Sayers to guide USA’s Farrar towards possible first world title since Armstrong
Mike Sayers will direct team USA at the upcoming World Championships in Geelong, Australia, October 3.
“I think American cycling is moving in the right direction and USA Cycling is showing a continued commitment to excellence,” said Sayers. “I’m proud to have been selected to be a part of this team.”
He takes over for Belgian Noel Dejonckheere, who directed the men’s team at last year’s Worlds in Mendrisio, Switzerland, and joined BMC Racing as a sports director this year.
This year in Geelong, Sayers’ team will have a chance to take the first World Championships win for USA since Lance Armstrong in 1993.
The 262.7 kilometre course will start in Melbourne and travel 85 kilometres west to Geelong. In Geelong, the cyclists will cover 11 15.9-kilometre circuits, each with the Ridge climb (120m).
The course favours USA’s Tyler Farrar. This year, racing for trade Garmin-Transitions, he won two stages in the Giro d’Italia and the Vattenfall Cyclassics on Sunday.
However, it will be difficult for Farrar and Sayers to find eight strong supporting riders. Sayers may have an easier time rallying support for Farrar since he recently retired, in 2008, as a professional cyclist. As a cyclist, he won a stage of the Herald Sun Tour in Melbourne and participated in several World Championships.
Since retiring, he has been a sports director with BMC Racing, who announced his new role as USA director today.
“When I rode in the Worlds in 2002 in Zolder,” said Sayers, “you could tell the Italians were really doing it the right way.”
Italy won the 2002 Worlds with sprinter Mario Cipollini thanks to a dominate lead out train over the last circuit, which included Alessandro Petacchi and Giovanni Lombardi. Sayers will try to put a similar team together for Farrar. Sayers and USA Cycling will announce the final selection September 17.