Having had a solid showing during his stagiaire slot with the HTC Highroad team, Australian MTB and road rider Lachland Norris has been confirmed as one of the leaders of the Drapac Porsche team in next week’s Herald Sun Tour.
The 24 year old raced this year in the mountainbike world championships but focussed more on road racing, riding the Tour of Utah and the USA Pro Cycling Challenge at the start of his trial with the HTC team (pictured). He was 60th in Utah and then ten places better in the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. Since then, he has competed in Europe and perfored strongly in the 2.1-ranked Giro di Padania, netting thirteenth on stage four and twelfth overall.
Together with earlier performances this year with Drapac such as eleventh in the Fleche du Sud and fourth in the Tour of Taiwan, it’s clear he has the ability to figure in the general classification in the Jayco Herald Sun Tour.
“I think it’s really important for me personally,” Norris said, speaking about the chance to ride strongly in the Australian race. “The team, Drapac, have been really supportive of me all year and I really want to pay them back and just have a really good race at home in front of the home crowd. It would be really good to have a good ride and to thank them for a great year and support from all of the riders and the staff.”
He will be one of the leaders of the team, sharing that role with the 2007 Australian road race champion Darren Lapthorne and last year’s Melbourne to Warrnambool winner Rhys Pollock. He will use his uphill abilities to try to put himself in a position to fight for the overall.
“I guess I’m not your typical climber but I probably lend myself to climbing a bit more but I’m always keen for a breakaway,” Norris said. “The Arthur’s Seat stage could suit me, so hopefully I can have a crack at that and see what happens.
“I’ll be having a go at GC, but if it’s windy it will be important not to lose time. I think between us, the team has got quite a few strong guys like Darren Lapthorne and Adam Phelan who can all be riding for GC, so we’ve got a few cards we can play.”
Once the race is done, he will focus his efforts on preparing for the 2012 Olympic Games and the MTB cross country event there. He will be scrapping it out against riders such as 2011 Australian champion Chris Jongewaard for the one available slot, but the duo will have the chance to test each other’s form in next week’s race.
Second overall behind Simon Gerrans five years ago, Jongewaard will lead the Budget Forklifts team in the race. He has fared well in the race in the past, losing out to Gerrans by just four seconds and then winning the Mount Buller stage in 2008. On that occasion he beat Vuelta runner-up Chris Froome and Richie Porte, who is now with the Saxo Bank SunGard team.
He will be supported by junior world track champion Luke Davison plus the climbers Peter Herzig and Michael Cupitt, and is expected to make a big move on the Arthur’s Seat stage.
Both Norris and Jongewaard know that they will be up against some big guns this year. The Garmin-Cervélo team will have riders like Jack Bobridge and Cameron Meyer in its ranks, while Porte will head the Saxo Bank SunGard team. Also likely to show well is Adam Hansen, who will lead the Omega Pharma Lotto selection.
The 2.1 ranked race will begin on Wednesday in Whittlesea and conclude five days later in Melbourne.
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Jayco Herald Sun Tour, Wednesday 12 to Sunday 16 October 2011
Stage 1 - Whittlesea to Ballarat, 174km
Stage 2 - Ballarat to Geelong, 140km
Europcar Stage 3 – Geelong Waterfront to Bellarine Peninsula,173km
Searoad Ferries Stage 4 - Sorrento - Arthurs Seat, 131km
Stage 5 - City Circuit (Lygon Street, Melbourne)