Stannard, national team boost cycle classic
The inclusion of the New Zealand national team and Robert Stannard means this year’s New Zealand Cycle Classic will be anything but straightforward.
Before Friday’s announcement, it appeared as though the general classification would be the Bennelong Swisswelness Cycling Team’s to lose.
But they now have a few more powerful riders to contend with, including James Oram on the national team, who held the leader’s yellow jersey for two days last year after finishing second up Admiral Hill.
Oram will be joined by 2015 Classic winner Taylor Gunman, Luke Mudgway, Hayden Mccormick, Joel Yates and one other yet-to-be-determined rider.
Yates was originally down to ride for Team Skoda, so his switch meant they had a spot to fill, and boy did they find a handy replacement in Stannard.
The 19-year-old was born in Australia and raised in New Zealand.
He rode as a junior for New Zealand, but has switched allegiance back to his birth country and was part of Cycling Australia’s Jayco Worldtour Academy last year, gaining experience in big races across Europe.
He was also signed by UCI Worldtour team Mitchelton-scott
(formerly Orica-greenedge), and will again ride for their feeder team, Mitchelton-bikeexchange, this year, but his contract doesn’t start until February, meaning he is able to ride for Skoda at the Classic, which starts in the Wairarapa next Wednesday.
Tour director Jorge Sandoval said he had a genuine chance to take out the CC.
‘‘He is one of the most formidable riders I have ever seen in this country, and I have seen quite a few, but unfortunately the Australians took him last year.
‘‘A lot of New Zealand professional riders ride for pro teams, but are domestiques, they ride for other guys to win races.
‘‘This boy, I believe, in the next two or three years will be a team leader – he’s beaten the top riders in New Zealand up Admiral Hill twice in the last three years.
‘‘With him in the race, it has completely changed what the outcome might be. He could win the tour.’’
Sandoval said the national team would also be a force to be reckoned with.
‘‘Before the national team and Stannard came into the picture, I thought the winner would come from the Swisswelness team, but having them there changes the whole race, I reckon.’’