Merida Flight Centre elite mountain bike squad has signed Terri Rhodes to its four-strong team for the upcoming Australian season. (Image credit: Merida)
The Merida Flight Centre elite mountain bike squad has signed Terri Rhodes to its four-strong team for the upcoming Australian season. Rhodes is the sister of road star Alexis, who rode for North American road squad Webcor Builders in 2009.
“Being part of a factory team like Merida Flight Centre is as good as it gets in Australia,” she said. “My aim for next year with the team is to be competitive at all national rounds and then race in Europe to gain more valuable experience.”
Rhodes hopes the experience gained from the coming season will enable her to launch into a European and North American campaign in coming seasons. A member of Australia’s ‘Dirt Roads To London’ program, Rhodes’ had a keen eye on the 2012 Olympic Games.
“Beyond 2010 I hope to improve enough to climb the rankings and compete at a world class level in Europe and North America,” she said. “And, of course, my ultimate aim is to represent Australia at the 2012 London Olympics.”
The South Australian rider joins Queensland’s Jodie Willett, who was announced as a signing earlier this week, and Victorian men Adrian Jackson and James Peacock on the squad. Rhodes was third in the under 23 age group at the Oceania Mountain Biking Championships and represented Australia at the International Cycling Union (UCI) Mountain Bike World Championships last month.
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