It’s an unlikely situation when the retirement of a sport’s biggest name coincides with the emergence of a new era of prosperity. But following Cadel Evans’ final race earlier this year, that is exactly the scenario facing road cycling in Australia.
When 10 Australians roll up to the individual time trial starting gate in Utrecht this Saturday for the opening stage of the Tour de France, the former race winner’s absence will not be as conspicuous as it once might have been.
Orica-GreenEDGE are undoubted favourites for the team time trial, while their promising young talent Michael Matthews could challenge for the sprinter’s crown. Team Sky’s Tasmanian Richie Porte will be a key lieutenant for Chris Froome during his attempt at a second yellow jersey, and compatriot Michael Rogers will do likewise for rival Alberto Contador.
Although the Antipodeans may lack a general classification contender in Evans’ absence, several countrymen have a real opportunity to shine on the long ride to Paris. This state of affairs offers an apt metaphor for the broader health of competitive cycling in Australia.
Despite Evans’ departure, the peloton retains a strong contingent of respected riders hailing from down under. The nation’s youth ranks are also full of cyclists on a fast track to success: Campbell Flakemore and Macey Stewart both won U23 titles at the World Road Championships in Spain last year, while 20-year-old prodigy Caleb Ewan is enjoying a successful debut professional season. Behind the scenes, governing organisation Cycling Australia is rebuilding after teetering precariously on the brink of financial ruin, and their domestic National Road Series signed a new television rights deal with Nine and Fox Sports at the beginning of 2015.
Yet whilst this individual and collective potential is evident, much hard-work remains for the sport to flourish on and off the road. Like the Australians in Holland this weekend, simply getting to the start line is a considerable achievement; a long and gruelling journey nevertheless remains.
Leading the charge for cycling in this country is multi-millionaire Gerry Ryan and his World Tour outfit Orica-GreenEDGE. Australia’s sole team representative at the highest level of global cycling, GreenEDGE’s rise has been swift. Founded in 2011, the Matt White-led squad have demonstrated their Grand Tour credentials on numerous occasions. After a strong Giro d’Italia performance for the second consecutive year - collecting two stage victories and holding the pink jersey for four days - GreenEDGE will be eager to continue their form in France.
Matthews, one of the team’s stage winners in Italy, will also be looking to repeat his heroics this month. Despite only taking up the sport in his mid-teenage years, the 24-year-old from Canberra has developed into an excellent sprinter with world class potential. While the green jersey may be an optimistic goal in his debut at Le Tour, Matthews will be disappointed with anything less than a stage win.
GreenEDGE’s young gun is at the forefront of a group of exciting riders ready to make their mark. Team-mate Ewan recently won four stages and the general classification at the Tour de Korea, while the likes of Flakemore, Stewart, Robert Power and Georgia Baker are shining stars at youth-level.
Although Matthews and Ewan both eschewed the domestic pathway by virtue of the Australian Institute of Sport’s European program, multiple riders have used the National Road Series to secure a professional contract. Avanti Racing is a veritable World Tour production line – at last count seven of their graduates had spent time with a pro-team – and many other riders have taken advantage of the series to progress their careers.
However, as long-time observers of Australian cycling are quick to observe, storm clouds are never far from the horizon. Peak national body Cycling Australia almost entered insolvency in 2014 after an ambitious expansion program failed to generate revenue. This led to broad-ranging budget cuts, with negative consequences for their female cycling program and the National Road Series. While the appointment of respected sports administrator Malcolm Speed and former Olympic rower Nick Green as chairman and chief executive respectively has been well received, not least by the Australian Sports Commission, they have a considerable task ahead.
The state of the domestic competition itself, meanwhile, remains a point of contention. On one hand the standard of racing in the National Road Series has consistently improved, such that the traditionally dominant teams of Avanti and Drapac Pro Cycling are no longer guaranteed victory after victory (even if the latter now predominantly ply their trade overseas). Yet criticism of the series’ administration is abundant, and those flames were fanned last month when Cycling Australia announced the postponement/cancellation of two upcoming races pending a broader review.
Whether the competition should be a development-focused pathway to Europe or represent a more ambitious endeavour to provide high-quality domestic racing is hazy: the two are not necessarily antithetical, but the National Road Series would do well to define its core objectives with more clarity.
On and off the road, Evans’ retirement marked the end of an era. With interest in the sport growing, both competitively and as a means of transport, the stage is set for cycling to consolidate its position as an important feature in the diverse Australian sporting landscape.
Like the route faced by all riders rolling out from Utrecht on Saturday, many mountains must be crested before cycling in this country can wheel victoriously along a metaphorical Champs-Élysées. There will be countless cobbled sections on the road to success, and the occasional puncture to overcome. Yet despite these caveats, the future of Australian cycling is bright indeed, even with the nation’s most decorated rider now watching from the roadside.
Disclosure: Kieran Pender occasionally provides freelance media management services to Cycling Australia.
