2012 Tour of Tasmania Stage 2 – Darren Lapthorne, Mark O’Brien & Lachie Norris (image courtesy markgunter.com.au) The desire of wearing the green and gold national bands on his jersey ?well into his old age? has Victoria?s Mark O?Brien hungry for victory ahead of the Mars 2013 Cycling Australia Road National Championships in Ballarat. ?To win nationals would literally be my dream,? O?Brien,? I know I am up against some of the best guys in the world, so to win would still be a long shot, but to be able to wear the green and gold jersey would be amazing.? After tasting national success in 2003 as a fifteen-year-old when he claimed the Australian under 17 national title, Horsham?s O?Brien will head into the men?s road race, to be contested on Sunday 13 January, in career-best form. ?I am training harder than I ever had before and my training data is telling me I?m in the best form I have ever been in,? announced O?Brien, who finished twelfth in the men’s road race in 2012. ?I have always gone into nationals doing the same training as most professionals, and have always done really well on the Buninyong course, but for 2013 I really wanted to give it everything I have and line up with the best possible form I can have,? he said. O?Brien, 25, who has been training in regional Victoria with former national champion Darren Lapthorne in the lead up to the Championships, has used his training partner?s 2007 road race victory as motivation. ?He will have the national bands on the sleeves of his kit for the rest of his life and no one can take that away from him,? explained O?Brien. ?It would be such a huge honour to wear the national jersey overseas, the respect you would receive would be so much greater. ?If I was able to achieve that, then I would be satisfied with my life on the bike,? O?Brien remarked. After racing in Europe for a number of teams between 2008 and 2011 before returning to the Australia domestic scene in 2012, O?Brien finished third overall in the 2012 Subaru National Road Series (NRS) following three tour victories to open the Series for pro continental team Budget Forklifts. His success in the 2012 NRS has secured a 2013 contract with the UK-based team Raleigh, which will see him ride alongside former Budget-Forklifts teammate Sam Witmitz (VIC) and 2012 Tour of Tasmania victor Lachlan Norris (VIC). ?It was really cool to see the progression from when I had lasted raced the NRS in 2007,? explained O?Brien. ?It?s just a sign of things to come for the series as the level of professionalism and quality of racing had really stepped up. ?When I?m overseas I?ll be following the NRS and will be keenly looking out for who is stepping up, especially now that I have a better insight into how far the racing has come,? O?Brien concluded. The 2013 MARS Cycling Australia Road National Championships will be held in Ballarat and Buninyong from Wednesday 9 to Sunday 13 January 2013. Schedule Wednesday, 9 January ? Time Trials ??????? 9:30am:?U23 Men?s Time Trial (29.2kms) ??????? 12:00pm:?Elite & U23 Women?s Time Trial (29.2kms) ??????? 2:30pm:?Elite Men?s Time Trial (37kms) Thursday, 10 January ? Criteriums ??????? 4:30pm:?U23 Men?s Criterium. 30 laps, 33kms ??????? 5:45pm:?Elite & U23 Women?s Criterium. 30 laps, 33kms. ??????? 7:00pm:?Elite Men?s Criterium. 40 laps, 44kms Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 January ? Road Races Saturday ??????? 9:00am:?U23 Men?s Road Race.?137.2kms ??????? 1:30pm:?Elite & U23 Women?s Road Race. 106.6kms Sunday
