Semple gets Bibanese birthday present

Ashley Baines (left) of Cycle City and Jayco/AIS's Adam Semple in the peloton during the thirty laps of an 850 metre circuit criterium. (Image credit: Shane Goss)

West Australia’s Adam Semple will bid farewell to the Australian Institute of Sport program for the bulk of 2010 as he joins an Italian amateur team. Semple, who turns 20 today, will join Brisot Cardin Bibanese, the squad on which compatriot Simon Gerrans made his European debut.

Semple is expecting to reunite with the Australian Institute of Sport program at various points throughout 2010, including at the Baby Giro d’Italia. The arrangement is similar to that which Ritchie Porte enjoyed this year, riding races like the Tour de Langkawi with the national team, but spending the majority of his season with Andrea Tafi's Bedogni-Grassi-Natalini-Gr.Praga squad. A strong ride by Porte at the Baby Giro helped the Tasmanian secure a professional contract with Saxo Bank for 2010, an accomplishment Semple is hoping to replicate.

The AIS assisted with opening the door to Bibanese for Semple, with the rider then left to choose his own path for next season. “If I’m still going well then I’ll hopefully be doing a few races with them [AIS], like the baby Giro and that sort of thing,” said Semple. “The AIS spoke to the team’s managers and directors to suggest me and then it was sort of up to me as to whether I went with that or different other options I had in Italian teams. Bibanese turned out to be the best option because the Australian squad will still support me, so it’s going to be good.”