Cheung King-Lok to make debut at Spanish one-day race
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Thumbs up from Michael Matthews (Orica-GreenEdge) on the start line(Image credit: ASO)
Shayne Bannan with new signing King Lok Cheung(Image credit: Orica-GreenEdge)
Adam Yates (Orica-GreenEdge)(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Mat Hayman after the stage(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Danish champion Chris Juul Jensen (Orica-GreenEdge)(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Damien Howson crosses the line for second place(Image credit: Jayco Herald Sun Tour)
Amets Txurruka (Orica-GreenEdge) is followed by Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Christian Meier doing the pace setting for Orica-GreenEdge(Image credit: Jayco Herald Sun Tour)
Orica-GreenEdge makes it debut at the GP Miguel Indurain Saturday with Michael Matthews leading the team's aspirations for a top result at the 1.1 Spanish race. Matthews will be making his first start since Milan-San Remo where a late crash ended any hopes of matching his third place from the 2015 edition of the race and the 25-year-old is keen to pin on a race number as he explained.
"I can't wait to get back racing with the team," said Matthews who won two stages and the points classification at Paris-Nice earlier this month. "It will be a hard race but the team is really motivated and I hope we can do well."
Adam Yates will also be handed a leadership role explained sports director for the race, David McPartland.
"This will be our first appearance at GP Miguel Indurain and we are going in with the aim of being successful," said McPartland. "Our protected riders will be Michael (Matthews) and Adam (Yates) which gives us options for the different ways which the race may play out."
"We know we will have some strong competition from Movistar in their home race and other teams will be bringing strong line ups too. We have a motivated squad with a good balance, hopefully we can be up there in the finale."
Recent signing Cheung King-Lok makes his Orica-GreenEdge debut in what will be the first European race of the Asian road and time trial champions career.transition into European racing.
"I know it's a huge difference between Europe and Asia," said 25-year-old King-Lok. "I hope I can adapt to the rhythm of it as soon as possible."
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"We welcome our new rider Cheung (King-Lok) to the team and we all hope he settles in well and enjoys his first race," added McPartland.
Having broken his radius at the 'opening weekend' race Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Mat Hayman returns to racing and adds experience to the squad. Damien Howson,Chris Juul-Jensen, Christian Meier and Spanish climber Amets Txurruka complete the roster.
Orica-GreenEdge will then head to the Vuelta Ciclista a La Rioja on Sunday, a race the team has won in the last two years with Matthews (2014) and Caleb Ewan (2015).
Orica-GreenEdge for the Gran Premio Miguel Indurain: Mathew Hayman, Damien Howson, Chris Juul Jensen, Cheung King-Lok, Michael Matthews, Christian Meier, Amets Txurruka and Adam Yates.
