Sport

Levi presented green and gold opportunity

By Alexander Dabb

Mar 5, 2024

National duties: Echuca-Moama Cycling Club product Levi Hone will be representing Australia this May, having been picked in the ARA Australian Cycling Team junior squad to race in Nations Cup events in Europe. Photo: Aidan Briggs Photo by Aidan Briggs

Levi Hone’s burgeoning cycling career has received a huge boost, with the Echuca-Moama Cycling Club product set to don the green and gold Australian kit for the first time.

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The 17-year-old was last week named in the ARA Australian Cycling Team consisting of six male and six female riders who will travel to Europe to contest UCI Junior Nations Cup events, with the men’s team set to race between May and June this year.

Hone received the news of his inclusion a few weeks ago from Olympic gold medallist and track cycling great Brett Aitken and is thrilled to be given the opportunity to race on an Australian team.

“It's pretty incredible to think I'll be representing the country,” he said.

“I didn't think it would happen so soon, so yeah, I'm super happy.”

Already set to ride in France in April with the under-19 Academy Region Sud team, Hone will join the Australian set-up in the Czech Republic in May, where he will compete in a prestigious junior race that includes multiple grand tour winners and world champions on its honour roll.

“All the racing with the Australian team, I already know what that will entail, pretty much,” he said.

“I'll fly over by myself first and just be with my French team for a couple of weeks, and then after that I'll fly to the Czech Republic to race in Course De La Paix, which is the first Nations Cup that we race.

“The winners’ list there is just — the former winners are crazy. You've got Remco Evenepoel, Mads Pedersen, Fabian Cancellara — the formers winners’ list is outstanding, so that will be incredible.

“Then after that I think our next Nations Cup race is in the north of France and then we have one in Switzerland and also in Germany as well.”

Hone’s rise has been rapid, with last season a breakout year for the young star, who claimed the 2023 under-19 National Road Series title, before finishing fourth at the 2024 under-19 national titles in January.

While he will don the green and gold in May, Hone still has his sights set on earning selection for the Australian junior world championships team, which he identified as a major goal for this season.

After being included in the ARA Australian team, which serves as a development opportunity for the next generation of national talent, Hone is confident he is close to achieving that goal.

“For sure, I think I'm on the right track at the moment,” he said.

“Everyone in that team of six, they're very, very good bike racers.

“So, I'll have to just go to Europe and try and get the best results I can to try and make that world championship side.”