Although we are a Canadian Cycling tour operator, we have a number of staff as well as clients who hail from 'downunder'! No doubt they will be delighted to see the form of some of the upcoming Australian road cyclists.
THE Australian invasion of world cycling is gathering strength. Yesterday it was Matt Goss who claimed a stage win in the Paris-Nice.
Overnight it was a record 13 Australians lining up in the Tirreno-Adriatico, including Cadel Evans and Robbie McEwen. It looks certain Australian riders will be playing a major part when the Tour de France gets underway in July.
While the Tour is still four months away, Goss yesterday showed in the final sprint after 200km of racing on the undulating roads through Burgundy that Australians can win a major tour.
Many such as Goss boast an excellent record on the track. Others, such as Evans, were hardened by mountain biking. All are proving to be road warriors capable of matching it with the world's best.
Goss's win came just days after Canberra's Michael Matthews opened his first-class account for Dutch paymaster Rabobank with a stage win in Spain's Vuelta a Murcia.
It was Goss's seventh win of the season and it came as no surprise to Geelong's John Trevorrow, the Jayco series director, who has given so many of today's Australian European-based professionals their first start.
"Like O'Grady and others like him, Goss comes to the road with a strong track background as he showed in his bike handling following the carnage in the final metres of yesterday's stage," Trevorrow said. "Ironically the win could just as easily have gone to Heinrich Haussler, another kid from the country in northern NSW.
"When you look around at the make-up of the first division UCI World Tour squads, it is mind-boggling to see the ever-growing number of Australians.
"The proposed Australian GreenEdge team entry next year couldn't be better timed and much of the credit must go to Shayne Bannan's vision at the AIS.
"Bannan has worked wonders with Canberra's Michael Matthews, who has come off winning the world under-23 road race in Geelong last October to win his first race in Europe."
Matthews took out the opening stage win at the Tour of Murcia in Spain, relegating three-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador to 16th place.
Goss, 23, returned to Europe last month after an outstanding domestic summer which included beating Matthews for the yellow jersey at the Jayco International series in Geelong and wearing the ochre jersey for a day at the Santos Tour Down Under in January.
The win in Burgundy yesterday saw him take the race leader's yellow jersey off the Belgian Thomas De Gendt in a field that also includes fellow Tasmanian Richie Porte.
The racing season in Italy stepped up a notch overnight with the opening stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico which saw a record 13 Australians on the start line.
The Australians are: Cadel Evans (BMC), Mark Renshaw (HTC-Highroad), Adam Hansen (Omega Pharma Lotto), Allan Davis, Simon Clarke (Astana), Baden Cooke, David Tanner (Saxo Bank-Sunguard), Mathew Hayman, Chris Sutton (Team Sky), Brett Lancaster, Matt Wilson (Garmin-Cervelo), Stuart O'Grady (Leopard-Trek), and Robbie McEwen (RadioShack).
Overnight it was a record 13 Australians lining up in the Tirreno-Adriatico, including Cadel Evans and Robbie McEwen. It looks certain Australian riders will be playing a major part when the Tour de France gets underway in July.
While the Tour is still four months away, Goss yesterday showed in the final sprint after 200km of racing on the undulating roads through Burgundy that Australians can win a major tour.
Many such as Goss boast an excellent record on the track. Others, such as Evans, were hardened by mountain biking. All are proving to be road warriors capable of matching it with the world's best.
Goss's win came just days after Canberra's Michael Matthews opened his first-class account for Dutch paymaster Rabobank with a stage win in Spain's Vuelta a Murcia.
It was Goss's seventh win of the season and it came as no surprise to Geelong's John Trevorrow, the Jayco series director, who has given so many of today's Australian European-based professionals their first start.
"Like O'Grady and others like him, Goss comes to the road with a strong track background as he showed in his bike handling following the carnage in the final metres of yesterday's stage," Trevorrow said. "Ironically the win could just as easily have gone to Heinrich Haussler, another kid from the country in northern NSW.
"When you look around at the make-up of the first division UCI World Tour squads, it is mind-boggling to see the ever-growing number of Australians.
"The proposed Australian GreenEdge team entry next year couldn't be better timed and much of the credit must go to Shayne Bannan's vision at the AIS.
"Bannan has worked wonders with Canberra's Michael Matthews, who has come off winning the world under-23 road race in Geelong last October to win his first race in Europe."
Matthews took out the opening stage win at the Tour of Murcia in Spain, relegating three-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador to 16th place.
Goss, 23, returned to Europe last month after an outstanding domestic summer which included beating Matthews for the yellow jersey at the Jayco International series in Geelong and wearing the ochre jersey for a day at the Santos Tour Down Under in January.
The win in Burgundy yesterday saw him take the race leader's yellow jersey off the Belgian Thomas De Gendt in a field that also includes fellow Tasmanian Richie Porte.
The racing season in Italy stepped up a notch overnight with the opening stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico which saw a record 13 Australians on the start line.
The Australians are: Cadel Evans (BMC), Mark Renshaw (HTC-Highroad), Adam Hansen (Omega Pharma Lotto), Allan Davis, Simon Clarke (Astana), Baden Cooke, David Tanner (Saxo Bank-Sunguard), Mathew Hayman, Chris Sutton (Team Sky), Brett Lancaster, Matt Wilson (Garmin-Cervelo), Stuart O'Grady (Leopard-Trek), and Robbie McEwen (RadioShack).
Why not join a Spyns Tour de France 6 or 7 day cycling tour and watch your favorite Australian cyclist in action in July! Or, if already in Europe, join one of our shorter 3 day Paris Finish - Premiere or Deluxe Tours, or even, just purchas one of our 'Deluxe Day at the Races' Triomphe Grandstand seats, now available for the 24the July 2011.
Spyns Tours and TDF Tours specialize in Tour de France packages for both riders, non-riders, and mixed tours. Spyns is an active travel company based in Whister, BC (Canada) and Beaujolais France. Spyns offers active holidays to Europe including trips to the 2011 Tour de France. For more information about Spyns 2011 Tour de France tours, please visit http://www.tdf-tours.com/ http://www.spyns.com/ or call 1.888.825.4720.
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