McEwen and Haussler confirmed for Australian team
The 2010 UCI Road World Championships will be held in Melbourne and Geelong, Australia, from September 29 to October 3. Road cycling is normally a sport which is dominated by team cycling – nearly every major event is contested by riders representing a privately-owned team. However, because the World Championships circuit is based on individual excellence in a rider’s respective area, it’s necessary to take them out of their comfort zone to see how they stand on their own.
The teams for the World Championships are chosen by their country, and the country has a pre-determined number of spots based on its placement in the world rankings. Australia, the host of the 2010 World Championships, has earned nine spots with its high global ranking. Today, Cycling Australia published a list of potential candidates, including the publicly hopeful Robbie McEwan and Heinrich Haussler.
McEwen, who competes with Team Katusha, has targeted the World Championships since competing in the Tour de France, alongside several other riders in the 15-man list, including Adam Hansen, Mark Renshaw and Simon Gerrans, three riders who were unable to complete the race. McEwen was tied for the Tour sprint-win record of 12 before Renshaw’s teammate Mark Cavendish broke that record this year. Now at 38 years old, his career won’t last much longer, but the three-time green jersey winner is still a man to watch out for in a bunch sprint.
26-year-old Haussler, who competes with the Cervélo Test Team, is a sprinter specialist who has proved with two second-place finishes last year that he has no trouble with Classics distances. He won a stage in the Tour de France last year and another in the Tour de Suisse this season, where he later injured out and couldn’t begin the 2010 Tour de France.
The nine-man squad will include two riders chosen specifically for the time-trial competition, which will be decided between Cadel Evans, Michael Rogers, and Richie Porte. The selection is scheduled for finalization on August 24.
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