Brunswick Cycling Club's Graeme Frislie is predominantly a track cyclist but knows he will reap benefits from contesting the Powercor Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic on Saturday.
Over the next year, Frislie is eyeing qualification and selection for the 2024 Paris Olympics in the team pursuit and omnium disciplines.
In the meantime, the 22-year-old - who won Commonwealth Games Bronze in 4000-metre team pursuit last year - is eager to race in his first 'Warrny'.
"I've never done it before, so it's definitely something different," he told The Standard.
"I'm pretty keen to get stuck in.
"With such a long race (269.7-kilometres), it's pretty unique.
"I've heard a lot of stories and I'm pretty keen to experience it for myself."
Frislie, who hails from Bacchus Marsh, says road cycling is invaluable for track cyclists looking to improve.
"It's a really important part of not only our training but also our race development," he said.
"Going over to Europe on the road is definitely something that I'm looking to do in the future.
"Road's just as important for us as the track.
"Most of the top track guys are professionals on the road so they really go hand in hand."
Frislie will ride for the CCACHE x Par Kup team in the Warrny which he believes is capable of performing strongly.
He anticipates playing "more of a support role" for his team due to his modest preparation but believes he can still get a good result.
The rising star unfortunately crashed out in stage one of the Tour Down Under on January 18 and suffered a concussion.
He has recovered from the knock but says he hasn't been doing too much training recently.
"I'm not really sure where the form's going to be at," he said. "But I'll find out."
Prior to the Tour Down Under, Frislie experienced success at the Road National Championships in Ballarat, winning the under-23 men's criterium for the second consecutive year.
On Saturday, he is determined to get to the finish line and said staying hydrated and well nourished was vital in such a long race.
Following the Warrny, Frislie's attention will turn to the Nations Cup (track cycling) in Jakarta from February 23 to 26, where he is firmly focused on helping secure UCI Track Olympic Ranking qualification points for Australia.
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Matt Hughes
Matt is a sports journalist at The Standard.
Matt is a sports journalist at The Standard.
