Southland’s up and coming cyclist Corbin Strong is part of the Team Skoda Fruzio who will take to the start of the Junior Tour of Wales 2018. In just under a month the New Zealand outfit will take on the five stages and over 300km of racing that will comprise the 37th edition of the race; which boasts a long list of cycling’s top names in its list of former champions.
In 1981 the inaugural Junior Tour of Wales was held, and since then it has become synonymous with fostering some of the stars of the sport in the future. David Millar, four-time Tour de France stage winner, was second in the 1994 edition. Dan Martin, a two-time Tour stage winner and two-time monument classic winner, beat current yellow jersey of the Tour de France Geraint Thomas in 2004. The following year Giro d’Italia stage winner and Commonwealth Games champion Alex Dowsett beat three-time Tour stage winner Edvald Boasson Hagen.
2018 will be the first time New Zealand has had a team in the event and Team Skoda Fruzio will be sending a squad loaded with accolades to the race. National U19 time trial champion Finn Fisher-Black will be joined by multiple U19 track champion Corbin Strong, Calder Stewart Series round winner and runner-up Bailey O’Donnell and Kiaan Watts respectively.
The race kicks off with a prologue time trial that has become a tradition with the race while the toughest challenge is generally reserved for the final day with the queen stage taking in the climb of the Tumble.
The race takes place from Friday 24th-Monday 27th August.
The Team Skoda Fruzio team for the Junior Tour of Wales is:
Corbin Strong
Finn Fisher-Black
Bailey O’Donnell
Kiaan Watts
Reserve: George Jackson
Story By Ed Wright from roadcycling.co.nz Republished with permission.
