The 2018 season started in surprising fashion for Alex Edmondson. The 24-year-old won the national Australian title on the hilly Buninyong circuit arguably unsuited to his characteristics. But in doing so, he also continued the recent trend of track riders taming the famed mountain and opened his win account on the road.
The national title also started a full summer of racing with Mitchelton-Scott, minus the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, with Edmondson turning helper, despite the new stripes, to help teammates Daryl Impey at Tour Down Under, and Esteban Chaves at the Herald Sun Tour, to overall wins.
"To be able to tick off my first professional win, even though it was just the nationals, it wasn't a WorldTour race or the like but for me it is super special. I will be able to have green and gold on my sleeves," Edmondson recently told Cyclingnews.
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Across the summer, Edmondson still managed to snare three top-ten results and with plenty of kilometres spent on the front of the peloton, his new jersey was far from anonymous in the peloton. At the Tour Down Under, Edmondson also showed off the national jersey in Stirling, the Adelaide Hills town where he grew up, and enjoyed a week of racing on home roads. It wasn't all easy going though with Edmondson on lead out duty for Caleb Ewan. While Edmondson isn't Ewan's usual last man, the duo have known each other since junior track days and are working on developing their relationship at WorldTour level.
"For me, it is doing the best that I can, I am the first to admit that I lack a bit of experience and I haven't been doing it for too long. It is about learning how to do it but also jumping into the deep end and doing my absolute best," Edmondson told Cyclingnews. "I know if I can get a bit of open road, I have the speed behind me and the power. It is all about self-belief but also learning. The team is very understanding knowing that I haven't had the experience and I am here to gain experience but also do a job.
"It is always good when you can work with Caleb. I have grown up with him since I was probably 15. We get on really well. At the same time as doing lead-outs, I still want to have the opportunity to go for some of the races in the classics for example. At the end of the day, I am happy to do whatever the team needs."
Classics focus
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
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