World class Australian national team named for An Post Rás
Cameron Meyer beats Philip Deignan for a stage win the Tour de Suisse; he is part of a really strong Australian line-up for the An Post Rás.
Australia has named a world class national team for the An Post Rás next month with former WorldTour rider Cameron Meyer the marquee name.
However, the strength in depth in the line-up is very impressive. Last year’s Australian line-up took 2nd and 3rd overall and this time around they can definitely go one better.
Cameron Meyer has won World and Commonwealth titles on the track. He has taken overall victory in the Tour Down Under and a stage win in the Tour de Suisse.
And he has been part of team time trial wimning squads at the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia.
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He will be joined on the Rás team by U23 road race champion Samuel Jenner, Oceania championship runner-up Michael Storer, Rio Olympics silver medallist Samuel Welsford and 2016 world team pursuit champion Alexander Porter.
Cycling Australia’s U23 men’s national coach, James Victor said Meyer had a renewed energy for racing after previously losing interest in top flight racing.
“Cameron will play a crucial leadership role with his extensive experience as a successful professional road cyclist,” Victor said.
“He has the most extensive results of this team. He is very much enjoying his revitalised career and I think we have our best chance to chase the overall classification with him.
“He is probably our best chance on paper. However, we have options with Michael Storer and Sam Jenner too.”
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Last year Jai Hindley was 2nd overall and best young rider and team mate Lucas Hamilton was 3rd in the final standings.
Hindley was also runner-up on the penultimate stage to Ireland’s Eddie Dunbar.
As well as the Australians, a Belgian national team is also set for the Irish event. And the French Armee de Terre squad is also set to travel here.
The Belgian section is drawn from the national track team. It includes Bryan Boussaer, Moreno De Pauw, Jules Hesters, Gerben Thijssen and Sasha Weemaes.
De Pauw won stage 5 of the Rás for years ago. He has since won a bronze medal at the European Track Championships and has three podiums at UCI World Cups to his name.
The French Armee de Terre squad is made up of members of the army. They are Thomas Rostollan, Yannis Yssaad, Morgan Kneisky, Jérôme Mainard and Stéphane Poulhiès.
Rostollan (31) will act as team captain. He won a stage in the 2012 An Post Rás and finished second overall.
He also took a stage in the 2016 Tour de Bretagne. Yssaad is, along with Kneisky, the team’s sprinter.
He recently won Paris Troyes 2017, while the latter was three times world champion in the madison and points race events.
Poulhiès has won stages in the Etoile de Besseges and Kreiz Breizh, as well as the overall classification of the 2015 Tour de Gironde.
Mainard claimed a stage victory in the 2015 Tour de Franche Comté 2015 and was runner up in the French amateur championship the same year.
Team spokesman, Jean Ventalon says the team is gunning to take home the yellow jersey.
“Our goal is to win the general classification and also to take some stages too. Of course it will be difficult but our goal is to give the best. We won’t be in Ireland for tourism,” he said.
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