At Orica-Scott, the triumvirate of Esteban Chaves and the Yates brothers are regarded as future Grand Tour winners following their breakout performances in the past 12-months. A key rider to the success of the trio working behind the scenes is Australian Damien Howson. The 24-year-old will shepherd Chaves and Simon Yates through the high mountains of France next month when he makes his Tour de France debut.
A former U23 time trial world champion, Howson has reinvented himself as a key domestique at Orica-Scott and become an indispensable member of its general classification squad. When given the opportunity at the Herald Sun Tour, Howson also proved his winning instinct and ability when he claimed the queen stage and the overall title.
With Tour de France selection on the cards since December, Howson explained to Cyclingnews the satisfaction of securing a place in the nine-man team for July.
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"I am super excited and elated with emotion. I knew from December last year that it was a potential for my programme to be riding the Tour de France this year. Everything had to go smoothly, and I had to be racing well and be injury and illness free. I was relieved to hear that I had done everything that I could and that the team put me in the starting nine for the Tour de France," said Howson of the team, built around Chaves and Yates.
"The team saw me as a valuable asset to join forces with Esteban. Things can change, and it was never guaranteed. Just because Esteban was doing a Grand Tour doesn't mean I will follow in his footsteps all the time. On this occasion, that was the case."
A promising basketballer in his youth, Howson added that his decision to change sports was well and truly the right one ahead of his Tour debut.
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