Lucas Plapp

Lucas ‘Luke’ Plapp started cycling at the age of 12 as a form of exercise to support his cricket and football aspirations.

A member of the Brunswick Cycling Club, Lucas was chosen as part of Cycling Australia's Podium Potential Academy.

Ahead of the 2018 Junior World Championships, Aussie favourite James Moriarty broke his collarbone in a training crash two days before the event and Lucas stepped up to the plate in what became a defining moment of the young athlete's career.

He won dual gold in the points race and madison and picked up a bronze medal in the team pursuit, with the elated teenager celebrating his first international victory by sleeping in his rainbow jersey.

Following his success as a junior, which included podium results on the road and track, Lucas made his debut in the elite level at the 2019 Oceania Track Championships and the following year won gold as part of the team pursuit at the Track Cycling World Cup in Brisbane. In a strong solo performance, Lucas also won a silver medal in the individual pursuit.

Another unfortunate teammate's injury opened the door for Lucas, when Kelland O'Brien broke his collarbone.

Lucas was called into the Australian Cycling Team for the 2020 World Championships where he finished fourth in the team pursuit with the experienced quartet of Sam Welsford, Alexander Porter and Leigh Howard. He came 13th in the individual pursuit.

Along with track racing, Lucas continues to compete on tarmac and in 2020 won the time trial at the National U23 Road Championships.

Lucas was the youngest member of Australia’s men’s team pursuit at Tokyo 2020 and was thrust into the hot seat after Alex Porter’s nasty crash in qualifying.

Lucas came into the line-up for the next round against Switzerland where he helped Australia produce an Olympic record ride of 3mins 44.90secs and then clinch a bronze medal when they lapped their New Zealand rivals in their final a day later.
A few weeks later, Lucas won silver in the U23 time trial at the UCI Road World Championships.

Also in 2021, Lucas became the elite time trial national champion for the first time. The young star added an elite road race national championship to his tally in 2022 before making his WorldTour debut at the UAE Tour.

Lucas competed on both track and road at his first Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022, coming away with bronze in the team pursuit. He was also the highest-placed Australian in the men’s road race, finishing sixth.

In 2023, Lucas’s progression continued with another Australian road race title followed by second overall in the UAE Tour. In January 2024, Lucas completed a historic hat-trick by winning his third Australian road race championship in a row, in addition to taking his second career time trial title.

He finished second on two stages of Paris-Nice, before ending the race in sixth overall, and turned in a strong performance in the Giro d’Italia, finishing third on stage three.