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After Cadel Evans and Richie Porte, who’s next?
Evans’ impending retirement from professional cycling on February 1 stokes the speculation about the future Australian star in the Grand Tours.
Richie Porte plans to lead Sky in this year’s Giro d’Italia and will support Chris Froome again in the Tour de France.
The Tasmanian is 29 and has the potential to be an overall contender in the Giro, the Tour or the Vuelta a Espana.
But after Porte, right now there does not appear to be another Australian coming through who could become a Grand Tour contender.
The long-range forecast might well be 19-year-old West Australian Robert Power.
In his first year of under-23 competition last year, Power finished runner-up in the Tour de l’Avenir.
No other Australian has made the podium at the French race, which is regarded as a barometer of future Tour de France success.
It was the top result among several big rides from the teenager.
He will make his top-level debut next week at Adelaide’s Tour Down Under, riding for the composite UniSA national team.
Power will ride at under-23 level again this year, but he will inevitably gain a WorldTour contract for 2016.
While Power has massive potential, it is too early to accurately predict how far he will go.
UniSA team manager Dave Sanders, one of Australia’s most respected cycling coaches, points out that Grand Tour contenders are rare diamonds indeed.
Before Evans and Porte, Australian cycling’s only other rider of that calibre was Phil Anderson.
“It’s the very rare one who goes in that direction – that’s everywhere, not just Australia,” Sanders said.
“You have to take a deep breath – one day at a time, one year at a time, and give them time to develop.”
Caleb Ewan is another massive talent, but the 20-year-old is more an all-rounder than a Grand Tour specialist.
Sanders and Australian under-23 coach James Victor are full of praise for Power, saying he is a well-mannered kid with a great work rate and boundless talent.
But Victor said the progression from under-23s to WorldTour is massive.
Victor agreed that Power and UniSA rider Jack Haig are riders to watch.
Haig has signed with Orica-GreenEDGE, starting next year, and won the young rider category at last year’s Tour Down Under.
“We’re still five to 10 years away from seeing someone like Robert, at his age, where he’s going to fit into Grand Tour contention,” Victor said.
“But if you had to pick someone out of the current crop – him, and I wouldn’t discount Jack Haig either.”
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