Wesley Sulzberger has signed a contract with Drapac Pro Cycling, the one team to step up from Continental to Professional Continental level in 2014, where he will join his elder brother Bernie. The 27-year-old Tasmanian has spent the last two seasons with Orica-GreenEdge - having ridden for FDJ for the previous three - and follows compatriot Travis Meyer as he moves between the two Australian teams.
“I’m looking to establish myself more as a key rider and I think that the opportunities that I’ll have with Drapac will help me to approach that goal,” said Sulzberger.
“The Santos Tour Down Under is always a great race to start with and obviously the biggest race in Australia that we have, so doing that straight up is a big objective of mine,” he continued. “I finished fifth overall once before [in 2009 - ed] so it would be nice to try and get up there for that one.
“It’s great to have the opportunity to go to another Australian team,” Sulzberger added. “It’s certainly exciting times for Australian cycling so I’m really happy to be moving to an emerging team like Drapac.”
Sulzberger has spent much of his career in the service of his others, which - Drapac team manager Jonathan Breekveldt feels - means that he hasn’t picked up the results that he may have done were he riding for himself.
“It may not be evident in his 2013 results he had a strong year riding in support of his teammates,” Breekveldt explained. “When we learnt he would not be offered a professional contract for 2014 it was an easy decision to expand the roster to 17 and have him included. I know that both Wes and Bernie are excited and very motivated to be able to ride together in the same team for 2014 as brothers and should make for a strong combination.”
The 2013 season was one of ups and downs for Sulzberger, who was forced to abandon the Vuelta a España with fractures to his collarbone and elbow sustained during stage four. He bounced back for the end of the year, however, when he took second in the mountains classification at October’s Tour of Beijing.
“I gave myself every opportunity to be in with a chance and it was great to cap off the year with a race like that.”
Sulzberger becomes Drapac’s 17th rider, and completes the Australian team’s roster for 2014.
Drapac Professional Cycling roster for 2014
Jack Anderson, Jonathan Cantwell, Will Clarke, Jai Crawford, Floris Goesinnen, Robbie Hucker, Ben Johnson, Jordan Kerby, Darren Lapthorne, Travis Meyer, Lachlan Norris, Tom Palmer, Adam Phelan, Malcolm Rudolph, Bernard Sulzberger, Wes Sulzberger, Wouter Wippert.