ELITE local and international cyclist, Natalie Sullivan, has closed her season with a strong performance for Great Britain at the annual UCI Gran Fondo World Championships held this year in the coastal town of Lorne, Australia.
Sullivan, who was representing Great Britain at these Championships for a third time, having won gold in her qualifying race in Turkey earlier in the season, raced against an international field in the 25km individual time trial as well as the 131km hilly road race along the iconic Great Ocean Road and into the mountainous forest roads of Victoria.
Her best results were 12th in category and 1st Briton in the time trial.
“I’m absolutely delighted with my performance at the Worlds,”, said Sullivan on her return to Jersey. “It was a fabulous experience to travel to Australia as part of Team GB and race against these formidable, world-class cyclists in such a beautiful setting. Definitely the competition of a lifetime.”
While on tour this autumn, Sullivan continued to capitalise on her world championship fitness by competing at the UCI qualifying event in Antalya, Turkey, where she won another impressive silver in the 60km road race which has given her automatic qualification to represent Great Britain again at next year’s UCI World Championships in Niseko, Japan.
The UCI is the world governing body for cycling, recognised by the International Olympic Committee. Their international qualification events for the annual World Championships are open to all non-professional cyclists and are popular with ex-professionals and elite amateurs competing together in age categories.
After some well-deserved rest over Christmas, Sullivan will resume her training in the new year for the World Championships in Japan.
