Quiz Time! Luca Bednarek (FH Redbrick MAS Junior)

Winner of the Youth races at Otley and Ilkley and many more in 2023, Luca Bednarek is stepping up from the Youth ranks and into a high profile Junior team, FH Redbrick MAS Junior

Quiz Time! Luca Bednarek (FH Redbrick MAS Junior)
feature presented by Redbrickit.co.uk/

Q: What is the best thing for you being in such a strong ambitious team?
Luca: The best thing for me is the opportunities to race big races with brilliant support and advice. The management and sponsorship team are fantastic and have great experience in developing some of the best riders in the world.

Luca is definitely pleased to win at Ilkley!

Q: After a long winter, are you hungry for racing or happy to wait until it’s warmer!
Luca: I can’t wait to get started! The spring weather suits us British lads! But I’m looking forward to working on my tan lines in summer too.

Q: Does the success of the team in helping riders move on in the sport to pro teams motivate you during the tough days of winter training?
Luca: Yes, most definitely. I’ve been lucky enough to ride with a few of them during winter too which is really motivating and very tough too! It’s great of them to give back to us younger ones who are aspiring to achieve what they have done before us.

Q: Have you had a good winter on the bike and have you had to spend a lot of it indoors?
Luca: Like many, I had a frustrating period of illness and it meant I didn’t do any cross until the last week or two but I used it to reset and was fortunate enough to get out to Tenerife, Mallorca and Calpe with friends to lessen the boredom of the many turbo sessions I’ve also done.

Q: How was your 2023 season on the bike.
Luca: It was probably my best and most consistent year to date. I was fortunate to get some big wins nationally and internationally but also had great fun at the many races and camps. Many people helped along the way but I’d like to give a special thanks to my youth team Kirklees Cycling Academy, they do so much for all their riders and have great fun.

Q: What was the best result/performance of yours in 2023.
Luca: Result wise I think winning the Otley and Ilkley double in front of friends and family and big crowds was pretty special, I’ve been a spectator at both since I was little as I live round the corner and I ride those roads in most training rides. Internationally, it was nice to win the green sprint jersey at the European tour of Assen and podium at every stage. The British lads were brilliant that week.

Winning at Otley one of the special victories in 2023

Q: What race was the most fun to do in 2023.
Luca: Representing Team GB at the Youth Olympics on road and TT was a brilliant experience. Being part of a multi sport event has given me the desire to try get selected for more of them in the future.

Riding for his country

Q: Are you looking forward to racing abroad and if so, what makes that racing so exciting?
Luca: The open roads, huge fields and the high quality of riders mean you are out of your comfort zone and anything can happen which makes the races great fun and exciting.

Q: How do you find all the travel to races with many an hour on the road?
Luca: We’re usually with friends so can have a laugh but I’m usually listening to music or watching Netflix.

Q: What was the toughest bike race you did in 2023.
Luca: There were 2 nationals where I got punctures and had to chase back on solo where most of my personal records were achieved. I like tt’ing so that was fun but super hard.

Q: What are your goals for 2024.
Luca: The main focus is to learn – it’s a huge step up and a lot to take on board which hopefully I can do well at and earn some results along the way.

Q: Have you raced in 2024 yet and if not, when do you expect your first race to be?
Luca: Not yet, I’m still getting the training miles in. It’s likely that my first race will be one of the Belgian races. We’ve got a great calendar and a great team so I’m looking forward to all the UK and the international races.

Luca is second to Henry Hobbs in the Youth Circuit Race Championships in Yorkshire (2023)

 

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