BENDIGO\u2019S latest national cycling champion, Connor Sens has powered his way into the running for Bendigo\u2019s Sports Star of the Year award.<\/p>\n
Sens, 23, was in superb form as he contested the AusCycling National Championships in Tasmania for the first time.<\/p>\n
Riders not only faced testing climbs and slippery conditions, but also a temperature hovering about three degrees in June at Devil\u2019s Cardigan in north-west Tasmania.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe longer climbs really suited me,\u201d Connor said of racing the 106 kilometres. \u201cHills were not so steep, and I race better in the cold than the heat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sens was able to surge clear of rivals across the last five kilometres.<\/p>\n
There were about a dozen Gravel Races that Sens contested in the lead-up to the nationals.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of my racing had been road and track, but gravel racing is something I will look to do a lot more of next year,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Some of his previous gravel races had been at Harcourt, Wangaratta, Warrnambool, the outskirts of Melbourne, and in Western Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cGravel Racing has become a big thing in the past couple of years,\u201d Sens said. \u201cI bought a gravel bike to do a lot of training for the ride, and just went from there in terms of racing.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not as technical as mountain biking or has the sharp turns and descents like MTB racing, but there\u2019s plenty of challenges racing on the gravel.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt Devil\u2019s Cardigan the mud was flying for a lot of the way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bendigo clubmate Peta Mullens, also a multiple finalist in Sports Star of the Year, was runner-up in the women\u2019s elite race at the Gravel Nationals.<\/p>\n
Victory at the nationals has meant Sens qualified for the UCI Gravel World Championships to be raced in Veneto, Italy in October.<\/p>\n
A key part of the build-up will be the Tour of Malaysia in September.<\/p>\n
Another key player in Connor\u2019s cycling is coach Jordan Kerby, a dual gold medallist in teams pursuit at Commonwealth Games level.<\/p>\n
Cycling has played a big part in Connor Sens\u2019 life and his dad, Paul raced, as did uncles Noel and Paul.<\/p>\n
Among the highs of this year\u2019s Sports Star award was Noel Sens being named the recipient of the Faith Leech Achievement Award.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BENDIGO\u2019S latest national cycling champion, Connor Sens has powered his way into the running for Bendigo\u2019s Sports Star of the Year award. Sens, 23, was in superb form as he contested the AusCycling National Championships in Tasmania for the first time. Riders not only faced testing climbs and slippery conditions, but also a temperature hovering […]<\/p>\n