Young British talent Josh Edmondson has found himself out of contract after being released by Team Sky at the end of last season.
The 22 year-old was let go by the British WorldTour team at the end of his two-year neo-professional contract, having failed to gel with the team’s highly structured programme, and is yet to secure a professional ride for 2015.
Edmondson has now been handed a lifeline at Australia’s Herald Sun Tour (February 4-8), where he will ride for a Great Britain squad featuring Olympic Academy riders Gabriel Cullaigh, Chris Lawless, Jake Kelly and Scott Davies, and Academy mountain biker Grant Ferguson.
“He’s out of contract but he’s got this opportunity now with GB to put himself back in the shop window, to put himself back on the map,” said Keith Lambert, Great Britain’s U23 Academy manager who will take the team to Australia.
Edmondson himself, who last week was understood to be training in Calpe, Spain, with the Olympic triathletes Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee, was unavailable for comment when contacted by Cycling Weekly.
Rod Ellingworth, performance manager at Team Sky, explained that Edmondon’s disorganization, lack of professionalism and poor communication was behind his release from the squad.
“He is talented, but there is a lot of talent out there and this isn’t a conveyor belt,” said Ellingworth.
For more on Edmondson’s departure from Team Sky, see the latest issue of Cycling Weekly magazine.
