AUSTRALIAN cycling star Richie Porte believes 2015 is the year to usurp the Orica-GreenEDGE road train.
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The 29-year-old Tasmanian aims to put this year’s woes behind him by winning the January 11 Australian road title at Buninyong.
With GreenEDGE lacking the power of punchers Simon Gerrans and Michael Matthews, the race has opened up for Porte, as well as Cadel Evans, who will retire in early February.
Gerrans broke his collarbone in a pre-Christmas training crash, ruling him out of title defences at the road nationals and the Tour Down Under.
“I love the Buninyong course and I don’t think that GreenEDGE has got quite the numbers they’ve had in other years,” Porte said. “It would be very nice to have a podium like we had this year, and anybody that wins on that circuit is a worthy winner.
“So it’s a big goal to go there and try and take that jersey.”
Preliminary starting lists show Tinkoff-Saxo road captain and triple world individual time trial champion Michael Rogers named in both the criterium and time trial disciplines along with the road race, with Porte also set for the race against the clock.
Young guns Campbell Flakemore and Damien Howson will also compete in the elite men’s time trial and road race, bolstering the losses of Gerrans and Matthews, with the latter to miss due to a late start to his 2015 season.
Meanwhile, Rohan Dennis has been listed in the time trial and road race, where he will seek to support Evans in his final assault at a national road crown.
For his part, Porte remains determined to contend at the Giro d’Italia, despite a season cruelled by poor health.
His main targets next year will be to lead the powerful Sky team at the Giro in May and then support good friend Chris Froome in July at the Tour de France.
“I’d love to compete in the Giro as the new Australian champion,” Porte said.
“My health is back where it needs to be and I want to lead in a grand tour and the Giro is the target for me.
“Nothing is a given yet, but it looks like that will be my race.
“Chris has also had an up and down season and it’s his goal to go back and win the Tour de France.
“I’d love to be there supporting him, but I’m also going to take my opportunities next season.”
Porte’s 2014 campaign started brilliantly when he finished third behind Gerrans and Evans in a pulsating road race at the Buninyong nationals.
He then won the Willunga stage on the way to fourth place overall at the Tour Down Under.
After a promising second overall in February at Spain’s Ruta del Sol stage race, Porte had to pull out midway through Tirreno-Adriatico because of illness.
He eventually abandoned his plans to ride at the Giro.
Porte then took over leadership of the Sky team when Froome had to pull out of the Tour de France.
The Australian at one point was third overall in the race, but again ill health dogged him and he finished 23rd.
CYCLING
Cycling Australia Road National Championships entries for elite men’s and women’s road races at Buninyong on January 10 and 11:
ELITE MEN
Caleb EWAN (NSW)
Oliver KENT-SPARK (Vic)
Declan GREGORY (Vic)
James BUTLER (Vic)
Jordan DAVIES (NSW)
Callan DOUGLAS (Vic)
Ryan MACANALLY (Qld)
Tyler SPURRELL (Vic)
Cameron FRASER (NSW)
Michael CROSBIE (Vic)
Jordan KERBY (Qld)
Damien HOWSON (SA)
Campbell FLAKEMORE (Tas)
Christopher PAPASTAVROS (Vic)
Angus TOBIN (NSW)
Luke OCKERBY (Tas)
Cameron IVORY (NSW)
Samuel SPOKES (NSW)
Kristian JUEL (Qld)
Brendan CANTY (Vic)
Mitchell LOVELOCK-FAY (ACT)
Lachlan MORTON (NSW)
Brenton JONES (Vic)
Matthew LEONARD (Vic)
Sean LAKE (Vic)
Brendan JOHNSTON (NSW)
Craig HUTTON (NSW)
Patrick LANE (Vic)
Adam PHELAN (ACT)
Michael HEPBURN (Qld)
Joshua PRETE (Qld)
Joshua TAYLOR (NSW)
Luke DURBRIDGE (WA)
Aaron DONNELLY (NSW)
Stuart SMITH (Vic)
Mitchell MULHERN (Qld)
Aaron WATTS (NSW)
Nathan ELLIOTT (Vic)
Ryan COTTRELL (Vic)
Mark TUPALSKI (ACT)
Adam ALLEN (Qld)
Cameron BAYLY (SA)
Josh BERRY (NSW)
Rhys GILLETT (Vic)
Luke FETCH (Vic)
Allan SATCHELL (Vic)
Craig EVERS (NSW)
David MCLEAN (Vic)
Rohan DENNIS (SA)
James MOWATT (Vic)
Luke DAVISON (SA)
Robbie HUCKER (Vic)
Benjamin HILL (ACT)
Kane WALKER (Vic)
Lauchlan STEWART (Vic)
Tom ROBINSON (Tas)
Matt BOYS (Vic)
Paul VAN DER PLOEG (Vic)
Timothy ROE (SA)
Dylan PIERRE-HUMBERT (WA)
Andrew PICKERING (NSW)
Jayden COPP (Qld)
Jonathan BOLTON (WA)
Jack BOBRIDGE (SA)
Angus MORTON (NSW)
Travis MEYER (WA)
Tim GUY (NSW)
Ben DYBALL (NSW)
Kyle BRIDGWOOD (Qld)
Brodie TALBOT (NSW)
Joseph LEWIS (NSW)
Malcolm RUDOLPH (Qld)
Julian JACOBS (WA)
Alexander SMYTH (Vic)
Edward WHITE (NSW)
Nathan EARLE (Tas)
Christopher FULLER (Vic)
Stuart GRIMSEY (Vic)
Scott SUNDERLAND (WA)
Cameron MEYER (WA)
Steele VON HOFF (Vic)
David MELVILLE (Qld)
Zakkari DEMPSTER (Vic)
Neil VAN DER PLOEG (Vic)
Mark O’BRIEN (Vic)
Fabio CALABRIA (Vic)
Thomas RISCHMUELLER (SA)
Ali FOOT (Tas)
Jack ANDERSON (Qld)
Dane FREY (WA)
Luke CRIDLAND (NSW)
Jake MAGEE (Vic)
Lachlan NORRIS (Vic)
Saxon IRVINE (NSW)
Wesley SULZBERGER (Tas)
Matthias KIERNAN (Vic)
Mitchell DOCKER (Vic)
David RUGENDYKE (NSW)
Joel WALSH (NSW)
Simon CLARKE (Vic)
David PARKER (ACT)
Anthony GIACOPPO (WA)
Ashley HAWKER (Vic)
Patrick SHAW (Vic)
Daniel MCCONNELL (Vic)
Kenneth BALLHAUSE (Vic)
Chris STACK (SA)
William CLARKE (Tas)
Samuel WITMITZ (Vic)
Richie PORTE (Tas)
Cameron MCDONALD (Vic)
Frederick BONAIL (SA)
Lucien KEENE (SA)
David TANNER (Vic)
Marc WILLIAMS (ACT)
Mark FAGG (Vic)
Chris WINN (Vic)
Heinrich HAUSSLER (NSW)
Bernard SULZBERGER (Tas)
Cameron PETERSON (NSW)
Brad HAMBLETT (NSW)
Nick BENSLEY (Vic)
Jai CRAWFORD (Tas)
Cameron WURF (Tas)
Michael ENGLAND
Darren LAPTHORNE (Vic)
Tyson CHAMBERS (Vic)
Tommy NANKERVIS (Vic)
Nicholas SQUILLARI (Vic)
Rowan DEVER (Vic)
Michael CUPITT (Qld)
Christopher LEE (Vic)
Joel STRACHAN (Vic)
Luke JONES (Vic)
Adam HANSEN (Qld)
Shaun LEWIS (NSW)
Shannon JOHNSON (Vic)
Michael ROGERS (ACT)
Adam VERSTEEGE (Vic)
Andrew BLAIR (ACT)
Graeme BROWN (NSW)
David MUNRO (NSW)
Mathew HAYMAN (ACT)
Stuart SHAW (ACT)
Andrew BRYANT (Vic)
Cadel EVANS (Vic)
Peter MILOSTIC (NSW)
Liam McCARTHY (Qld)
Allan IACUONE (Vic)
Peter CASEY (Vic)
Matthew RIZZUTO (ACT)
Stephen CUNNINGHAM (SA)
David EVANS (NSW)
Nick GATLAND (NSW)
ELITE WOMEN
Kendelle HODGES (Vic)
Rebecca HENDERSON (ACT)
Elizabeth DOUEAL (Vic)
Lauren KITCHEN (NSW)
Chloe HOSKING (ACT)
Brittany LINDORES (Qld)
Kate PERRY (Vic)
Kristy GLOVER (Vic)
Minda MURRAY (Vic)
Jasmine McMILLAN (Qld)
Stephanie LORD (NSW)
Karla McKINNON (Vic)
Esther BORG (Vic)
Carlee TAYLOR (SA)
Jessica LANE (Vic)
Gracie ELVIN (ACT)
Loren ROWNEY (Qld)
Tessa FABRY (Vic)
Lucy KENNEDY (Qld)
Tiffany CROMWELL (SA)
Peta MULLENS (Vic)
Verita STEWART (Vic)
Shara GILLOW (Qld)
Amanda SPRATT (NSW)
Kim PEDERSEN (Qld)
Carley MCKAY (Vic)
Sarah ROY (NSW)
Nikolina ORLIC (Qld)
Jessie MACLEAN (ACT)
Kimberley WELLS (ACT)
Sophie MACKAY (NSW)
Rebecca STEPHENS (Vic)
Marissa MADDEN (NSW)
Nicole MOERIG (Qld)
Erin KINNEALY (WA)
Laura DARLINGTON (ACT)
Lizzie WILLIAMS (Vic)
Taryn HEATHER (SA)
Joanne HOGAN (Vic)
Emma VIOTTO (ACT)
Josephine MELDGAARD (NSW)
Katrin GARFOOT (Qld)
Miranda GRIFFITHS (Vic)
Lisa JACOBS (Vic)
Victoria VEITCH (SA)
Rebecca LOCKE (Vic)
Naomi WILLIAMS (Vic)
Lucy BARKER (SA)
Fiona MACMILLAN (Vic)
Lynne CLARKE (NSW)
Justine BARROW (Vic)
Laurelea MOSS (Qld)
Nicole WHITBURN (Vic)
Rachel WARD (Vic)
Felicity WARDLAW (Vic)
Jennifer FAY (ACT)
Ruth CORSET (Qld)
Kelly BARTLETT (Vic)
Lisa BARRY (Vic)
Tanya FRESCHI (SA)
Bridie O’DONNELL (Vic)
Kathryn WOOLSTON (Tas)
Elizabeth HALL (Vic)
