The Orica-GreenEdge team has named its nine riders for the Tour de France, confirming it will target stage victories with Simon Gerrans, Michael Matthews, Adam and Simon Yates, Michael Albasini and Daryl Impey. The team will be looking for another successful Grand Tour after netting three maglia rosas with as many riders at the Giro d’Italia this May. The Australian squad will focus their effort on stage win opportunities listing no designated GC contender.
“We have a lot of opportunities right throughout the three weeks, whereas at Tour’s in the past we haven’t had guys who can win high mountain stages,” directeur sportif Matt White said. “The goal for us is stage victories and because of the quality of this team, everyone will be given a chance to win a stage.”
Matthews will finally get his chance to ride the Tour after he was forced to pull out of last year’s race, due to injury just days before the start. Despite predictions of Matthews challenging Sagan for the green jersey, White insists the sprint points classification is off the radar.
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“The goal for him is to win a stage and there are good opportunities right throughout the Tour for him. The green jersey, despite much hype, is not on our agenda this year,” White said. Matthews just recently out-sprinted Sagan for the win on Stage 4 at the Tour de Suisse.
Simon Yates will be making his second appearance at the Tour after a late call up in 2014, with his twin brother Adam is riding it for the first time. The Yates brothers have shown huge potential in stage races but Orica-GreenEdge has played down any idea of them targeting the overall classification at such a young age.
“I think it would be pretty irresponsible for us to put pressure on 22-year-olds, as second year pros, to ride general classification at the Tour de France,” said White. “What they have proven this year is that they have the ability to be very competitive on a lot of varied terrains and against the best riders in the world.”
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