Matt Wilson signs for Team Type 1

By Paul Verkuylen

Australia's Matt Wilson has signed a one-year deal for the newly formed Continental Team Type 1 in the USA. The recent winner of the Herald Sun Tour and team domestique deluxe at Unibet.com will line up for the American squad as the team leader for the 2008 season.

"I will be the leader of the team, which will be a great experience for me. A change in role and a chance to put some pressure on myself to win some races," he told Cyclingnews.

Wilson turned professional for the French Française des Jeux squad in 2001 after a stellar season in 2000 riding for Team Down Under, the predecessor to what is now DFL-Cyclingnews-Litespeed. After racing for the ill-fated Unibet.com team this season, the opportunity to ride for a new team in a country unfamiliar to him will give Wilson new motivation to take his already successful career to the next level.

"American racing is getting much bigger and the races are attracting a lot of the top teams in Europe, but I think it will be a big change. This year [2008] will be a test to see if I like it [racing in the states]," he said.

The team is waiting to find out if it will get a start in the Tour of California, but in the meantime Wilson is focusing his energies on the upcoming Bay series criteriums before heading to the National championships and the Tour Down Under, where he will ride for the UniSA team (see below).