Drapac Professional Cycling got their time as a pro continental team off to a perfect start when Jordan Kerby won the Australian U23 Time Trial Championships earlier today. Tomorrow the team is hopeful to continue their success in the elite criterium where Jonathan Cantwell will go all out in a quest to repeat his 2011 win in the event.

After several years as one of the most successful Australian sprinters on the domestic scene, Jonathan Cantwell got a big chance when he was signed by Team Saxo-Tinkoff prior to the 2012 season. However, his two years at the highest level didn't live up to expectations and after two seasons where his only wins were two stages of the 2012 Tour de Taiwan, he is back in Australia.

Cantwell will continue to ride high-level races as he has signed a contract with Drapac Professional Cycling which has stepped up to pro continental level for the 2014 season. The team got its season off to a perfect start earlier today when Jordan Kerby won the Australian time trial title in the U23 ranks while William Clarke was 5th in the elite's race.

Tomorrow it is time for the criterium where the team will fully back Cantwell. The sprinter won the title in 2011 and feels ready to try to repeat the feat in tomorrow's race.

Unlike many of his rivals, Cantwell and the rest of his team preferred not to do the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic last week, instead participating in a training camp in the mountains. Cantwell is convinced that this has allowed him to reach tomorrow's race in peak condition.

“It’s always good to start the season trying to get a run on the board with the national championships,” he stated. “My win in 2011 was a really big highlight for me and to take the jersey away and to have that medal makes me want to do it again.

“I’m really motivated. We’ve had a great training camp in Bright over the past week and I’m feeling really, really good at the moment. I can’t wait to put a number on this Thursday.”
 

Sports director Henk Vogels is convinced that Cantwell will be able to deliver the goods.

“The best preparation for us was to do a hard training camp with intensity, long rides in the mountains,” he explained. “We see that as a better preparation for Nationals and Tour Down Under and for every race after that as well.
 

“Johnny Cantwell can win it,” he continued. “He’s won it before I think he can win it again. I think we’ll start with nine guys so it will be handy to have that many in. Obviously there’s going to be 120-odd guys who want the same thing but we’ve trained well this week.

In addition to Cantwell, the team will line up Jai Crawford, Robbie Hucker, Ben Johnson, Darren Lapthorne, Travis Meyer, Adam Phelan, Mal Rudolph and Bernard Sulzberger. However, they will miss young sprinter Thomas Palmer who is absent due to a back injury.

“I was pretty excited to be getting underway at the Road Nationals and racing with the team, given it’s going to be such a big year,” he said.  “Unfortunately I’ve got a problem with a bulging disc. It’s not something that I want to take lightly and I need to take the proper precautions, get the treatment that I need. That means I can’t race.”

The criterium will be followed by the road race which ends the championships on Sunday.