Meyer and Earle lead generation next in KordaMentha Australian National Team
The demands on the peloton resulting from a tougher Jayco Herald Sun Tour in 2017 has meant a shift in dynamic for the KordaMentha Australian National Team.
The seven-man line up includes 2015 Jayco Herald Sun Tour and former Tour Down Under winner Cameron Meyer, but he will be playing a different role to what one might expect.
The 64th edition of Australia’s oldest stage race will be held around Victoria from Wednesday 1st to Sunday 5th February 2017.
Meyer say his role will be that of road captain, admitting that keeping up with the likes of defending champion Chris Froome (Team Sky) and Esteban Chavez (ORICA-Scott) in a bid for a second overall victory might be an overstretch.
“I’m looking at trying to pass on some experience to some of those younger guys,” said Meyer.
“I’ve been there and won the tour and have ridden the Sun Tour a couple of times. If I’ve got good legs I hope to use them.
“Falls Creek will be a very demanding stage to try and keep up with Chavez and Froome. We’ll have to look for opportunities elsewhere – we’ll definitely give it a crack as a team and for myself it’s probably out of my reach but you never know; if you’re having a good day anything is possible.”
The national team will race together throughout the Australian summer of cycling with national under-23 men’s road coach and Jayco World Tour Academy director sportif, James Victor clear that they have plenty of opportunities to impress.
“There’s 15 days of international quality road cycling for them to show their wares amongst the WorldTour teams,” Victor said.
“Given how difficult the terrain is with Froome and Chavez going to be suited to that terrain, we’ve got some good young climbers but we needed some leadership around them out on the road,” explained
That leadership will also come in the form of Meyer and Nathan Earle who has previously ridden for Team Sky at WorldTour level and Drapac in the ProContinental ranks. Earle impressively rode to fifth place at the Cycling Australia Road National Championships earlier this month while Meyer was also a protagonist in the group which battled for victory, finishing 13th.
The next generation of climbing talent has been assembled, with Victorian Lucas Hamilton, who in 2016 became the first Australian to win an individual classification at the Tour de l’Avenir with his mountains classification victory, a key marker for young cyclists looking to step up to WorldTour.
Hamilton’s WorldTour Academy teammates, Jai Hindley and Michael Storer, who won a bronze medal at the 2014 world championships in the junior men’s individual time trial will also benefit from Meyer and Earle’s guidance.
Newly-crowned Australian Under-23 road champion, Sam Jenner who missed the 2016 Tour de l’Avenir through illness will also be looking to impress, while time trial specialist Angus Lyons will be aiming to improve on his sixth place in last year’s Sun Tour youth classification.
“It’s about the little one percenters that you can help these younger riders with,” said Meyer.
“They’re so hungry and eager to try and perform and get results. If I can help them in any way then I will.
“I love the Australian summer of racing,” Meyer continued. “The Jayco Herald Sun Tour is close to me and it’s a big prestigious race in Australia. I’m looking forward to it.”
The 2017 Jayco Herald Sun Tour will be presented by Jayco and the Herald Sun, along with the continued support from the Victorian State Government.
| KordaMentha Australian National Team – 2017 Jayco Herald Sun Tour | |||
| Cameron MEYER @cammeyercyclist |
29 | AUS / WA | Winner of the Sun Tour in 2015. Claimed his first WorldTour victory with the Tour Down Under in 2011. Shocked the cycling world by walking away from the sport mid-2016 before then returning to the track at the London Six Day event in October with the long-term goal of competing at the Tokyo Olympics. A multiple world champion in the velodrome.
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| Jai HINDLEY
@HindleyJai |
20 | AUS / WA |
Finished as runner-up on GC at the 2016 An Post Ras, just three seconds behind the winner. Third in the junior men’s road race at the 2014 Australian road championships. In 2013, he finished runner-up in the junior men’s road race at the Oceania Championships, sandwiched between young guns Ryan Cavanagh and Robert Power.
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Nathan EARLE
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28 | AUS / TAS |
Finishing in fifth place at the 2017 Australian Championship road race flung Earle back into the spotlight after a lean 2016 with Drapac. The season saw him claim 10th overall at the Tour de Taiwan and a third place in a stage of the Volta a Portugal. Will ride with Japanese-based Team Ukyo in 2017.
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| Lucas HAMILTON @lucashamilton8 |
20 | AUS / VIC |
Became the first Australian to win an individual classification at the Tour de l’Avenir in 2016, with victory in the mountains classification. Placed third in the 2017 Australian U23 road race and landed a spot in the UniSA team for the Tour Down Under. Was third overall at the 2016 An Post Ras.
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Samuel JENNER |
19 | AUS / NSW |
Newly-crowned Australian U23 Road Champion after a solo victory at Buninyong. Rode with the Jayco WorldTour Academy squad in Europe in 2016 but struggled with injury and illness. Fourth in the junior men’s ITT at the 2015 Oceania Championships.
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Angus LYONS
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21 | AUS / VIC |
A specialist against the clock, Lyons finished fifth in the U23 ITT and closed out the top 10 in the road race at the 2017 Australian Championships. Racing in his second Sun Tour in 2016, he finished sixth in the youth classification.
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| Michael STORER | 19 | AUS / WA |
Finished in the top 10 of the 2016 Tour de l’Avenir off the back of his second place on stage 5. Rode to a bronze medal at 2014’s World Championships in the junior men’s ITT in Ponferrada, Spain. It was a good season for Storer, winning the U19 Oceania ITT title, along with a stage at the pretigeous junior men’s race, Aubel-Thimister-La Gleize where he finished fourth overall.
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