By Sapna Pathak
Staff Writer

Joshua Lehmann finished seventh in his first Junior National Track Cycling competition in Pennsylvania, which took place July 11 to 15. (Courtesy Photo)

While some athletes may train harder, change their daily routines or even take advice from personal coaches before a big race, Joshua Lehmann already has his pre-race routine mapped out.

“How do I prepare for a big race?” said Lehmann. “I do another big race right before it.”

It’s a simple, easy and effective method Lehmann tried in July when he competed in his first Junior National Track Cycling competition.

The 13-year-old had just finished his second Junior National Road Cycling competition and had only one day to prepare for his inaugural track-racing tournament.

With both tournaments within one week of each other, Lehmann and his family, including avid cycler and father, Steven, drove to Trexlertown, Pa., home of one of the world’s most famous tracks.

The Weare resident pulled out a seventh-place finish overall at the national track cycling tournament. The trip marked the eighth time this season Lehmann and his father made the seven-hour drive to Trexlertown.

“It’s a world-renowned track,” said Steven Lehmann. “There are about half-a-dozen staff members, so it’s really intimate and dedicated to cycling. It would be like living right next to spring training every year if you’re a baseball fan.”

Joshua Lehmann, who started biking at age 3, competed in his first race at 7, racing seven of 12 hours in a mountain-bike race. Three years ago, Lehmann began racing on a velodrome when a youth cycling program came to the Granite State.

Goffstown resident Tony Eberhardt’s youth track-cycling program in Keene introduced Lehmann to the world of velodrome racing. With the program now located in Londonderry, Lehmann spends time during the summer training there.

Lehmann trains eight to 10 hours a week on his bike. During the winter, his focus is on weight lifting and maintaining muscle strength. During the offseason, Lehmann also adds rock climbing and snowshoeing to his training regimen.

While weekends in the summer are spent at various races, Lehmann may not always show up as a racer.

Last year, Lehmann became the youngest cyclist in New England to work as a race official. The job came about “by accident.”

“I wanted to officiate and went to the New England Bicycle Racing Association’s official’s course,” said Steven Lehmann. “I brought Josh and he had to sit through the course with me. They told him to take the test just for fun.”

Joshua Lehmann passed the course and found he was eligible to become an official, a paid position he said he was happy to accept.

While competing in the track race championships, Lehmann said he had the chance to glimpse one possible future; once a cyclist is 17, he or she is eligible to compete for a spot on the Junior World Championship team.

Though Lehmann still has another four years until that opportunity, he said spending time with older racers qualifying for a chance to compete among the world’s best was an enriching experience.

“It was really cool rubbing elbows with someone who could be the next world champion,” said Lehmann. “My cycling doesn’t leave me with a lot of free time for other things, but seeing I’m not the only one made it easier.”