Warrnambool cyclist Eddie Worrall riding for enjoyment with competitions on hold

Eddie Worrall is spending hours on his bike each week, usually on the Wangoom road circuit, during the coronavirus lockdown.

"I have no real specific goals I am aiming for at the moment with no racing, I'm just enjoying it and having fun," he said.

"If anything it has motivated me even more to keep riding. I usually train heaps for a specific event and now there's none of that, it's just riding my bike for enjoyment."

Worrall, 16, often trains with older brother Darcy, 19.

He tries to do a long weekend ride and shorter distances after school during the week.

"Now we're doing a few longer Ks. Of a weekend I have been riding over the 160km mark on a Saturday or Sunday," he said.

"During the week there's a few rides, maybe four or five hours."

This year started with a flurry for Worrall who "managed to get third in every event I did" at the state track cycling titles in Melbourne.

He was preparing for the Australian championships when the pandemic brought sport to a halt in March.

It was his last year of eligibility for the under 17 age group. He hopes to compete next year in the under 19 section.

"With coronavirus, pretty much every event I'd been training for and aiming for was cancelled," Worrall said.

"The big event was track nationals up in Brisbane which was cancelled two days before we were supposed to fly out which was a massive disappointment.

"We had heaps of support from the Victorian team and it was good knowing we weren't the only ones going through it."

Worrall misses racing on a velodrome but is making do with the south-west roads during stage three restrictions.

"I prefer it be sunny, no wind and 30 degrees but that is not the case down here," he joked.

"I try and get out whenever I can and if it's really bad I will train inside on the inside trainer."

Worrall, who works part-time at Royal Bikes, said cycling required a strong mindset.

"If it's a longer ride, you pick some scenery you can look at to keep you distracted," he said.

"Sometimes when we're doing efforts, it's just full gas and you don't really concentrate on much, you're just looking at the road ahead."

The Emmanuel College student started as a road rider before testing himself on the velodrome.

He believes the versatility has made him a more rounded competitor.

"I used to be a longer distance attack rider, I'd always attack at the last kilometre no matter how long the ride was," Worrall said.

"But now track has given me a much better sprint and better bike handling.

"I still do that long-range attack but if it comes down to a sprint I am more than happy to back myself."

Worrall hopes he has a chance to race competitively again soon and thanked those who have supported his career.

"Even in tough times when there's nothing really happening, there's been more support than ever," he said.