Trent Lowe, who normally rides for the Discovery Channel team, will wear saddle cloth number 1 for the defending champion Jayco Australian National team at the JHST, which commences in Bendigo on Saturday.
Team manager (and CC CC member Dave Sanders) believes Lowe has the talent and form after a strong ride at the world championships to challenge for the final yellow jersey.
Pushing him all the way will be Baden Cooke (Unibet.com), the 2002 winner. After a disappointing year where Cooke missed many of the major European races due to the legal battles facing his team, compunded by a broken collar bone, Cooke is keen to end 2007 on a high.
Another of our young riders, Simon Clarke (South Australia.com-AIS) is coming off a couple of great rides at the Tour of Britain and the Under 23 worlds, and is also expected to challenge for the win when the tour wraps up with two days based at Tom’s Block at the Botanical Gardens next weekend.
CCCC’s connections in the teams at the JHST also include Mark ‘Funky’ Howard, head mechanic for the DFL-cyclingnews-Litespeed team. Mark worked with the team in 2006, and impressed team management so much that, as regular readers of his blog will know, he was offered the gig full time and has spent this season based in Belgium with the team.
We’ll also be represented in both the Bendigo and Melbourne support crits. Riding in the CCCC colours will be CCCC/SHM Elite team members Danny Kah, Matt Sherwin and Pete Smith, joined by Matt Jensen and Matt Bishop. The Bendigo crit will be raced on Sunday the 14th, while in a break from tradition, the Melbourne crit will be a lead in to the JHST time trail stage, on Saturday October 20.
The women’s support crit could well be dominated by CCCC women. Reigning Victorian Crit champion Nicole Whitburn (HIT racing) will wear the number 1 bib, but will face strong competition from established stars Jenny Macpherson and Peta Mullens (VIS) and Tess Downing and Lisa Friend (Drapac Porsche), while Clare Vlahopolous (Degani Cafe/CBD Cycles) could also spring a suprise.
All the CCCC riders and support staff would appreciate your support if you get the chance to watch a stage or two!
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