Australia’s lone UCI Pro Continental team Drapac Professional Cycling will continue its summer of racing on home soil fresh from a second appearance at the Tour Down Under when they line up at the 2015 Jayco Herald Sun Tour.
The 2015 event will be staged from Wednesday 4th to Sunday 8thFebruary, as the climax to an exciting summer of cycling and marks the 62nd edition of the race.
Six of Australia’s most exciting talents will line up for the Melbourne-based Drapac including former stage winner at the Tour Down Under and the man who was third in last year’s Sun Tour prologue, Will Clarke.
This year’s Jayco Herald Sun Tour will be Clarke’s third start in the iconic event, and one he is excited to be racing.
“As a team we are looking forward to this event with a solid group of riders,” he explained. “We will be working hard every stage to play to our strengths. This is my third time doing the Sun Tour and I always look forward to the event,” Clarke said.
Drapac’s Sports Director, Agostino Giramondo, said that a strong performance at the twilight prologue in Melbourne’s CBD would be key for the rest of the tour.
“Our goal going in to the Sun Tour this year is to ride well in the TT Prologue and put ourselves in the position to set the pace for the race. We are bringing in a strong squad of diverse riders and look forward to working together as a team to contend for the overall win,” he explained.
All going well, Drapac will look to be in contention come Sunday’s final stage on Arthurs Seat.
“We will look to be aggressive for top GC positions,” Giramondo confirmed.
The Drapac squad has plenty of options, with Victorians Lachlan Norris, Robbie Hucker and 2014 Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic winner Brenton Jones all capable of stage wins and familiar with the parcours.
In-form neo pro Sam Spokes, who was an impressive fifth at the recent Cycling Australia Road National Championships in his very first appearance at the elite level having graduated this season from a highly-rated under-23 program in Europe, could also be a rider to watch.
Just as dangerous, Adam Phelan returns to the Sun Tour for the first time since 2011 where he played a key role for then-Drapac teammate, Rhys Pollock who wore the yellow leader’s jersey for three days after capturing an early stage win in a gutsy performance.
With a career that has seen him so far ride Europe’s spring classics, to fast and furious Asian racing, Will Clarke said he was looking forward to the Sun Tour’s finale on Arthurs Seat.
“It’s good to see the final stage return to Arthurs Seat again, it’s a solid final stage with big crowds."
Drapac Professional Cycling – 2015 Jayco Herald Sun Tour | |||
William CLARKE |
29 | AUS / TAS | Enjoyed the most consistent season of his career in 2014, with stage wins across the year at the Tours of Japan, Kumano and Iran. A strong time triallist, Clarke was a silver medallist at the Oceania Championships. A former stage winner at the Tour Down Under. |
Robbie HUCKER |
24 | AUS / VIC | A former Australian Under-23 MTB cross-country champion. Hucker produced Drapac's best result at their Tour Down Under debut in 2014, finishing 18th on GC. Hucker has previously finished 10th overall at the Tour of Japan (2013). |
Brenton JONES |
23 | AUS / VIC | Up-and-coming sprinter in his first season with Drapac and at Professional Continental level. Was devastating in 2014, winning overall at the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic and Tour of the Great South Coast in the NRS. Also on stages at the New Zealand Cycle Classic, Adelaide Tour, Tour of Singkarak and Tour of Murray River. |
Lachlan NORRIS |
28* | AUS / VIC | Heads into 2015 off the back of a solid 2014 where he was 10th overall at the Tour of Utah, following two top-10 stage finishes. Norris also finished with top-10 GC performances at the Tour de Kumano and Tour de Korea. |
Adam PHELAN |
23 | AUS / ACT | A big engine in the Drapac squad who sacrifices his own chances for the benefit of his teammates. Finished third overall at 2014's New Zealand Cycle Classic. Won the GP di Poggiana while racing with the Australian Under-23 program in Europe. |
Samuel SPOKES |
22 | AUS / NSW | In his first season with Drapac having spent several seasons racing with the QuickStep development team in Europe. Spokes rides with punch and excels on the shorter climbs given he's spent so long racing in Belgium. Overall winner of the Course de la Paix U23 in 2014. |
Rolando AMARGO 28 years | today |
Tom DERNIES 34 years | today |
Ahnad Fuat FAHMI 31 years | today |
Jeroen KREGEL 39 years | today |
Kevyn ISTA 40 years | today |
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