Worlds Watch - Fiona Morris

Welcome to Worlds Watch! The 2024 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships are fast approaching, and Australia will be sending its biggest ever team to the Czech city of Tábor to compete.

To help you get to know the members of the team who’ll be racing for the rainbow bands, we’ll be profiling each of the riders competing over the next week.

Our penultimate rider profile is Fiona Morris, who’ll be Australia’s sole competitor in Saturday’s Elite Women’s race.

Cover photo by @fellusch.

Rider name 

Fiona Morris

Instagram handle

@__blonde___

Club & State

Alpine Cycling Club, VIC

Team/Sponsors

MAAP SIXPENCE, supported by Cannondale, Shimano, Lazer, Skratch Labs and Lead Out Sports.

Have you raced at worlds before?

This will be my first time at Worlds.

How are you feeling heading into worlds?

I'm feeling pretty good heading into worlds (Gazz shared his sickness with me, so I'm hoping to come good in another day or two)- I've been wanting to race worlds for the last few years, and COVID put a stop to that. I thought the opportunity may have slipped away. So I feel excited to be here.

Tell us about your prep for worlds!

Prep was mostly in Aus, with lots of base miles and a few long gravel races - I did Dirty Warrny 250kms and also Gravelista, etc, before getting stuck into some crit racing for intensity. And then it was just heading into Kerstperiode [Ed: the Christmas period of cyclocross races, when around 10 races are held between mid-December and New Year’s Day] when we arrived. I did seven races through that period, which was an intense block.
I just raced Otegem with another three races before Worlds. The fields here have been huge. 80-90+ riders, if you follow me on Instagram, you'll have seen me mention the first-corner traffic jams and the last-row call-ups. So it's been challenging, but I have enjoyed the battles I've had and the learnings. Which have been put to use in a few B races and Otegem - the smaller fields make it feel more like I'm racing to my potential and not stuck at the back because there are 70 riders in front trying to get around the same corner!

What are you hoping to get out of your worlds experience?

I want to perform at my best. It's been a good lead-in with lots of racing and getting a feel for the terrain, courses and riding in such big fields (which we don't really have in aus). I have seen the Tabor course in person before so it doesn't feel like an entirely unknown entity.

How do we spot you on course?

I will be wearing a Lazer helmet, possibly the new Z1 KinetiCore (unless it's freezing and then I'll wear the black Lazer Vento) and Australia Skinsuit, aboard my black Cannondale SuperSix EVO CX with the fluoro logo on the down tube.