Ballarat export Lucas Hamilton continues to push his case for a maiden ride in the prestigious Tour de France.
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The former Ballarat Clarendon College student will lead Team BikeExchange's general classification charge at the Tour de Suisse.
The eight-day race, which starts on Sunday morning (AEST), is commonly viewed as a stepping stone for the Tour de France, which begins in three weeks' time.
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Hamilton has thrived in a new leadership role for the Australian-backed Team BikeExhange this season, with three WorldTour top ten finishes to his name.
The 25-year-old has not raced since coming eighth in the Tour de Romandie in early May and said he was looking forward to returning.
"I'm feeling good heading into Suisse, we had an altitude block at home in Andorra with the team, and it was pretty good," Hamilton said.
"It sometimes takes a bit to see how you are after those big blocks, but I'm looking forward to getting racing again. The weather seems to be getting warmer now, so it's always nice to do the first few races in summer."
Hamilton, originally from Ararat, will share the GC responsibilities with teammate Esteban Chaves.
This year's Tour de Suisse route offers two time trials, undulating lowlands, and a venture into Switzerland's famous Alpine passes.
"It's a pretty diverse course, with a mountain TT, a smaller TT at the start and then a lot of intermediate stages. Some of the mountain stages look really hard, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the form is heading into the upcoming races," Hamilton said.
"We have a super-strong team for this kind of race, and everyone is motivated.
"It's a nice time of the year. Everyone is fit, so I think we have plenty of options to try and bag a couple of results."
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