GreenEDGE Is a GO!

After years in the making and months of suspense, GreenEDGE was approved by the UCI for 2012 WorldTour status. Australia finally has a top level professional cycling team who will compete in all the major Classics and Grand Tours.

You can read the UCI’s statement here.

It started back in 2010 when Gerry Ryan was at the Tour de France and saw all the Aussie pro riders on the Champs d’Elysees and all the Australian flags appearing on the side of the road. Gerry has been heavily involved in cycling for many years but the growth he’s seen had been phenomenal. He saw team busses from the French, the Americans, the Italians…even the Poms! He thought, “Why can’t we have an Australian team on the UCI circuit?” He rang Shayne Bannan and asked how much this is going to cost and what kind of time do they need to put it together. Eighteen months later with meticulous planning, a good team, and good funding, here we are. Congratulations to everyone involved with putting this together. It will be an thrilling next few years for Australian cycling!

You’ll first see them ride as a team at the Bay Crits, then at the Nationals, and then their first WorldTour race will of course be the Tour Down Under. From what I hear (unofficially) the kit is a bit behind schedule and you won’t see it until the TdU.

Final Roster – 30 Riders

Luke Durbridge (AUS) – 20yrs old. NeoPro. Announced Nov. 8

Michael Hepburn (AUS) – 20yrs old. NeoPro. Announced Nov. 8

Darryl Impey (SA) – 26yrs old. All-Rounder. Announced Oct. 11

Christian Meier (CAN) – 26yrs old. All-Rounder. Announced Oct. 11

Julian Dean (NZ) – 36yrs old. Lead-out/Sprinter. Announced Oct. 4

Aidis Kruopis (Lithuania)- Sprinter. Announced Sept 30

Mitch Docker (Aus) – 25yrs old. Classics rider. Announced Sept 27

Brett Lancaster (Aus) – 31yrs old. Rouleur. Announced Sept 22

Allan Davis (Aus) – 31yrs old. Sprinter. Announced Sept 20

Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) – 25yrs old. All rounder. Announced Sept 13

Leigh Howard (Aus) – 21yrs old. Sprinter. Announced Sept 12

Jens Keukeleire (BEL) – 22yrs old. Classics Rider. Announced Sept 9

Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) – 26yrs old. Sprinter. Announced Sept 6

Michael Albasini (CH) – 31yrs old. All rounder. Announced Sept 5.

Robbie McEwen (Aus) – 39yrs old. Sprinter. Announced Sept 1.

Fumiyuki Beppu (Jap) – 28yrs old. All rounder. Announced Sept 1.

Thomas Vaitkus (LTU) – 29yrs old. All rounder. Announced August 29

Baden Cooke (Aus) – 32yrs old. Sprinter, Classics rider. Announced August 26

Matty Wilson (Aus) – 33 yrs old. All rounder. Announced August 26

Svein Tuft (CAN) – 34yrs old. Time Trialist. Announced August 24

Simon Clarke (Aus) – 26yrs old. All rounder. Announced August 23

Jens Mouris (NLD) – 32yrs old Announced August 22

Simon Gerrans (Aus) – 31yrs old. Classics rider, stage specialist. Announced August 17.

Sebastian Langeveld (NLD) – 26yrs old Announced August 16

Pieter Weening (NLD) – 30yrs old. Announced August 10

Stuart O’Grady (Aus) – 37yrs old. Classics rider (former sprinter). Announced, August 8

Travis Meyer (Aus) – 22yrs old. Time Trialist

Cameron Meyer (Aus) – 23yrs old. Time Trialist

Jack Bobridge (Aus) – 22yrs old. All rounder

Daniel Teklehaymanot (Eritrea) – 22yrs old. All rounder