Last year Michael Matthews was one place short of victory at the Vuelta Ciclista a la Rioja. Twenty four hours later Simon Gerrans stood atop the podium after he scored a win on the opening stage of the Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco. Following in his teammate’s footsteps, Daryl Impey notched another win for ORICA-GreenEDGE on day two of Pais Vasco – his second win on the second stage in two straight years.
Undoubtedly, the Australian outfit has set a benchmark for itself in Spain. In the early part of the season, ORICA-GreenEDGE has spent valuable time developing its young riders, possibly at the expense of procuring big results but all for good reason. For La Rioja and Pais Vasco, the roster inserts several mature riders back into the mix for the intended purpose to win races.
In his own words, Sport Director Neil Stephens previews the one day La Rioja and the six day Pais Vasco.
