Steele von Hoff has taken home the last two Australian national criterium titles but come 2016, it's the road race the ONE Pro Cycling rider is targeting on January 10. While von Hoff has hit his straps in January over the last few seasons with national titles and a Tour Down Under stage win, he is focused on succeeding Heinrich Haussler (IAM Cycling) as the Australian national champion in just over a week's time.
Known for his characteristics as a sprinter, von Hoff's ambition for the green and gold jersey on the challenging Bunninyong course is far from unsound having finished third, eighth and ninth in his last three starts. However, he will need to the race to play to his strengths as he explained to Cyclingnews.
"I'll approach it like every other year as I've felt that if the race was raced slightly differently, I would have been in with a chance for the win. So hopefully I just have to wait until the race is raced the way I need it to be and I'll be in with a good shot at the jersey," said von Hoff who won't be able to call upon teammates Matt Goss and Glen O'Shea who are both skipping the race.
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"I’ve won the bunch kick from the bunch that I've been in the last few years. Last year when there was a breakaway, Adam Hansen was in-between, and I was the best of the rest so all I need it to be is a 'bunchie' and my odds are a lot better. A few years ago there was a bunchie [behind solo winner Luke Durbridge, ed] and I was second after Michael Matthews so that's all the really needs to happen. Of course, it's very difficult on that course and when I say a bunchie, it will be about ten guys."
Von Hoff will start his season at the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic from January 1-4, leaving him little chance to enjoy his 28th birthday on December 31, but will approach the four-day criterium series as a "warm up" and hit out in preparation for the 183.6km national road race.
"I am racing with the Avanti IsoWhey team so I am going to play it by ear and see what the director has to say. I am not really going to have any goals or ambitions right now as I am not sure what the plans are," he said of the races, adding that enjoys reuniting with the team that launched his professional cycling career. "It's great, I love to try and help out the team and try and support them whenever I can because they are the reason I am cycling. I wouldn't be where I am without them."
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
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