GreenEdge sporting director Neil Stephens appears upbeat about the chances of the team securing a title sponsor, saying that the strong start to its debut year has generated a lot of attention and helped open up possibilities.
“There is always a lot of interest. The dynamics around the team has been interesting right from the start,” he told VeloNation in a video interview at the Presidential Tour of Turkey. “The success has brought a lot of other interest. It is a matter of getting the right mix, of what company would fit in with our field.
“I think there is a lot of interest there…things are starting to happen.”
In contrast to squads such as Sky Procycling and Leopard Trek, which took several months to settle in before the wins started to build up, the GreenEdge team has clicked right from the start of its first season.
The team secured both the road race and time trial national titles in Australia in January, with Luke Durbridge and Simon Gerrans earning the right to wear the national champion’s jersey for the year.
That was quickly followed by the team’s first UCI-ranked win, with Gerrans beating Alejandro Valverde to win the Santos Tour Down Under.
March brought five European victories, starting with a superb team time trial victory in Tirreno Adriatico, a Classic triumph in Milan-Sanremo with Gerrans’ win there, then Michael Albasini’s two stage victories and overall triumph in the Volta a Catalunya.
This month started well with Daryl Impey’s stylish solo move on stage two of the Vuelta al Pais Vasco, then Durbridge’s first European triumphs with a stage win plus the overall in the Circuit de la Sarthe.
The team is currently competing in the Presidential Tour of Turkey, where Matt Goss placed second on the first two stages, led the race until yesterday’s mountain stage and holds the points jersey.
Stephens puts the team success down to the momentum it has built up. “It really has been a confidence building thing, I suppose. The boys started off really well with the two national championships, then topped it off with the Tour Down Under,” he said. “I think the big turning point of the season was the team time trial we won in Tirreno Adriatico. From there the boys have gone from strength to strength.”
Watch the video below for Stephen’s thoughts on these issues, its goals for the Tour de France, as well as his pre-race assessment on what some of the riders’ objectives would be in Turkey. He also talks about Robbie McEwen’s final races as a professional.