A big European summer awaits former Ascot Vale West primary school student and Maribyrnong Sports Academy athlete Lucas Plapp over the next 5 months.

At 17 years of age Lucas became a duel world champion winning the points race and Maddison at the UCI junior World Champs in Switzerland.  His love of cycling started as a 12 year old when he rode his bike to help get fitter for his footy and cricket aspirations.  “ My grade 6 PE teacher always made sure that sport was fun and really went out of his way to help me understand the skills that I possessed in footy and cricket.  And while I was riding my bike just for fitness, I started to understand that I could actually ride a bike quite well and fast,  I then applied his principals of understanding my skill set, and realised I had an ability to take cycling further ”

Lucas joined Maribyrnong Sports Academy in year 9 and from there utilised the facilities of the Academy to get him to a position of supreme fitness.  MSA Strength and Conditioning coach Todd Carlon explains why Lucas was so good “ Plappy’s work ethic and dedication to training was phenomenal during his time at MSA. But what made him stand out from others was his ability to create good relationships with MSA support staff members. An example of this was his relationship with MSA Sports Dietician Ola who helped him become a well-rounded athlete and a Junior World Champion.”

Lucas proudly agrees his time at MSA made him a stronger athlete “  The is no doubt that being a part of the environment at MSA gave me an advantage that others just didn’t have.  Working before and after school with Todd and the Strength and Conditioning coaches gave my training a purpose and gave me an understanding of what I needed to do to improve in different areas.  Having access to a professional gym, professional coaches and understanding teachers who allowed me the time to catch up on work when I was away from school due to sport, ensured that both my education and my sporting ability flourished.“

After being a part of the Tokyo Olympics bronze medal Pursuit team last year, Lucas is really looking forward to a very busy 2022 “  I have started my professional career with Ineos Grenadiers this year and I am really enjoying the team environment and the competition.  All the work we are doing now is in preparation for the big races to come in the next few months which include the Giro de Italia and the Tour de France. To be a part of those races will be amazing, and will make my first season as a professional cyclist very memorable.“

Applications for Maribyrnong Sports Academy (MSA) for Year 7, 2023 enrolment are now open until Friday 8th April. 

MSA is the state’s only government funded specialist sports school where high-quality academic education is delivered alongside our specialist sport programs from years 7-12.

Check out the enrolment page on this website for more information…