Byron Bay Cycle Club (BBCC)member Liam Bertuzzi competed in the elite men’s division of the cycling Road National Championships held near Ballarat last weekend.
‘Liam is in great form and has earned his position to race against Australia’s best for the honour of wearing the green and gold jersey for 2024,’ Mat Johnson BBCC secretary said.
The race is the first Nationals on the World Tour calendar and had some big competition from Australia’s professionals.
‘The first half was at a furious pace with a large volume of attacks. Liam managed to stay in the main peloton and when that bunch was in danger of being eliminated from the race by the Commissaires, he attacked and made it into the breakaway lead bunch with two laps (11.6km) of the 16 to go,’ Mat said.
‘Unfortunately for Liam, this coincided with an attack by the largest and clearly strongest team in the pack – Jayco AlUla, also the only Australian team with a licence in the World Tour.
‘Riders from this team ended up filling the podium,’ Mat said.
Liam rode a very strong race and finished in the top quarter of the field.
‘As a club we are extremely proud of his effort. Just to be on the start line is an achievement that almost all of us could never achieve,’ Mat said.
‘It was a remarkable effort – not having any team support – and as an unsponsored rider.
‘This wasn’t lost on the local cycling fraternity with many groups watching and cheering Liam at venues in Yamba, Lismore and Byron’.
