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Team News - 06 December 2012

Round up of team news

Orica-AIS enters its second year with a different squad - retirements and changes have meant bringing in Aussies to the line-up. Gracie Elvin and Annette Edmondson join the team

After announcing the new intnernational signings of Emma Johansson and Sung Eun Gu. Orica-AIS has added another two names to its squad for 2013. The total number of riders will be 10. Leaving the succcessful 2012 team are Judith Arndt and Alexis Rhodes; the pair have reitred. Linda Villumsen, Claudia Hausler and Rowena Fry are also departing to pursue other cycling interests.

In a press release published by the team, Directeur Sportif, Dave McPartland made the point that “Before we discuss the new squad, I want to extend sincere thanks and wish all the best in the future to Judith Arndt, Alex Rhodes, Claudia Häusler, Linda Villumsen and Rowena Fry.Our first season was a dream year from our perspective, and in large part, this was due to the leadership and camaraderie on display by our entire team. Judith, Alex, Claudia, Linda and Row now move on to things outside of cycling. They do so after having left a lasting impact on our team.”

McPartland expects Emma Johansson to lead the team in 2013. He particularly identified the younger and less experienced Australians as candidates for the mentoring which the Swede will be expected to provide. For the pair of new additions, McPartland provided an insight into the rationale for their recruitment; "Gracie is an exciting signing,” he said. “She came to us through the Australian Institute of Sport [AIS] program. The AIS team is a feeder team for ORICA-AIS. When we started the team from scratch last year, several of the riders we had signed had ridden for the AIS at some point, but Gracie is the first rider we can point to and say she was 100% developed in the AIS program and has now come to us to become a professional.”

“Gracie funded a trip to Europe in 2010,” he continued. “She went over there by herself and made all the arrangements herself. It showed a lot of character and promise. She was selected as part of the AIS group the following year because of the tenacity and grit she had shown. She proved her worth last season not only in gaining more experience but in garnering solid results.”

Annette Edmondson lacks Elvin’s road experience, but the team recognises that her accomplishments on the track indicate great promise. Furthermore, they expect her to develop as a sprinter on the road, identifying that "her bronze medal in the Omnium at the London Olympics, suggests a real strength in sprinting."

“She’s certainly an upcoming sprinter with a huge future ahead of her,” said McPartland. “She’s undeniably talented, and while her obvious strength is in the sprints, I suspect she may develop into more of an all-rounder. A few years ago, I watched her race in the Czech Republic over an undulating to moderately hilly course, and I was surprised at how good she was. She’ll be an exciting one to watch develop this year.” 

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