News: Cannondale to ride Jayco Herald Sun Tour

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Led by Under 23 World Champion Matej Mohoric, Cannondale to join Orica-GreenEDGE and Garmin Sharp at the Jayco Herald Sun Tour next week

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The Italian outfit, coming off a season debut at the Tour Down Under, have identified Canadian speedster Guillaume Boivan as their best chance to deliver the teams’ first success of the 2014 season.

Two of the world’s rising stars in Matej Mohoric (U23 World Champ) and Caleb Ewan (Jayco U23 National Team) are set to clash on the Aussies home turf. Mohoric is the youngest rider on the Cannondale team and in 2012 he slipped away from Ewan in the closing stages of the 2012 World Junior Championship forcing the New South Welshman to settle for the silver medal.

Whilst Ewan, who will ride for the Jayco Under 23 National Team at the Jayco Herald Sun Tour, will join Orica-GreenEDGE for the end of the season, Mohoric has already made the step up to WorldTour.

“My goals for this season are not so much about results” he says. “I am very young and still need time to develop myself. So this year should be more about the learning and gaining experience,” Mohoric said.

“This race means a strong start of the season, so I will return back to Europe with some racing kilometres in my legs. That should make racing a bit easier.”

At 24-years-old, Cannondale’s Boivan is another developing rider. The Canadian returns to Victoria with fond memories, having tied for the bronze medal at the under-23 world championships in Geelong in 2010. Whilst the team will let the racing decide their overall leader, there is no doubting he will be the man for any final bunch sprints.

“We can do a good general classification and we will try to win a stage with our sprinter Guillaume Boivin,” team manager Biagio Conte said. “We haven’t selected a leader for GC, yes for the sprint, but the road and the race will tell who will be the (general classification) leader.”

Boivan and Mohoric are joined by 2013 New Zealand championship silver medallist George Bennett, 2011 Giro della Lunigiana champion Alberto Bettiol and 2011 Austrian road race champion Matthias Krizek.

Whilst it will be the majority of the team’s first start at Australia’s oldest stage race, their sole local rider Cameron Wurf will provide some valuable local knowledge. “This will be my fourth Herald Sun Tour so and I have always loved coming back to race in and around Melbourne,” Wurf said.

“It’s a race where you need to be alert as with the varying terrain and weather, the race situation can change in the blink of an eye so you don’t want to be caught out!”

Cannondale Pro Cycling Team – 2014 Jayco Herald Sun Tour
George BENNETT NZL
Alberto BETTIOL ITA
Guillaume BOIVAN CAN
Matthias KRIZEK AUT
Matej MOHORIC SLO
Cameron WURF AUS

MEN IN BLACK DOWN UNDER
In their biggest test after a long period in Australia over the winter, Rapha Condor JLT will hit the race with an allround squad with the like sof Felix English and Chris Opie for the sprints and Richard Handley, Mike Cuming and Hugh Carthy for the lumpy stages.

British Intertest
Hugh CARTHY (GBR, 19)
Richard HANDLEY (GBR, 23)
Michael CUMING (GBR, 23)
Christopher OPIE (GBR, 26)
Felix ENGLISH (IRL, 21)
Tom MOSES (GBR, 21)

Jayco Herald Sun Tour | Wednesday, 5 to Sunday, 9 February 2014

Prologue – Wednesday, 5 February – Southbank, Melbourne ITT
Stage 1 – Thursday, 6 February – Geelong to Ballarat
Stage 2 – Friday, 7 February – Ballarat to Bendigo
Stage 3 – Saturday, 8 February – Mitchelton Winery to Nagambie
Stage 4 – Sunday, 9 February – Arthurs Seat, Mornington Peninsula

 

 

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