Hosking handed one-year deal with HTC-Columbia

Image 1 of 4

Chloe Hosking (HTC-Columbia) has been rewarded with a new one-year contract after a successful debut season in the professional ranks. Now back in Australia for the off-season, she is already focused on paying back her team’s faith with an even stronger season in 2011.

The 20-year-old won two stages at the Nature Valley Grand Prix, as well as a bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games. However it was a season based around attaining experience and the Australian did enough to impress the team.

“It was a pretty easy to decision to stay,” Hosking told Cyclingnews.

"I’m happy there, they’re supportive and the rider they want me to develop into is the rider I want to be as well. They’ve got the support and infrastructure to help me do that.

"I was stoked when they offered me my first contract. I went from there, to training camp, to Qatar, to Europe, America, and then at the end of this year I was offered another one-year deal so I’ll be back there this year.”

Hosking will be looking to hit the ground running in 2011, kicking off her season at the Tour of Qatar, where her strong sprint will give her the chance to inflict damage on her rivals. This year she won HTC’s first race of season at the Australian criterium championships.

“There’s a big focus on the first half of the season,” she said. Coming from Australia you have one over everyone else because you can train more. Qatar is my first race and I’m looking to really show that I’m fast there. Then I head to Belgium and Valencia for a five-day race. Then it’s the classics.”

Hosking will again be surrounded by one of the most experienced teams in the women’s professional ranks, with Ina-Yoko Teutenberg Judith Arndt both riding for HTC in 2011. It should give the young Australian a continued environment of stability where she can learn her trade and as shown at Nature Valley, take her chances when they’re offered to her.

“Surrounded by Ina and Judith and women with so much experience, you can’t help but learn. When you’ve got those girls there you can learn and absorb so much. Ina will say something and you just take it in and store it for next time. When it comes to my chance to go for the line I will have all that knowledge she’s given me and hopefully it will pay off.

“I’ve got Ina on my team and she can win in a bunch sprint, a break, going solo. I don’t want to be her, but I look to her and know I want to develop into something like that."

And while Hosking’s talents improve and develop, so does the entire women’s field, according to the Australian.

“I definitely think that the women’s peloton is getting stronger and it’s a really exciting thing. There are around four women’s teams merging with men’s and more riders are going to more teams, so the talent is more spread out, meaning the racing will be more competitive. With less than two years until the Olympics too, everyone is turning on their turbo engines. It’s going to be hard but really exciting at the same time.”