Tour Down Under 2015: How fatherhood and returning to the track has rejuvenated Jack Bobridge’s cycling career

FATHERHOOD, moving back to Australia and getting back on the boards has rejuvenated Jack Bobridge’s cycling career on the eve of his fifth Tour Down Under.

CYCLING - Jack Bobridge at home with baby daughter Amellie before competing in the Tour Down Under. Photo Sarah Reed.

FATHERHOOD, moving back to Australia and getting back on the boards has rejuvenated Jack Bobridge’s cycling career on the eve of his fifth Tour Down Under.

Six years after he debuted in the race with UniSA, Bobridge is back where it all began as part of the national wildcard team for the season-opening WorldTour race in Adelaide.

In between he spent five years riding with three professional teams in Europe before this year returning to Australia to commit to the track program for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

He has signed with domestic team Budget-Forklifts and later this month will attempt to break the world hour record in Melbourne.

As he prepares to start his fifth TDU tomorrow, this time is different for he won’t have to pack up and return to Europe at the end of it.

“It’s normally been the start to my European season where as now it’s going to be the start for the track worlds and Australian racing,” Bobridge, 25, said.

“There’s a lot less pressure but we have a great team at UniSA for Down Under, it’s bloody strong and mentally it’s nice knowing you don’t have to pack everything up straight after and head back to Europe.”

Last year while racing for Dutch team Belkin, Bobridge got to the point where he wasn’t enjoying riding his bike.

“I think I got to that point where I was flat lining a bit in the end,” he said.

“Obviously I love the track and I do that with passion so to come back here and finally make the decision to ride with Budget Forklifts, for sure I’ve found that love for the bike again.”

Bobridge is managing his rheumatoid arthritis so it doesn’t affect his racing and off the bike he said words can’t describe how happy he was to have four-month-old daughter Amelie.

“Having my daughter was fantastic and she’s wonderful,” Bobridge said.

“So having the family all together within Australia makes things a lot easier as well.

“Hopefully I can show it in my form, but I think it will all come together nicely this year with the way we’ve organised and planned things.

“I’m in a good place mentally and physically so if we can roll that on to track worlds and beyond with Budget it’s going to be a good year.”

The individual pursuit world record holder has been training on the road and track - on both his team pursuit and hour-record bikes - and rode the Australian madison championships and Tasmanian track carnival to prepare for this month.

The results in Buninyong last week spoke for themselves where he was third in the individual time trial behind Richie Porte and Rohan Dennis and finished sixth in the road race.

“I was a bit unsure about where I was but I think after racing the nationals and then doing sessions this week and then Down Under, hopefully I’ve still got a fair bit to come for the hour record a week after,” he said.

“When I look at my results for the TT at nationals I think I was in a pretty good spot considering how much intensity I’d only done, so hopefully the rest of the racing about to come brings me up another level for the hour record.”

Originally published as Tour Down Under 2015: How fatherhood and returning to the track has rejuvenated Jack Bobridge’s cycling career