Ararat’s Lucas Hamilton is gearing up for the 2016 UCI Road World Championships in Doha, Qatar in two weeks.
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Hamilton said it was a big opportunity for him.
“To be named in the National squad for worlds in Doha was a massive honour,” he said.
“I am really looking forward to seeing what we can achieve as a team.”
Hamilton has just finished the Tour de l'Avenir where he won the overall mountain classification.
The 20-year-old said it was a performance he can build on for the world championships.
“The preparation is going really well at the moment,” he said.
“The team is based in Italy for the lead up.
“We have a couple races in the Netherlands and France to really piece together all our training.”
Hamilton favours a more mountainous track but the Doha circuit lacks any climbs.
He said he will have plans in place to make the most of the event for his teammates.
“Worlds is a really flat course this year,” he said.
“So I will be looking to help our sprinters where I can depending on how the race folds out.
“Wind will be the biggest factor so we will have to be attentive all the time to make sure we don't miss any splits.”
After the world championships finish on October 16, Hamilton will return to Australia.
He said it will be a mix of business and pleasure during the trip.
“I will spend a little time off the bike back in Australia,” he said.
“Then I will start to prepare for the Australian summer of racing with training camps during November and December.
“Then after the camps it will be back into the season starting with the national championships.”
This year is his first full season over in Europe after leaving Australia in March.
Hamilton said it took some adjusting but he has settled in well over there now.
“I really enjoy the lifestyle in Europe,” he said.
“Adjusting was made a lot easier by the support and care of cycling Australia and I really appreciate their help in the process of getting used to the lifestyle.
“It will be really nice to catch up with friends and family during the summer but I love racing and living over here and I want to continue to do that in the future.”
Hamilton said he is really happy with his current development and is excited to see where it may lead him.