A BOUT of the flu picked up on a trip to the snow has hit Portia Rennie’s preparations for the Australian Junior Road Cycling Championships starting in Bendigo next Tuesday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Portia went to the snow on excursion with Taree High. She hardly been on her bike since returning home, throwing her training program out of kilter.
“It’s not a good time to be sick,’’ she said.
Portia will be a member of the NSW team in Bendigo. She is also the Manning River Times-Iguana Sportstar of the Week, earning a $50 open order at Iguana.
Team selection was a lengthy process that started in June and included two tours and the State championship. At State she finished third in the road race and fourth placings in the individual time trial and criterium to clinch her selection in the NSW squad. She’ll be in the under 17 division.
She’ll contest the road race, time trial and criterium in Bendigo. Portia prefers the road and believes this is her best chance of a medal.
“I like the hills and the sprinting,’’ she said.
Portia competed at national level last year in Shepparton – although not in the State team. She admits here results weren't spectacular although at th e time she was training for running as well as cycling. This year she’s committed to cycling.
She’s already enjoyed success on the road this year, winning the women’s under 17 Country road championship at Sutherland in July. This was decided over 30 laps of a criterium track where Portia beat the national track title holder in a thrilling sprint finish. This is her best performance to date.
A member of the Manning Cycle Club, Portia gets coaching advice online from Irishman Garry McKeegan.
“I heard about it through a friend of a friend,’ ‘she explained.
Portia stays in regular contact with her coach through Skype and on Facebook and she assures the long distance arrangement is working fine.
She’ll have a busy program after returning from Victoria and this will include racing in the Manning club’s Wednesday afternoon criteriums at the Taree Recreation Centre track. Portia will also head to Newcastle when time permits for velodrome training to hone her skills there.
She’s also hoping to gain admission into a NSW Academy of Sport development team, believing this will provide a great pathway mapping out her future.
Portia previously showed promise as a distance runner and then triathlon. It was through triathlon that she started cycling.
While cycling rates as number one now, Portia says she may one day return to triathlons.
"When I’m older,’’ she said.
