|
|
Patrick Constable continues to rise with Cali World
Cup Selection |
|
|
|
January 13th 2015 |
|
|
|
|
|
Patrick Constable is one of a number of rising stars in
Australian track sprinting. Selected for the Junior Track
World Championships in Glasgow in 2013, Constable was part of
the winning Australian Team Sprint trio with Alex Radzikiewicz
and Jai Angsuthasawit. The same trio had at the end of 2012
won the junior Oceania title and the junior Australian title
in 2013. Making Constable a rare holder of the World, Oceania
continental and Australian titles in the same discipline at
the same time.
As well as his team sprint success Constable finished fourth
in the sprint as the reigning National Champion at Junior
Worlds. The past 18 months have seen Constable make the
transition to the elite ranks. A task often difficult to
handle but Constable has already been making significant
strides in the right direction.
Constable has finished inside the top 10 in seven UCI sprint
events in 2014 and is ranked inside the top 50. Including second behind world number one
Matthew Glaetzer at the Austral carnival. Constable also found
the podium in the sprint at the BikeNZ Classic in September
last year.
His success across 2014 including at the Austral where
Constable beat multiple Track World Champion Shane Perkins in
the semi final has seen him selected for the Cali Track World
Cup. Below Constable talks his time as a junior, 2014 and what
he hopes to achieve in Cali.
PelotonWatch: How did you first come in to
the sport?
Patrick Constable: I first came into the
sport through the talent ID program in 2010. At the Tour Down
Under I picked up a flyer for the annual testing, and sure
enough one thing lead to another.
PW: What do you like most about track
sprinting?
PC: The thing I like most about track
sprinting is the continual search for more speed, the never
ending quest to draw the most out of yourself as an athlete.
PW: Who has been your biggest influence?
PC: To date I'd say my biggest influence has
been my coach Jason Niblett. I've always looked up to Nibbo,
both as an athlete and a coach, and his depth of knowledge and
passion for track cycling has brought improvements out of all
of us in the SASI program.
PW: You claimed gold in the team sprint at
the Junior Track World Championships in 2013. What did pulling
on the rainbow jersey mean to you?
PC: For myself, pulling on the rainbow jersey
in Glasgow was a reward for the effort I had put in throughout
my junior years. At the same time, it almost wrapped up my
time in U/19's and gave me confidence to one day progress to
being a contender in the elites.
PW: Going from the junior to senior ranks
especially in a country like Australia with such depth is not
always easy. Has stepping up been difficult?
PC: Going from Junior to Senior is a huge
step. It's difficult for everyone, so for the beginning of my
senior career I have really focused on making that transition
as smooth and as rapid as I can to become competitive once
again. That meant using the depth of field in Aus to learn
from every race I complete regardless of outcome. It also
meant training like an elite in the gym and on the bike,
building that strength and power which juniors lack.
PW: You finished second in the sprint behind
Matthew Glaetzer at the Austral Carnival. How much confidence
can you take from that result?
PC: Finishing behind Matt in my first elite
sprint final has given me a big confidence boost to carry into
the next events. Matt is a class act, and to execute
tactically in my races against him and Shane was a big
positive.
PW: Named in the Australian team for the
final Track World Cup of the season in Cali. What are you
hoping to gain from the competition?
PC: From this World Cup I hope to gain some
essential exposure to senior racing on an international level,
a step up again from anything I have raced to date. If I can
learn and improve then the trip will be a success and will
help with future international events. Apart from that, I'm
just proud to pull on the Aussie speed suit and race
internationally again after 18 months.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|