Next year’s Bike NZ National Junior Development Squads were named this week. Once again, riders from the Manawatu make up the largest proportion of the 40 selected riders of any region in the country.
National champion Michaela Drummond is joined in the under 17 girls squad by Emily Shearman and Libby Arbuckle. The three boys in last year’s under 17 squad, Campbell Stewart, Robert Stannard, and Chris Denholm, were again selected after dominating the national racing scene this year against riders a year older. Elizabeth Stannard was the only Manawatu rider selected in the under 19 Women’s Development Squad. In what must have been a dilemma for selectors because of the depth of talent in the under 19 Mens category, 2013 National Champ Alex West now joins last year’s squad member and NZ representative Luke Mudgway in the team.
The first training camp is next month at Cambridge followed by subsequent events at the National Criterium Championships in Auckland in November. All National squad members will then travel to the Manawatu for the Novice Tour.