Earle hoping for decisive climbs at Tour de Taiwan

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Nathan Earle gets things moving up the climb.(Image credit: Mark Gunter - markgunter.com.au)

Fit, healthy and filled with confidence after a solid start to the season, Nathan Earle is hoping to make an impact at the upcoming Tour de Taiwan which runs from 18-24 March. Riding for Australia's number-one team in the National Road Series, Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers, Earle says Taiwan is just the start of what he hopes will be a successful season racing the Asia Tour and the Australian domestic scene.

Earle is just one rider in the five-man squad that could take out the title with last year's dual stage winner Anthony Giacoppo also included in the line-up. The race may lack a decisive hill-top finish but Earle, along with his teammates will most likely target a number of stages where a shake-up of the general classification could be made. However, stage profiles often fail to paint a clear picture of the race route especially in the unpredictable Asian race scene.

"I went in 2010 so I'm sort of familiar with it," he told Cyclingnews. "There's nothing super decisive really but it's just going to be fast racing. I sort of know what I'm in for, there's no huge hills and we will probably only have one or two opportunities where we can put pressure on climbs. The first day is probably going to be the most important. It's usually the hardest because there's no pecking order.

Earle had taken victories at the NZ race in the past, most recently winning three stages at the 2011 edition - won that year by now second-year RadioShack Leopard rider George Bennett - and believes the NRS has attracted a big enough international audience to suggest that it's more than possible to gain a professional contract without heading to Europe. An experience he would probably rather forget after his frustrating stint in Italy last year.

Consistent performances at home and abroad are vital, according to the Tasmanian who intends on returning to races like Tour of Borneo - where he won two stages, took out the KoM classification and finished second overall in 2012 - eyeing the overall title while also taking aim at the tougher NRS tours like Tour of Toowoomba and Tour of Tasmania. Putting it matter-of-factly, Earle plans to dominate specific NRS races and use his anticipated results overseas with the goal of gaining the attention of a larger professional outfit.

"I'm sort of targeting a bit of both but I'm definitely staying with the team this year. I would like to win another UCI tour, do well in Taiwan and then come back to Australia and try to dominate the NRS and other Australian races. Tour of Toowoomba, Tour of Tasmania they are all suited to me as long as I'm in good form. It's just a matter of planning out the racing for the year, not overdoing it and being able to maintain form throughout the year.

"I think with a combination of doing well domestically and some good results overseas, either stage wins or managing to win another tour. It's a good way to go and I think Nathan Haas and Steele Von Hoff showed it can be done. It's getting more and more recognised. Five years ago you would never think you could do just Australian racing and then go to a bigger and better team somewhere else but now there's more of an international audience watching the Australian racing scene. I think it's possible, that's the goal."