Ararat cyclist Lucas Hamilton was well-prepared to lead his team out in the Jayco Herald Sun Tour which began on January 30.
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Heading into season 2019 and with a professional season under his belt, Hamilton can now tick off a goal that he wanted to achieve this season.
One of his goals was to have a leading role within the team, and he got the chance to do that on Wednesday when Mitchelton-Scott begin their Jayco Herald Sun Tour campaign.
Hamilton said he was thrilled that he was given the chance.
“The team thought I was going alright in the last couple of races so I got the opportunity to go in as leader, it is something that I worked hard for,” he said.
“There was always that suggestion that if I was going well enough that I would (be team leader) so it’s good to be able to get the opportunity.”
For the Jayco Herald Sun Tour, the team was without South African star rider Daryl Impey, who impressed in the Tour Down where they visited Adelaide, North Adelaide, Port Adelaide, Norwood, Angaston, Lobethal, Uraidla, Unley, Campbelltown, Glenelg, Strathalbyn, McLaren Vale and finished in Willunga Hill and in the process became the first rider to win the race back-to-back.
Impey also finished third in the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, where in the one day event they passed through Geelong, Barwon Heads and Torquay.
Hamilton said that Impey missed out on the Jayco Herald Sun Tour, to ease into his race schedule for the year.
“He (Impey) normally does the Tour Down Under and Cadel Evans Ocean Road Race and heads home,” he said.
“It takes a lot of sacrifice to be in good form in January when the season nearly goes for the whole year, so now he will take a bit of a breather and start building back into it.”
Despite Impey being absent from the Jayco Herald Sun Tour, that hasn’t dampened the spirits of Mitchelton-Scott and Hamilton said that the team are capable of anything.
“We still have a really strong team here so I think we will be looking to take opportunities,”he said.
The Jayco Herald Sun Tour began in Phillip Island and travels through towns such as Wonthaggi, Churchill, Sale, Warragul, Cape Schanck, Arthurs Seat.
It finishes in the Melbourne Royal Botanic Gardens on February 3
