It is a bumper crop of Australians lining up to take on the Tour de France this year, with eleven expected among the field lining up in Bilbao on Saturday July 1. Only France and the cycling devotees of Belgium and the Netherlands have a larger contingent of riders for patriotic fans to cheer on.
The Australian’s too, are far from just making up the numbers, as while many will be in support roles, the sprinters of Caleb Ewan (Lotto Dstny) and Sam Welsford (Team DSM) offer up serious stage winning potential, as do the break away contenders including Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech) – one of two Australian stage winners last year. The other, Michael Matthews (Jayco-AlUla), won’t be on the start line this year.
