Cycling Australia has announced the ‘Cyclones’ Australian team for the 2009 UCI Road World Championships for Mendrisio, Switzerland later this month. Bristling with stars, the team is noticeably missing star sprinter Robbie McEwen who has been struggling with injury most of the season.
Cadel Evans has been riding strongly – albeit without much luck – in this month’s Vuelta a España and so should prove competitive on the hilly Mendrisio circuit. Allan Davis has been successful since winning the Tour Down Under in January and may prove strong enough on the challenging circuit as his recent second place in the hilly GP Wallonie in Belgium shows.
Other riders to watch will be three-time World time trial champion Michael Rogers – who lives in nearby Varese, Italy – GP Oest-France and Vuelta stage winner Simon Gerrans. and 2007 Paris-Roubaix winner Stuart O’Grady.
Australia also fields a five rider strong team for the under-23 race. Jack Anderson qualifies on top of the country’s two rider allocation in the under-23 time trial by virtue of status as Oceania time trial champion.
Elite Men
Road Race:
Simon Clarke (ISD-Neri)
Allan Davis (Quick Step)
Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto)
Simon Gerrans (Cervelo TestTeam)
Mathew Hayman (Rabobank)
Matt Lloyd (Silence-Lotto)
Stuart O’Grady (Saxo Bank)
Michael Rogers (Columbia-HTC)
Wesley Sulzberger (Française des Jeux)
Time Trial:
Adam Hansen (Columbia-HTC)
Cameron Wurf (Fuji-Servetto)
U23 Men
Road Race:
Jack Bobridge
Leigh Howard
Michael Matthews
Mark O’Brien
Timothy Roe
Time Trial:
John ‘Jack’ Anderson
Jack Bobridge
Travis Meyer