Days after directeur sportif Neil Stephens indicated that things were looking promising with regards to a new backer for the GreenEdge team, the WorldTour squad has today confirmed that it will announce a title sponsor in four day’s time.
Referring to the moment as a ‘milestone’ in the team’s history, it issued a brief notice this morning revealing the news. “Gerry Ryan, co-founder of GreenEDGE Cycling, will be announcing a new major partner for the Australian World Tour team,” it stated.
The launch will take place next Tuesday at 10.30 am in the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne.
While other new squads have often taken a while to gell together, GreenEdge has had a very successful debut.
It started things off on home soil with victories in the national championship road race and time trial, were Simon Gerrans and Luke Durbridge picked up gold medals. Gerrans went on to win the Santos Tour Down Under.
In March, the team clocked up five victories in Europe. It took a superb team time trial victory in Tirreno Adriatico, a Classic triumph in Milan-Sanremo with Gerrans, then Michael Albasini’s two stage victories and overall triumph in the Volta a Catalunya.
This month Daryl Impey picked up stage two of the Vuelta al Pais Vasco, while Durbridge took the time trial plus the overall in the Circuit de la Sarthe.
Stephens told VeloNation at the Presentation Tour of Turkey that things were looking good. “There is always a lot of interest. The dynamics around the team has been interesting right from the start,” he said in a video interview carried out at the teams' presentation. “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.
GreenEdge is Australia’s first top-level pro team. It has initially been bankrolled by Australian businessman Ryan, who has been involved in the sport for many years.
It will compete in this year’s Tour de France, where it will be chasing stage victories. The general classification is a longer-term target.