Drapac Professional Cycling will do their first race as a pro continental team tomorrow when they line up for the Australian national time trial championships. Jordan Kerby is hoping to medal in the U23 race while Jack Anderson and William Clarke will represent the team's colours in the elite ranks.

A dream will come true for Drapac Professional Cycling tomorrow when the team will make its debut as a pro continental team. Having played an important role on the Australian domestic scene for several years, the team will step it up a notch in 2014 when they have become the second professional team from Australia, with Orica-GreenEDGE playing the role of their bigger brother.

The event that kick starts their campaign is the Australian national championships that open tomorrow with the time trial. The first rider ever to start a race for Drapac in their new guise is new signing, 21-year-old Jordan Kerby who will participate in the U23 race.

"I'm also the youngest rider in the team so it would be nice to show management a good reason why they signed me up," Kerby said. "I put a lot of emphasis on the nationals because there's a jersey up for grabs."

Last year Kerby rode for the Danish continental team Christina Watches and got his season off to a fantastic start. Having finished 4th in the time trial, he won the U23 road race a few days later.

This year he hopes that a medal will be within reach when he rolls down the ramp tomorrow.

“I'm definitely would love to be on the podium, I don’t think it’s out of my reach," he said. "Last year I started right near the front and I didn't have anyone to chase and there was three guys who didn't start in front of me – that was a bit disappointing.

"Now that I know I'm starting near the back and with a lot of good competition there it will be good to gauge myself against some of the other riders."

Sports director Henk Vogels is confident that Kerby will get the season off to a flying start.

"I would be surprised if we didn't get a medal in the Under-23," he said. "Jordan's been recording some great numbers here in Bright and I've been very impressed with how he’s been training."

Later in the day, Drapac will line up three riders in the 45km elite race. Former Argos-Shimano rider Will Clarke, 2010 time trial runner-up Jack Anderson and Lachlan Norris will wear the team's colours in the race.

While the team will be going all in for the green and gold jersey in Sunday's road race, they know that tomorrow's race is a different beast. With Orica-GreenEDGE lining up two-time champion Luke Durbridge, Vogels knows that the win is probably beyond their reach.

"I think Will Clarke's going well and he may shock a few in the time trial but I wouldn't put Will Clarke down as a specialist - he's just a beast,” he said. "He's a very strong guy so I think he would be happy with a top five finish in the national time trial championships and we'd be over the moon with that.

"Jack Anderson's been second before so while he’s not a pure time triallist, I think it will be a great warm up for the road race when it comes to all those guys."

Clarke will start his race at 15:05 and is only followed by five riders. He is happy with this position and while he hasn't prepared specifically for the time trial, he hopes to be able to repeat his 2010 performance which saw him end 4th in the race won by Cameron Meyer.

"I prefer to start maybe a bit earlier so I can catch other riders," he said. "It gives you a bit more motivation.

"I'm feeling pretty good on the road bike at the moment and while my fourth place came in 2010 and quite a few years ago now, hopefully I can get another top five performance on Wednesday. That’s my goal."

In that 2010 championships, Anderson was 2nd. On paper, he could be in for a good result but a change of the course since his silver-medal rider makes him uncertain about his chances.

"When I won the silver medal it was on the hillier course that started and finished in Buninyong," he said. "So this year it's more of a case of wanting to improve my time trialling and get back to my former self. I'm not doing it as well as I used to. I want to go through the process and a top 10 of even a top five would be awesome.

"The course is just a little bit too flat and more suited to the more powerful guys to suit me."

Drapac will also line up in the criterium on Thursday and the road race on Sunday.