Blake’s back in awards race

GOLD in the under-23 criterium at AusCycling’s national road titles in Ballarat meant Bendigo champion Blake Agnoletto led the race for January’s honours in Bendigo’s Sports Star of the Year awards.

It’s consecutive monthly wins for Agnoletto who was the December ’23 winner following his triumph in the Australian Madison championship. Racing for ARA-Skip Capital, Agnoletto powered along the streets of Ballarat to win the 33km criterium.

It was his first national road title and followed being runner-up in the under-23 criterium the previous year. Victory in the city followed sixth placing in the time trial and he went on to be 12th in the 140km road race.

It’s been a hectic track season for Agnoletto who has contested the UCI Tissot Nations Cup rounds in Adelaide and Hong Kong.

He marked a return to his hometown earlier this month by teaming with Ollie Bleddyn to win the 50th running of the Bendigo International Madison. The duo are in the running to represent Australia in track cycling at the Paris Olympics.

Another rising star of cycling, Hope Harnetty is the first of this year’s scholarship recipients in Sports Star. Harnetty not only put in plenty of hours training, but also fund-raising toward a new bike and expenses for the track nationals held this month in Brisbane.

The talented teen represented Victoria in the under-19 class. The 16-year-old is the reigning Victorian under-19 sprint champion.

There was no monthly winner for February. Sports Star’s committee chose three scholarship recipients for February.

On the water it was Sophie Hughes and Toby Sexton who went on a gold medal-winning spree at the Victorian Sprint kayaking titles at Nagambie. Hughes won gold in all four singles races.

Superb performances across 2023 earned Hughes the Maxine Crouch Trust Fund award. Sexton struck gold in five K2 doubles finals across the under-16 and under-18 classes.

A brilliant run by Lilyth Jones at the Oceania track cycling championships in Cambridge, New Zealand resulted in three gold and two silver medals.

Jones won the under-19 individual pursuit, elimination, and Madison and went on to race at the Australian titles.