Jack Sadler primed and ready to depart for Australia tomorrow, Wednesday, for a three month training and racing trip with new pro team Rapha Condor JLT.
Ahead of setting out for Australia to embark on a professional career with Rapha Condor JLT, Ireland’s Jack Sadler has said the coming season will be all about taking as much in as he can and making the most of the learning experiences 2014 throws up.
The UK-based rider has done what few his age have; secured a pro contract straight from the junior ranks. And with a very strong sprint that has seen him take three stages in the Junior Tour of Ireland over the past two seasons, Sadler has the potential to become a regular winner.
He said he's very excited to be working under team manager John Herety, an ex professional himself who has helped develop some of the best riders the UK scene has produced down the years.
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“I’m incredibly lucky to be under his wing,” said Sadler of Herety.
“I don’t particularly have any set goals for next year but I do have certain personal targets. My main target for 2014 is to learn and develop; gain as much experience from John and the guys as I can. In my eyes I’m in the best place for my development and I’m very excited to kick the season off. “
First up for the teenager and first-year U23 rider will be the Bay Crits in January, which form part of the Continental ranked team’s extended programme of racing and training in Australia ahead of the European season.
“I’ll go there with a good solid block of training under my belt and I’ll look to start the ball rolling for the season, I’ll definitely be targeting those,” he said of the short sharp efforts.
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However, he stressed he understood a key requirement for him in the year ahead will be finding his level and being able to fill a support role for the older and more established riders on the team.
They include the likes of Olympic gold medallist, four time World Champion and double European Champion Ed Clancy, former British national road champion Kristian House, former British criterium champion Graham Briggs and former national Irish criterium champion Felix English; from whom good things are expected in the year ahead having had a breakthrough season this year.
Sadler said he would look to help all of his team mates when called upon, whether it’s lead out duty, riding to protect a general classification position of keeping the team stocked with bottles and food.
“I really want to learn as much as I can. We’ve such a strong roster from sprinters, to climbers, to strong men. That said, if I did get the opportunity at a finish line I would seize that with both hands.”
While his schedule for the coming season was unclear apart from kicking it off at the Bay Crits Down Under, he was hopeful of the riding the national road and crit championships. The An Post Rás was also a possibility, though it clashes with some of the Tour Series criteriums in the UK; races he expects to ride.
He also felt there would be some foreign stage race opportunities, while the Premier Calendar road races would also pose a good challenge.
Aside from trade team obligations, Sadler would love to represent Ireland again as soon as he could and was also thinking long term in that regard; specifically towards the 2016 World Road Race Championships when she should be at the peak of his U23 career.
“It’s a real target to go for; flat as a pancake and almost certain to finish in a bunch sprint. We would have a strong team in the under 23 ranks that year and for certain it's one to go for. I feel sure getting this chance under John Herety and with Ken Matheson coaching that they’ll put me on the right track.”
From all at stickybottle, best of luck to Jack Sadler; an exciting year ahead.
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