So far targeting exclusively stage victories and team time trials, Orica-GreenEDGE made it clear several weeks ago that they intended to turn their focus into successes in grand tours’ general classifications from the 2015 season, and thus they intended to sign a rider capable of living up to such expectations and grooming their young talents into future leadership role.

 

Australian team manager Matt White didn’t hide his special interest in Bradley Wiggins as his future within Team Sky remained very uncertain as well as they were in talks with Wilco Kelderman’s management, but it turns out that Orica most likely will settle for developing talents of their young stars Esteban Chaves and Yates brothers after both transfer options became improbable.

 

Despite being left out of the Team Sky Tour de France roster, Wiggins decided to sign his final contract as a professional road cyclist with the British team, while young Dutchman is also likely to stay in his current squad after they managed to find a new sponsor for the coming seasons.

 

In such circumstances, White indicated that they would rather invest in developing undeniable talents of young Chaves and Yates brothers than keep on chasing other grand tour contenders running out of contract, even though nagotiations with Kelderman still haven’t been formally closed.

 

They also made necessary efforts to keep the stong Australian core of the team intact, extending contracts with this year’s Liege-Bastogne-Liege winner Simon Gerrans and significantly improved Michael Matthews.

 

"The status for us is that we've signed our main riders in Simon Gerrans and Michael Matthews," Shayne Bannan told Cyclingnews in Carcassonne on Tuesday.

 

"As far as GC guys, we have some really good young talent in the Yates brothers and Esteban Chaves and we really want to hang onto them, and help them progress over the next few years.

 

"Chaves is contracted with us until the end of 2016 and the Yates brothers have contracts with us until the end of next year. They’re real priorities and they’re our main goals."

 

"I know that there have been informal discussions with Wiggins and formal discussions with Kelderman but at this stage we've not gone any further," Bannan told Cyclingnews.

 

"With Wiggins, it was just a friendly telephone conversation between Bradley and Matt White, that's all. With Kelderman, we've had several discussions with his management group but that was a while ago and we've not had contact for the last three weeks.

 

"Firstly, it's fantastic news that they have a sponsorship deal and it's in their best interests that they keep a guy like Kelderman because he's really important to their team. We'll see what evolves in the coming weeks and keep our ears open."

 

As it usually happens in case of the Australian squad, they were rumored to consider signing fellow countryman Cadel Evans, also running out of contract this season, but Bannan ruled out such possibility.

 

"We've really not had discussions with Cadel. I don't think that's happening. At this stage our team will look very similar to this year."