Rachel Neylan in national team kit in 2010
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Persistence pays after season at the crossroads
Rachel Neylan believes that Australia has every chance to be in the mix for the women’s road race at this year’s UCI World Championships in Limburg, with the team focussed on supporting Tiffany Cromwell next Saturday.
Neylan and Cromwell were selected alongside Shara Gillow, national champion Amanda Spratt, Oceania champion Gracie Elvin, Jessie Maclean, and Loren Rowney. It’s a team that signals a definite shift from Australian selectors, with an emphasis on potential and development of talent.
“That’s the way that we have to move forward with women’s cycling in Australia,” Neylan told Cyclingnews from Varese where the team is enduring a final training camp before making the move to Holland on Tuesday. “We have a lot more depth this year and it was a very, very hard selection decision. But I think they’re [the selectors] doing the right thing by giving girls experience early so when they are at that top-field, competitive level, they’re able to draw on that experience that they’ve had in previous years.
“You’ve got to look forward to that next Olympic cycle.”
Neylan had two goals this season and remarkably the 30-year-old has managed succeeded both in the last week. The first was to secure a UCI podium and Neylan did so with third place on the fifth stage of Tour de l’Ardèche. She went on to finish fourth overall. Her second goal was a spot on the Australian team for the world championships – her debut.
“The last week’s been pretty fruitful,” Neylan explained. “I’m pretty happy.”
Neylan’s success in reaching this point is remarkable to say the least following what she politely calls some “unfortunate circumstances” with her team, Nutrixxion Abus. It was a case of “sink or swim” according to Neylan and from mid-year the Sydney-sider took herself to altitude camp and formulated her own program based on guest rides in 1.2 and 2.2-ranked events. Throughout August and September, Neylan planned three race trips – first to Belgium
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