National Road Series champion Jarrad Drizners isn’t overwhelmed by his WorldTour debut among idols in cycling

South Australia’s Jarrad Drizners is about to join Hagens Berman Axeon which is run Axel Merckx, son of cycling legend Eddy Merckx.

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Jarrad Drizners is the most exciting road cycling prodigy to emerge from South Australia since reigning two-time world time trial champion Rohan Dennis.

Riding for UniSA – the same team which gave Trek-Segafredo’s Tasmanian Richie Porte a start as a rookie at the Santos Tour Down Under in 2008 where he finished ninth overall – the Brooklyn Park-based 20-year-old isn’t overwhelmed in his WorldTour debut.

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And the talented all rounder shouldn’t be given Team INEOS’ Dennis and Porte both enjoyed overall wins at the Tour Down Under – a race which gave the pair a window to further showcase their brilliant talents.

“I was going down to Stirling (stage 2) and thinking this is really want I want to do with myself,’’ Drizners said.

“It’s fun clocking 70km/h around the hills and being among the bunch.

“It’s a little bit nerve wracking at times but it’s fun, there’s close calls and you have to calculate your risks.”

SA cyclist Jarrad Drizners has been selected on to US-based professional cycling team Hagens Berman Axeon for 2020.

Drizners mixed it with the best of the WorldTour riders during the last climb to Paracombe where Porte starred to take his second stage win in the hills town on Thursday.

Drizners ended the day in overall 25th spot, 41 seconds behind Porte.

“It was pretty brutal it’s longer than you think when you’re racing it,’’ he said.

“There was just full noise, I held the top 15 wheels all the way through which is really handy.

“I was close to Richie as we entered the climb and that was the last time I saw him until I heard he won over the loud speaker.”

Drizners recently jagged the Australian National Road Series in a canter and is was also king of SA’s Super Series for the Cycling Australia Academy until national road commitments took the Kilkenny Cycling Club member away from winning that prize.

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He adores what a Tour appearance has done to his confidence.

“It’s pretty cool I haven’t really thought about it too much, but it’s my home crowd, my parents are here which is pretty cool,’’ Drizners said.

Jarrad Drizners from team UniSA Australia claims the King of the Mountain during stage one of the Tour Down Under UCI World Tour cycling event through the Barossa Valley in Adelaide on January 21, 2020. Picture: Brenton Edwards/AFP.

“To see what it’s like to be near Rohan Dennis, Miles Scotson (Groupama- FDJ), Richie Porte all those guys in the bunch, guys you look up to and now I’m racing against them.”

Once his amazing WorldTour debut is done Drizners will start his professional cycling contract with Hagens Berman Axeon which is run Axel Merckx, son of cycling legend Eddy Merckx.

He leaves for a Californian training camp on January 27 after his official debut for his new team was put on hold after the Tour of Oman was cancelled following the death of Oman’s Sultan Qaboos.

A former young Australian team pursuit squad member Drziners put away his track bike to concentrate on road cycling.

The US-based team has a stable of elite under-23 international riders and competes mainly on the European circuit.

King of the Mountain Classification leader Jarrad Drizners is seen on the podium after stage one of the Tour Down Under from Tanunda to Tanunda. Picture: AAP Image/David Mariuz.

Drizners is fast learning from some of the best road cycling men on the planet in the WorldTour pressure cooker where you either go with the flow or get left behind literally.

“There’s definitely different racing on the team aspect and everyone has six guys committed to one guy pretty much, they’re all really strong and they can do big damage on the bike,’’ Drizners said.

“It’s cool to be in the bunch and analyse the little things and get more confident day by day.

“I want to keep improving that’s for sure.”

“My first race was supposed to be the Tour of Oman but that got cancelled just a few days ago.

I’m not sure what I’m going to be doing now and I’ll be off to California for a training camp and leave January 27. “

Originally published as National Road Series champion Jarrad Drizners isn’t overwhelmed by his WorldTour debut among idols in cycling