Eve Jeffery
From Lismore Heights to Jack’s Ridge, 13-year-old Darcy Harris is showing form reminiscent of a young Cadel Evans.
Darcy, who produced stellar results, was one of the youngest in the field to compete at the Jack’s Ridge cross country mountain bike race at Nambucca Heads on Sunday.
The lad is a member of the Northern Rivers Dirty Wheels Mountain Bike Club and his champion ability was not missed by Dave and Sheryn Hegerty, president and secretary of the Dirty Wheels club.
In an effort to see how they could support this burgeoning career, the Hegertys approached Darryl Pursey of the Lismore based Harris Cycle Co. Pursey agreed to support Darcy to the tune of an amazing Norco, Revolver 9.2 race bike for Darcy to compete at the Jack’s Ridge event.
Darcy was overwhelmed when Dave gave him the news that he would be riding a pro-level bike at the Nambucca Heads event.
‘There is no way I could ever afford the type of bike you need to compete at these events,’ said Darcy before the big ride. ‘It is just the most generous and incredible thing that could happen.’
Darcy said that the Revolver is a very awesome bike that he can’t believe he got to ride. ‘My dad built me a bike out of the best bits and pieces we could find but it is pretty heavy, and not suitable for cross country racing.
‘I am so grateful to Harris Cycle Co. and Northern Rivers Dirty Wheel for their support.’
To show his appreciation Darcy out-performed pretty much everyone at Jack’s Ridge – he took out the Under 15s cross country race with an awe inspiring 30 minute lead and followed NRDW club president Hegerty past the winner’s post, a close second by 2 minutes 30 in the open age group.
Darcy is looking forward to a club down-hill ride day at Mount Joyce near Beaudesert next weekend, and upcoming ride days at the New Italy trails.
The cycling community would do well to turn their eyes in young Harris’s direction – the 2011 winner of the Tour de France, Cadel Evans, started his international career in 1995 as a Scholarship-holder in the Australian Institute of Sport mountain bike (MTB) Program.
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