South East cycling star Molly Opperman road into second place in the Under 13 Girls age group at the recent Canberra Junior Tour where she competed against athletes from across the nation.
Nine Under 13 girls competed in four stages consisting of road race (16km), time trial (8km), kermesse and criterium.
In the kermese athletes competed on a closed-circuit riding for 12 minutes and an additional two laps whereas the criterium used the same circuit but required seven laps from cyclists.
Despite Canberra being her biggest junior road tour to date, Opperman said she preferred racing on track because it was “shorter and has less hills”.
In November 2022, the young gun travelled to Queensland to participate in the Bundaberg Cycling Track Spectacular Carnival where she took home second in a handicapped event in her age group.
Opperman, 12, also competed in the Ararat Junior Tour where she added several silver medals to the trophy case.
Opperman will move up an age level to Under 15 Girls this October which will mean more kilometres and hills and a bigger age group with older riders.
Opperman said the change was both exciting and nerve-wracking.
“I am a bit nervous and not used to it,” she said.
“Under 13s is kind of easy, it depends what course, but it is not as busy as under 15s and higher.”
Opperman will hit the velodrome later this year to train for the AusCycling South Australia
2023 SA and NT Junior State Track Cycling Championships in early December at the Super Drome in Adelaide.
It will be her inaugural year competing against other hopeful riders to score a place in the state team at the AusCycling Junior Track National Championships held annually at Anna Meares Velodrome in Brisbane, Queensland.
Opperman is the only under 13 female cyclist in South Australia and as such won recently the State Kermesse Championships in Mount Gambier uncontested.
She also placed second in the (mixed) ASW Lawyers U11/13 Junior Classic in her own backyard behind Joel Gooley.
The Mount Gambier athlete said she joined the sport six years ago due to her father and brothers being heavily involved in cycling and the supportive Mount Gambier Cycling Club.
The talented youngster is now being coached virtually by Josh Harrison and Caitlin Ward from JKT Racing and is focusing on her endurance.
Opperman said her goal going forward were to try her best and to improve.
