the front or they will have riders in the break,” he said.
“Hopefully I’m in the main bunch in the finish but the breakaway is probably a bit of a long shot.
“It’s at Port Campbell when the real race starts. Everyone starts to get a bit jumpy and thinks we’re nearly there so the pace will start to rise.
“It might start to split up there too so I want to be set up behind some strong NRS teams because you know that if you’re behind them they will hopefully carry you through.”
Helmore warmed up for the Melbourne to Warrnambool by competing at the AusCycling National Championships last weekend.
He contested the under 23 men’s road race, but pulled out on the sixth lap of the event.
“I probably got 80 kilometres in and just cramped up coming up the climb on the sixth or seventh lap,” Helmore said.
“I was just sweating like a mother, when I stopped I was just covered in salt so it was probably just a matter of hydration.
“I probably just didn’t keep up with it but there was also the fact it was a whole new level.
“They were a few years older than me some of them and have been riding that level a few more years than I and are a lot more used to it.”
Officials are looking forward to an action-packed race this year, with the men’s event attracting plenty of top names including freshly crowned national champions Cameron Meyer and Lucas Plapp.
The pair will be joined by Commonwealth Games gold medallists and multiple track world champions Sam Welsford, Leigh Howard, Kelland O’Brien and Steele Von Hoff, last year’s defending champion Brendan Johnston and 2019 winner Nick White among others.
The women’s race will feature 12 riders, headlined by Annette Edmondson, seven-year professional rider Carlee Taylor and defending champion Matilda Raynolds.
“I’m overwhelmed at the quality of the field we’ve assembled, especially given two weeks ago we had 30 entries and we weren’t sure if the event would event go ahead,” said event race director Karin Jones.
“To turn that around to be one of the best fields ever assembled is incredible.”
The event will start at Avalon Airport at 7.50am and will finish at Warrnambool’s Raglan Parade in the mid-afternoon.
The race will be streamed live on SBS Cycling Central’s Facebook page from 11.30am with the audio commentary run on 3YB/Coast FM Warrnambool’s channel.