The door closes for Bauer with Quick-Step team
He did not achieve his goals at the UCI road world championships but New Zealand cyclist Jack Bauer will still look back on 2017 as one of his best years on the bike. Which is why there is tinge of sadness at leaving Quick-Step Floors behind.
The 32-year-old was forced back on the market when the gun Belgian team did not extend his contract, despite excelling in the lead-out role that helped star German sprinter Marcel Kittel secure five stage wins at the Tour de France.
Bauer, who has joined Australian team Orica-Scott on a twoyear contract, said ‘‘the door closed’’ when Kittel signed with Katusha-Alpecin.
‘‘At the end of the day it came down to professional and financial reasons,’’ the Golden Bay rider said. ‘‘Quick-Step are obviously losing a lot of riders this year, they are definitely letting go all the riders that I worked with this year, the likes of Dan Martin and Marcel Kittel.’’
‘‘When they move on it kind of means that the position I had was kind of closing and Quick-Step are investing in very young riders, riders who have their own group who work for them.’’
Despite ending up fourth in the team time trial and being unable to finish the gruelling 267.5km long road race at the world championships in Bergen, Norway, Bauer described his year with Quick-Step Floors as one of the best of his career.
Bauer started 2017 in promising fashion, winning the time trial at New Zealand’s elite road national championships, before earning the most combative rider award on three different stages at the Tour Down Under.
The team’s success at the Tour de France was the clear highlight though.
‘‘It was a great year. I loved the team and it was one of my best years I feel, but I needed to look for a team that needed me and needed me for what I do. While that door had been opened a year earlier with Quick-Step it’s shut now.
‘‘Fortunately I had a good Tour de France and that put me on the market in a good position to look for a new home for next year and Orica-Scott were really clear about what they wanted out of me and our goals and our ideas for the future seemed to line up.’’
Bauer said he is looking forward to riding alongside good friend Sam Bewley and under the guidance of Julian Dean, who is a sporting director there. Craig Geater, another Kiwi, is one of the team’s mechanics.
‘‘The Kiwi invasion only grows,’’ he said. ‘‘I know them all very well and I think I fit into the team very well.’’
With an exciting group of upand-coming riders in their ranks including British twins Adam and Simon Yates, Bauer said OricaScott will look to utilise his experience.
‘‘Every team needs a group of guys with a lot of experience and miles under their belt, riders who can fill a variety of roles and someone who has been around the block and someone they know they can rely on to do the job at hand.
‘‘Orica-Scott have quite a raft of young climbing talent, sprinting talent and stage racing talent, and you need to back that up with a little bit of guidance, experience and some horsepower.’’