Rangitoto College year 13 student Hannah Gumbley is one of six cyclists preparing to take on the world next month at the UCI World Junior Road Racing Championships in the USA.
Hannah, along with New Zealand team mates Georgia Catterick (Marlborough Girls' College), Mikayla Harvey (Mt Aspiring College), Sam Dobbs (Hamilton Boys' High School), James Fouche (St Kent's, Auckland) and Robert Stannard (Palmerston North Boys' High School), leaves for Richmond, Virginia in mid-September to race against the world's best.
Amongst the girls, Georgia is competing in both the time trial and road race events, while Hannah and Mikayla will both also be in the road race.
It's not a team event as such, but Hannah explained that the three New Zealanders will look to work together to help each other out.
This is the first time that Hannah is representing New Zealand at world championship level, but she recently enjoyed success in Australia.
At the Australian National Championships on the Gold Coast in July, Hannah beat Australia's top young riders to be crowned the Australian U19 Girls Road Race champion.
Also this year she finished third at the Club Road Nationals in the Hawke's Bay, while Hannah and friends Bryony Botha and Briana Gunn combined for Rangitoto College to win the Points Trophy at the North Island School Cycling Championships.