Having first lined out in the race last year, Cameron Meyer has been confirmed as returning to the Presidential Tour of Turkey for the 2013 edition and will join his Orica GreenEdge team-mates in making the trip in the next few days.
The 25 year old rider is a multiple world track champion and showed his stage race potential when he won the Santos Tour Down Under in 2011. Last year he was second on a stage of the Vuelta a España, tenth in Tirreno Adriatico and eleventh in the Tour of California. He wants to continue progressing this year.
While he missed the start of the 2013 season due to back issues, he has shown solid form with an Oceania championship victory last month and also the mountains jersey in the Circuit de la Sarthe.
Turkey is next, and he hopes to perform well there. “I have a gradual plan to work on my shape through the Tour of Turkey, the Tour of California and the Tour de Suisse,” he said. “I know the Presidential Tour of Turkey after riding it last year. I would like to test my strength in the climbs. Eight days of racing is excellent and the course suits me fine with its mix of steep climbs and easier ones,” he stated.
Crucial to his ambition will be the stage to Elmali, the queen stage to the top of a long, tough climb. That shaped last year’s edition and will do the same this time round.
Hey will also be joined by Michael Hepburn, another multiple world track championship gold medallist, who is feeling ambitious heading to the 2.HC event.
“We have several cards to play. I made my pro debut in the Tour of Turkey last year, without a lot of preparation, between the track worlds and the Olympics,” he said. “I really adored the race and the country. It's warm and welcoming. I expect to be in my best condition this year.”
Also on the team is quadruple track worlds gold medallist Leigh Howard, a very fast sprinter, plus Lithuania’s Tomas Vaitkus and Aidis Kruopis, New Zealand’s Sam Bewley, the Australian Allan Davis and Japanese rider Fumi Beppu.
The race begins in Alanya next Sunday, and finishes one week later in Istanbul.