THE sibling rivalry continues in the Wight household, with Luke and younger sister Tess returning from their most recent cycling endeavours with some impressive results.
Luke competed in Switzerland in the Under 19 world pursuit championships for Australia and claimed a team bronze medal, with a personal best time in the individual event, where he finished 14th from 48 competitors.
Not to be outdone, Tess headed to Bunbury in Western Australia to represent South Australia in the Under 15 national criterium championships and returned as the Australian title holder.
For Luke it was an amazing experience to not only be part of the Australian team, but also to experience another country for the first time.
“When I found out I got selected in February, I worked hard to do the best I could with the team,” he said.
“It was pretty hard – you race against the best in the world, but I am over the moon with my own efforts.
“In the individual events there were two world records broken and I did a PB.
“But to get the bronze medal with the team was pretty special.”
To experience his first trip outside of Australia, while representing his country – along with such a solid result – has only made Luke want to continue to wear the green and gold even more.
“It has probably motivated me more than I was before,” he said.
“I know what it is like now and I know what to expect if I go through it all again.
“It has motivated me to get back there and maybe make the elite world championship one day.”
A big part of that experience was the culture in Europe revolving around the sport of cycling.
That included the huge fan base which supports the sport, along with the experience of being part of a national team in a foreign country.
“Trying to get adjusted to different time zones and being able to perform at your best in a completely different environment to what you are used to is pretty hard,” Luke said.
“The fan support is quite weird.
“Each different country had their own different thing – Italy had their vuvuzelas, so it was pretty loud when we raced them.”
Another big part of the experience was the tradition that goes along with representing Australia at the Under 19 world championships.
That involved the practice of team members bleaching their hair to appear as the quintessential Australian.
It simply added to the overall experience.
“We had to research why they had that tradition and got to talk to former athletes who have done the same thing,” Luke said.
“You look at all that and think where we could go.
“They all say after this doors will open, which are all steps to get to where they are now, which was pretty exciting.”
For Tess it was an experience just as special.
To claim the Australian title at just 14 years of age was an exciting moment, especially in such a tough competition.
The South Australian team comprised just two riders, with the criterium format 15 minutes around a designated course, before two final laps to the finish.
Tess needed to race with the front runners on her own, with her team mate falling back after the first lap.
“We trained well so I was fit enough to stay with the front riders,” she said.
“The course suited me because it had hills, so it wasn’t just flat for the sprinters.”
Tess said she had good support from the likes of her mechanic and coach around the course, cheering her on and offering advice along the way.
But in the end she simply had to work hard and remain in contention as the time ticked down.
“Every lap someone would try to attack and go for it, so I just tried to be at the front,” she said.
“The corners were pretty sharp and if someone wanted to attack there, you just had to dig in.
“Towards the end it was pretty hard.
“The teams from NSW, Victoria and Queensland came to the front and I had to try to get in position, because they won’t let you in.”
Tess pushed hard as the final laps were underway, then attacked on the final corner to lead the group to the line by around 50 metres.
“A lot of people were pushing me around, using their elbows, but they were going slow,” she said.
“I attacked and came to the last corner, then opened a gap.
“It was a rise up to finish which suited me.”
Tess said she was still trying to take in the result, which she said had not completely settled in yet.
As a family, the youngsters’ mother Jo said both experiences were good.
The whole family went to Switzerland, which included both parents, plus Luke’s three sisters, while both parents – Jo and Mark – accompanied Tess to Western Australia.
“For us to be there when Luke medalled and share that experience was pretty special,” Jo said.
“To watch Tess race and share her happiness was a good feeling.”
Both riders took advantage of the Mount Gambier Junior Sports Assistance Fund.
