Jack’s up to scratch

By Ben Hope
ENDEAVOUR Hills cyclist Jack Cummings proved he has what it takes to ride with the state team after collecting two gold medals and earning the Junior State Championship trophy at the recent Victorian Junior Track Championships.
The 16-year-old won gold in the 2000 metre pursuit after finishing with a personal best time of 2.22 minutes at the Darebin International Sports Centre (DISC) in Thornbury.
In another spectacular ride, Cummings also won gold in the points event after lapping the field.
“I am really proud of that ride, I didn’t expect it and I was riding a lot better than I thought,” Cummings said.
“It was a real confidence boost for the upcoming national titles.”
Cummings will now ride for the Victorian team at the Australian Junior Track Championships held in March.
“I was picked for the team last year so in the back of my mind I was confident as long as I put in a strong performance,” Cummings said.
“You never want to get too confident, you just have to ride the best you can and hope to impress the selectors.”
The Carnegie-Caulfield Cycling Club member can also add two silver medals to his collection after placing second in the scratch and time trial events in a close competition at the Victorian finals.
“I lost the 500metre time trial by two tenths of a second and in the scratch I was beaten by half a bike wheel,” Cummings said.
“It was disappointing to lose the scratch after I won it last year but this will be something I will focus on in training.”
Cummings was happy to receive the state championship award with close friend Evan Hull who will also join him in the state team.
“Evan will be my team mate in the team sprint and the pursuit at the national titles,” Cumming said.
“We train together on the velodrome. It is great to ride with someone you know really well.”
Following the Victorian finals Cumming took a week off to rest before beginning training for the national finals.
“I am training five days a week at the moment, three times on the track and two sessions on the road,” Cummings said.
“My focus for the moment is on the national finals where I am hoping to win as many medals as I can and ultimately would like to break an Australian record.”
“It’s every cyclist’s dream to turn professional and I hope one day I will be able to ride professionally and travel overseas.”
Cummings will be eligible to qualify for the junior world championships next year.
Berwick resident and fellow Carnegie-Caulfield Club member Courtney Field also saw success on the track, picking up three gold medals in the Under 15s scratch, sprint and points events.