In 2016 Damien Howson emerged as one the top climbing domestiques in the professional peloton, helping Orica-Scott teammate Esteban Chaves to podium finishes at the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana, plus an Il Lombardia victory.
At the time, the signings of Ewan, the Yates brothers and Chaves from 2014 looked like forming the back bone of the team with the addition of Howson notable for the fact he was the 2013 U23 world time trial champion. Having spent the 2014 and early-2015 seasons finding his feet in the peloton, Howson came to the realisation that his cycling career relied on specialisation.
The 24-year-old decided that being the last man in the high mountains as a climbing domestique was his calling, duly excelling across two Grand Tours in 2016 after his breakout 2015 Vuelta that earned a contract extension with the Australian team. Last year the team showed its belief in Howson by offering a new extended two-year deal, taking him through to the end of 2018.
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"I just take it year-by-year and constantly put that pressure on myself to take another step forward," Howson told reporters last week. "Last year was probably one of the biggest steps I've taken.
"I'm happy with that and likewise for this coming season - I've had a good pre-season. I'm ready for this large Australian block of racing."
Howson's last stage race on Australian soil came at the 2016 Herald Sun Tour where he was second to Chris Froome on the queen stage up Arthurs Seat, elevating him to third overall. Froome will be going to head-to-head with Chaves at the Herald Sun Tour on a route designed for the two climbers, but first Howson will be aiming to help either Chaves, or four-time winner and teammate Simon Gerrans to Tour Down Under success next week.
Grand Tour ambitions
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