Following his recent decision to declare for Australia, 26 year old Heinrich Haussler has been confirmed as part of the national squad in the running for this autumn’s world championships in Geelong.
The Cervélo Test Team rider, who previously raced under a German passport, made the final decision to switch earlier this month. He grew up in Australia but then moved to his father’s country of Germany at the age of 14.
Haussler is the 23rd rider to be named to the Australian squad. Defending champion Cadel Evans (BMC Racing Team) is also one of those, as is Haussler’s Cervélo Test Team team-mate Brett Lancaster.
Cycling Australia’s rules state that only those in the national squad can be considered for selection for the long team. That will be named on August 3rd. Haussler has had periods of injury this year but is now back training, and will hope to be in contention for final worlds selection.
“It was not an easy decision to give up my German citizenship, but I came to a point in my life where I decided to follow my feelings,” he said earlier this month. “I had the lucky situation that I was the owner of two passports, but I feel more Australian and therefore I made the final decision to ride in the future for the country where I grew up.”
A likely incentive is the location of this year’s world championships. If selected and in top form, Haussler’s abilities as a sprinter and Classics rider could see him start as one of the big favourites. He finished second in the 2009 Milan-San Remo and Tour of Flanders Classics, and this year was second in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
A spokesperson from Cycling Australia indicated that his recent stage win in the Tour of Switzerland was a factor in his consideration. In truth, though, an on-form Haussler is one of the top riders in the world and there is no surprise that he should be in the running for a place.
"We have notification from the UCI that he is now classed as an AUS rider," the spokesperson told the Geelong Advertiser.
"If you look in the preamble there's an allowance there for extenuating circumstances. And this is one we've never really had to encounter before, so it's pretty reasonable but, having said that, all that's done is get him on the squad."
The elite men’s world road race championships will take place on October 3rd. It will begin in Melbourne and include eleven laps of a Geelong circuit, totalling 260 kilometres in total.