Drapac Pat’s Veg has announced the names of the 10 riders who will form the Drapac Pat’s Veg holistic development team for the 2017 season.
The team, made up of university students from all around Australia, will start the year competing at the 2017 Mars Cycling Australia Road National Championships, before racing at prestigious UCI race the Jayco Herald Sun Tour this February.
Drapac Pat’s Veg is a platform for exceptional individuals to pursue university degrees or professional certifications in addition to racing on the UCI Continental level. In addition to racing the domestic scene, the team will be heading to Europe in order to gain international racing experience.
Melbourne University student Cyrus Monk, who has had an excellent year on the bike, is one of five current Pat’s Veg riders who have re-signed with the team for the 2017 season. In addition to achieving his first win in Europe at the Slag Van Ambacht in Holland, Monk recently won Melbourne University’s 2016 Male Athlete of the Year.
Oliver Kent-Spark, who has spent the last year racing in Europe with Irish based continental team An-Post Chain Reaction, will also be joining Drapac Pat’s Veg in 2017. The 23-year-old and 2014 winner of the Melbourne to Warrnambool, is looking forward to getting back into his management degree at Deakin University, while racing back in the domestic scene.
Liam White, a Federation University student studying a bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science, is a continuing member of the team for 2017, from Pat’s Veg Cycling this year. Liam’s 2016 saw him travel to the US, where he posted some fantastic results, most noticeably his stage 3 win, and 3rd on General Classification at the Intelligentsia Cup in Chicago.
Michael Drapac, chairman of Drapac Capital Partners, and owner of the Drapac Pat’s Veg Holistic Development team, has always been a firm believer in the importance of both athletic achievement and personal development, saying: “It is vital that developing cyclists also reach their potential off the bike, to grow the foundations for their success away from sport,” Drapac said. “. The Drapac-Pat’s Veg program encourages and supports our riders to do just that.”
Drapac Capital Partners and Slipstream Sports, the management company of Cannondale-Drapac Pro Cycling, announced a partnership in June 2016. Building on this partnership, the Drapac-Pat’s Veg holistic development team will serve as the official development team for WorldTour Team Cannondale-Drapac Pro Cycling.
Drapac Pat’s Veg will debut its new kit at the 2017 Mars Cycling Australia Road National Championships at Ballarat in January.
Cannondale-Drapac Pro Cycling will also be showcasing their talents at the Santos Tour Down Under and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road race in Australia this January.
Drapac Pat’s Veg team for 2017
- Cyrus Monk, 20 years old, from Doncaster, VIC. Studying a bachelor of Science at Melbourne University. Cyrus won Melbourne Universities 2016 Male Athlete of the Year.
- Drew Morey, 20 years old from Ashburton, VIC. Studying a bachelor of Commerce (majoring in Accounting) at Deakin University.
- Liam White, 22 years old from Ballarat, VIC. Studying a bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science at Federation University
- Mat Ross, 20 years old from Greensborough, VIC. Studying a bachelor of IT at RMIT.
- James Pane, 20 years old from East Keilor, VIC. Studying a bachelor of Education at Victoria University.
- Theo Yates, 21 years old from Rockingham, WA. Studying a bachelor of Applied Science (majoring in interior architecture) at Curtin University.
- Oliver Kent-Spark, 23 years old from Geelong, VIC, studying a bachelor of Management at Deakin University.
- Jesse Featonby, 28 years old from Albury, NSW. Studying a masters of Education at Latrobe University.
- Nicholas Katsonis, 22 years old from Gladstone Park. Studying a bachelor of business (majoring in marketing) at Swinburne University.
- Tom Kaesler, 21 years old from Adelaide. Studying a bachelor of commerce at the University of Adelaide.
