Jack Bobridge will leave the Orica-GreenEdge team for Rabobank at the end of the year on a two-year contract, the Dutch team has announced. The former World under-23 time trial champion, and Individual Pursuit World record holder has had a relatively quiet year on the road in 2012 due to a concentration on the Olympic velodrome in London, but is moving teams so that he can “develop myself further on the road”.
After winning the under-23 World title in Mendrisio, Switzerland, in 2009 Bobridge signed for Garmin-Transitions, where he took an Eneco Tour stage victory at the age of just 21. His second season with the American team saw him take the Australian road race title, before joining the newly-formed GreenEdge team at the start of this year, but it has been on the track that he has made most of his headlines.
As a multiple Australian, Oceania and Commonwealth champion in the Individual Pursuit, Bobridge achieved what few thought possible at the Australian national championships in February 2011 and broke Chris Boardman’s “Superman” World record. He then went on to take the World championship in both the Individual and Team events in Apeldoorn, Netherlands.
Bobridge was then part of the Australian team that took the silver medal, behind hosts Great Britain, in the Team Pursuit in London 2012. This focus has meant a quiet road season for the now 23-year-old and, with the Olympics now over, this is where he wants to focus his talents in future.
“I want to develop myself further on the road,” he said. “Rabobank Cycling Team is experienced in training young talents and turning them into good road racers. I’m a real team player, I really want to help my team mates. That’s where my strength lies.”
The young Australian will join more experienced compatriots Graeme Brown, Mark Renshaw and David Tanner at the Dutch squad, while fellow Australian Lauren Kitchen also rides for the Rabobank women's team; he will avoid 22-year-old Michael “Bling” Matthews however, who will take his place at Orica-GreenEdge.