Orica-GreenEdge places faith in youth

RideLondon-Surrey Classic winner Adam Blythe is one of just three new faces at Orica-GreenEdge for the 2015 season, with the Australian squad announcing 23 returning riders.

The former BMC rider returns to the WorldTour after a year with NFTO, and is joined by the promising Australian sprinter Caleb Ewan and Dane Magnus Cort as the new team members.

With an average age of 27.5, Orica is placing its faith in young talent, with only seven of the 26 riders over the age of 30.

“We definitely have one of the most promising rosters of young talent in the world,” said general manager Shayne Bannan. “But what we have is more than that.”

“We have winners that are getting us world class results now such as Simon Gerrans and Michael Matthews, we have the natural leaders who provide invaluable guidance on the road such as Mathew Hayman and Simon Clarke and the heavy engines, such as Svein Tuft and Jens Mouris, who time and time again put themselves into the gutter on the front to support our victories.

“Each and every rider knows their role and significantly contributes to this team’s success. We expect that to continue in throughout the 2015 season.”

The Yates twins, Simon and Adam, 22, return for a second year with Orica, while former Team Sky rider Gerrans will be looking to repeat his strong 2014, which culminated with a silver medal in the World Championships road race.

Meanwhile, 2011 Milan-San Remo winner Matthew Goss departs the Australian outfit to join African Pro Continental team MTN-Qhubeka.

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