Cycling fans may have been following Australian Jai Hindley in this year's Tour de France, but in a different part of Europe a boy from Armidale was busy pedalling his own way to a podium.
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Making his debut as a guest cyclist for the Dutch-based Zuyd Cycling Team, Toby Inglis, a Year 12 student at The Armidale School, surprised himself to cross the line in first place in an under 19s, 95km kermesse event near Heusden-Zolder ahead of 119 other starters.
"I'd never really been in a race with more than 100 riders, so I tried to get comfortable in a bunch to feel my way," Inglis said.
"Then with 20 kilometres to go I went out solo then another cyclist broke away and we worked together until near the end when I sprinted hard and crossed the line just a bike length ahead of him.
"I just couldn't believe it."
The New Englander also achieved podium placings in a number of minor local competitions used for training.
Many of the races were through countryside with rolling hills, lots of corners - "and plenty of unexpected potholes".
Off the bike he lived with his four Australian teammates in a share house at Watersley Sports and Talentpark, an incubator for elite and developing professional athletes in Sittard, just near the border with Belgium and Germany.
"Winning that first race was pretty special but really, just generally experiencing that racing was something else, training and living for the big races every week," Inglis said.
"Because it was on at the same time as the Tour de France villagers would come out and watch and support - cycling is just such a bit part of their sporting culture."
The glorious scenery wasn't the only vista, with Toby also getting a view of his cycling future.
On the back of his success he has already had approaches from two larger teams keen to have him on board to live and race with them next year.
"One of these is one of the top three under 19s road teams in the world, so that would be an incredible opportunity," he said.
In the meantime, since his return a fortnight ago it's been back to the books and into his Trial HSC exams.
"After the HSC I will be back on my bike for the national road circuit in January, then hopefully back overseas to start at a training camp in Spain in late February. We'll just have to see what happens," he said.
