Garmin-Cervélo rider Cameron Meyer has said that he is building up for a strong ride in the Giro d’Italia, targeting that Grand Tour this season rather than looking at doing the Tour de France. The Australian will head to Italy with the goal of assisting two of the team’s protected riders, and will also seize any chances which come his way during the three week event.
“I am on a build-up phase at the moment towards the Giro,” he told VeloNation in a video interview prior to the start of Sunday’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège. “I am going to have a key role to play there in support of Tyler Farrar for stage wins. Le Mevel is showing some really good form here in the Ardennes, it looks like at the Giro he is going to try for GC place.
“We will help him out as well, as well as maybe looking for my own opportunities in some of the breakaways later on in the tour.”
Meyer has been competing since the start of the year, showing his early form then when he won the Santos Tour Down Under. After riding the Tour of Oman, he concentrated on getting ready for the track world championships, where he won the Madison with Leigh Howard and took silver in the points race.
His busy schedule means that he will ride the Giro but miss the Tour, taking a break after the Italian event in order to recharge his batteries. He will target shorter stage races in the second half of the season, and is considering riding the time trial at the world championships.
The 23 year old is a strong rider against the clock, as evidenced by his Australian TT title. He had a quiet showing in yesterday’s prologue of the Tour de Romandie, netting 51st, but was likely fatigued after Liège-Bastogne-Liège. He also said afterwards that the short distance was not to his liking, and that staying out of trouble on a very technical course was the priority.
Saturday’s 20.1 kilometre time trial to Signal de Bougy will be more suited to him, and he will have a chance to give himself a good pre-Giro test there.