Are you wondering how the inaugural Australian Cycling Team GreenEDGE is going in the Tour of Oman? Well here is the latest.
Eight riders from the GreenEEDGE team are competing in the third event of the 2012 Tour of Oman – the team is a microcosm of the full squad.
It includes four Australians: Baden Cooke, the Tasmanian road and former track cyclist who posted his biggest win in the 2011 Milan-San Remo Classic, the formidable Stuart O’Grady, a former Olympic track champion in the Madison (with Graeme Brown) in 2004 and winner of three stages of the Tour de France, and Alan Davis, a recent first placing in the Victorian Jayco Classic 2012.
The international signings at Oman include Aidis Kuopis, the Lithuianian cyclist who won the third stage of the Tour of Qatar last week, Sebastian Langeveld, a lover of spring races in Europe and winner of the Onloop Het Nieuwbled in 2011, Svien Tuft, the 2011 Canadian National Time Trial and Road Race Champion and Jens Mouris, the Dutch workhorse who is well respected for his ability to caress the cobblestones of Europe with power and finesse.
The winner of the first stage in Oman was Andre Greipel, a newcomer to the event for the Lotto-Belisol Team in 3hr 25′:59″. Matthew Goss was the best placed GreenEdge cyclist finishing in tenth place.
In the second stage overnight, the Slovakian Peter Sagan of the Liguigas-Cannondale Team won in a time of 3hr 10′:44″.
Baden Cooke of GreenEDGE finished four seconds behind to grab second place in stage two and a third place overall in the General Classification at 6hr 36′:47″ behind Sagan and Greipel.
The team has a lot of work to do to become a leading light on the UCI World Tour, but it’s great to see them competing.
DanMan
Guest
Cycling is bigger than you think, and the season has only really just started. May through August is peak times.
SE Informer
Guest
I agree with Jackson that the relegation of popular Australian 'summer sports' such as tennis and golf to the 'Other Sports' category is a shame. Maybe it's a result of fewer articles being written about these sports rather than a reflection of public interest in them.
Jackson
Guest
Not to sound like a sour puss or anything but why does cycling get it's own tab at the top of the screen. It's not in top 6 sports that Australian care about. Tennis golf and motor sport are of more interest to the nation than cycling, at least i think they are. I'm not trying to have a go at anyone here, let that be clear. But shouldn't cycling articles go into the 'other sports' category?
Jackson
Guest
Not to sound like a sour puss or anything but why does cycling get it's own tab at the top of the screen. It's not in top 6 sports that Australian care about. Tennis golf and motor sport are of more interest to the nation than cycling, at least i think they are. I'm not trying to have a go at anyone here, let that be clear. But shouldn't cycling articles go into the 'other sports' category?
nordster
Guest
just watching the coverage on eurosport ... can see some nice mountain biking potential for Oman, great riding there. This tour was good to watch last season with some of the stages being quite challenging, i think Gesink won then. Shame Goss looked to get a late mechanical on the overnight stage.
Chris Ryan
Guest
Not trying to be critical, but you may want to check your details on Baden Cooke and also the the details on finishing position of Aidis in the tour of Qatar.