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Picture this – you’re 16-years-old, racing in the junior national road championships, a race you’ve travelled hundred of miles for, and one you’ve been building towards all year while training on local roads and racing against grizzled club veterans.
The going’s tough, you’re struggling to hang on to the wheels in the fast-moving bunch. But then, from the side of what appeared at first to be a long, straight, empty road, you hear the faintly Flemish sound of encouragement, willing you onwards, inspiring you to attack.
When you look to your right, you realise the cheers are coming from none other than half of the Belgian elite men’s team: Wout van Aert, Yves Lampaert, Jasper Stuyven and Stan Dewulf, who share ten Tour de France stage wins and ten major classics between them.
This is cool! @NVHooydonck @WoutvanAert @yveslampaert @Jasperstuyven and @dewulfst getting around a local Aussie clubbie pic.twitter.com/SOlOSdg2gU
— velokicks (@velokicks) September 15, 2022
Well, that was the sight which greeted the best of Australia’s teenage talent earlier today, as they competed in the road race event at AusCycling’s Masters and Junior Road National Championships.
The road race championships are being held in Marshall Mount, about 20km south of Wollongong, the site of next week’s road world championships where Van Aert and Co will be aiming to take the rainbow stripes back to Belgium.
And while they’re getting acclimatised to the Aussie roads and conditions, Wout, Jasper and the boys took some time out of their worlds build-up – and celebrating WVA’s 28th birthday today – to inspire the next generation of promising U15 and U17 boys and girls.
After all, we’re all just cycling fans at the end of the day…
How many of Australia’s juniors (or masters!) nearly clipped a wheel when they realised @WoutvanAert & his teamies were cheering roadside!! (And how many considered grabbing the brakes & double clicking for a meet n greet 😂?!) https://t.co/FdEtF5wBJc
— Katherine L Bates OLY (@KatherineLBates) September 15, 2022
– Mate, that was Wout?
– What Wout?
– Wout Van Aert. I am pretty sure it was Van fucking Aert cheering us.
– Yes, mate. He was with Biden and Captain Spock discussing how we will all go to the USS Enterprise after global warming. I told you 100 times to stop drinking that shit! https://t.co/KViBpWvez6— John Cobas (@CobasJohn) September 15, 2022
Though, judging by his demanding instructions from the side of the road, God help his riders if Yves Lampaert ever decides to become a DS when he retires…
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