West Australians have their own homegrown Grand Tour champion sitting at the pinnacle of cycling.
Jai Hindley stepped up in the Giro d'Italia this year and became one of only two Australians to stand at the top of the podium as an overall race winner — with Cadel Evans taking out the Tour de France in 2011.
It's nothing short of a triumph, but there may well be more to come.
And Hindley isn't the only West Australian prospect.
Last year, Ben O'Connor joined the cycling elite after finishing in fourth in his Tour de France debut, just three minutes shy of a podium finish.
Australia has recently emerged as a treasure trove of cycling talent, accruing podium finishes in four of the last seven Grand Tours.
And WA's own trailblazers may be setting the tone for the next generation of future champions.
This is 'where dreams begin'
Retired cycling great Graeme Brown highlighted the importance of Hindley's victory in setting up young cyclists in WA.
"Jai was just a normal boy one day, and now he's won the tour of Italy," he said.
"Kids watching it and going ... maybe I can do that too. That's where dreams begin, and no doubt Jai's dream began the same way."
Brown also relished in how the sport was now receiving more media attention in WA.
"They're actually talking about bikes. Just bringing that awareness out for bikes," he said.
"It's huge for WA."
Speaking at a media conference after his win, Hindley said it was impossible to describe how special it felt to have the support of an entire country.
"I just want to say to all the young kids, especially the kids at Midland Cycle Club … dream big," he said.
The Midland Cycle Club is where Hindley started his journey, training alongside other hopeful riders at the Perth velodrome.
The more-than-a-century old club has already received a significant boost in traffic since Hindley's win, according to the club's development coach Mark Williamson.
"We're seeing a lot of interest in cycling in WA. Whether that's on the track, on the road, whether it's gravel, mountain bike, BMX ... there's a real interest," he said.
"WA's got a good track record of delivering high performance cyclists."
'Most important thing, have fun'
Speaking on advice for aspiring cyclists, Mr Williamson highlighted the importance of finding the right discipline, which varies from road to track to mountain biking, among others.
"Join a club. Learn how to handle a bike," he said.
"People that want to reach the highest level [are] usually, very self-driven. There's a lot of good coaches here in WA. But it takes a lot of hard work and dedication."
To start, Mr Williamson recommended one thing.
"Just have fun."
How hard is a Grand Tour?
The Tour de France is the most publicised Grand Tour, but among professional cycling circles, the Giro d'Italia — which Hindley won — is often touted as the most difficult.
"It's a fatigue level beyond words can even describe," Brown said, who has competed in the Giro himself.
"The Tour de France, everyone knows about. Then you've got the tour of Italy, which is number two, but by no means is it a number two race. It's actually harder than the Tour de France."
The average distance of each stage of the Giro is about 164 kilometres – that's almost like riding from Perth to Bunbury.
The distance Hindley rode over the course of three weeks is equivalent to making that trip 21 times.
World champion cyclist Michael Freiberg said Hindley's win has put WA on the world map, and will bolster the state's already growing community.
"We're punching above our weight here," he said.
"A lot of interest picking up from the grassroots. But we've also got some really good talent out there [which has] been established for quite a few years."
West Australian cyclists, including Ben O'Connor, Luke Durbridge, Cameron Meyer and Michael Storer will be hoping to continue building WA's foothold on the world stage.
Path open for aspiring riders
Young cyclists will be looking to trace Hindley's path through the WA Institute of Sport's cycling program, for which Hindley earned a scholarship.
Mr Williamson, who helps manage junior cyclists, emphasised the importance of taking advantage of cycling clubs that offer developmental pathways.
"My role here is to work with the coaches and the other members of the committee to ensure that we find pathways for our talented members," he said.
"We have five professional riders in the professional peloton today that have all come through the junior development here at Midland Cycle Club."
Mr Williamson encouraged those interested in riding to join a club.
"We're 120 years old, and we're always looking to bring new people in," he said.
"Jai started out with the Midland Cycle Club as a junior, as an 11 year old.
"Like many of the 11 year olds that are out here tonight, he came along to one of our nights, and has been a member of Midland Cycle Club ever since."
