When Bradley McGee takes to the boards of Manchester velodrome next weekend at the Revolution track meet (November 15), it will be the last time that the Aussie turns a pedal in anger.
As he announced in September, McGee has decided to retire from a long and successful professional racing career at the end of the 2008 season - and he's picked the Manchester event as his swansong.
McGee joins compatriots Stuart O'Grady and Matt Goss as well as young Brit Jonny Bellis on the CSC-Saxo Bank team at the event. They'll be up against the likes of David Millar, Chris Newton, Rob Hayles, Geraint Thomas, Steven Burke and a host of others in the endurance events.
McGee isn't leaving cycling behind, of course - he will become a directeur sportif for CSC for the 2009 season, transferring his extensive knowledge to a future generation of riders.
A Tour prologue winner himself, McGee is also a Monaco resident - so who better to recce the opening day's course and assess its impact on the 2009 race. Measuring 15 kilometres, the course is a hilly affair which will favour the power time triallist and give the winner a chance to put some serious time into his rivals. You can find out what McGee thinks of the course, and who he picks as a winner, in the feature.
Cycle Sport December 2008 issue is on sale now in WHSmith, major supermarkets and all good newsagents priced £4. More details of what's in the issue can be found here.
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