Meet Jack Clark, a rising talent from Adelaide, Australia, who will turn 19 in January 2025. Jack recently spent five transformative months in Civitavecchia, Italy (northwest of Rome), racing with the International Veleka Team, where he immersed himself in the Italian racing scene. His favorite memory with Veleka was competing in the team time trial at the Gran Premio Eccellenze Valli del Soligo—a race that solidified his love for the TT discipline. And Jack’s no stranger to the podium: in April 2024, he took an impressive 2nd place in the Oceania Junior Time Trial Championships.

Jack’s journey began at 14, when he first took up cycling. By the time he entered the U19 category, he was hooked, ultimately leaving behind soccer to pursue racing full-time. He quickly made his mark, winning Best Young Rider at the Bendigo 3-Day Club event. Deciding to take a gap year from his studies, Jack headed to Italy with support from Aussie cycling legend Simon Clarke, who helped him connect with Team Veleka. In May, Jack took his first Italian victory at the Memorial Sauro Drei. He’s also no stranger to the boards, winning a national team pursuit title while representing South Australia, where he receives state support from the South Australian Institute of Sport.

While adjusting to life in Italy, Jack’s introduction to Italian culture came with a few surprises. The language barrier was real—none of the managers at Veleka spoke English, forcing Jack to adapt quickly to the European lifestyle and customs.

Jack is set to join X-Speed United’s youth brigade in 2025, where he’ll be competing for those hard-to-earn young rider classification points. Watch out for this promising Aussie talent when he returns to Europe in April after the Australian Nationals. We’re thrilled to see Jack’s TT skills and fierce determination in action this season!