Australian cyclists to watch at the Tour de France and UCI World Tour

Almost 11 years have passed since Cadel Evans stepped up to the Tour de France podium on the Champs Elysées in Paris as the first Australian to win the world’s biggest bike race.

The void of success could lead one to suspect that Australia has once slipped back into being one of the minnows of a sport that traditionally has been dominated by Europeans.

The highest achievement in cycling is a Tour victory, and with it, the winner’s yellow jersey, or maillot jaune.

The gap between Australia’s first win by Evans and today might beg the question: what’s gone wrong since he elevated cycling from a niche sport to one that briefly challenged Australia’s major sports for attention in the mainstream media?

But perception does not always reflect the truth.

A new wave of Australian talent among the men’s premier peloton has been percolating in recent years.

Tasmanian Richie Porte, now in his retirement year, kept the Tour hopes of Australian fans alive with his fifth place in 2016 and third in 2020.

And Gerry Ryan’s Australian GreenEDGE men’s team that began in 2012 (today named BikeExchange-Jayco) racked up many successes in stages of the Tour and cycling’s two other three-week grand tours - the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España – and in other stage races and major one day classics; as did other Australian professionals in international cycling teams.

The reality now is that Australia may be on the cusp of having a number of riders who could emulate the feats of Evans and Porte, whose illustrious career includes wins in many of the most prestigious tours outside of the grand tour family.

There are also many Australian riders capable of success in tour stages or in the one-day Monuments such as the Paris-Roubaix in France where Australia has twice celebrated success – in 2007 when Stuart O’Grady triumphed and 2016 when Mat Hayman claimed a career-defining win.

Lets cast our eye over Australia’s top male riders.

Who among them could shine this season and at what races, based on performances, form and expectation.

Australia is well covered on all fronts.

In contention for honours in the three-week grand tours are rising all-rounder stars Ben O’Connor, Jai Hindley, Jack Haig and Michael Storer, who have all excelled in this style of racing.

Joining the class of established Aussie sprinters Caleb Ewan and Michael Matthews is Matthews’ Bike Exchange-Jayco teammate Kaden Groves, who achieved his 10th podium finish this season by April.

There are others to keep an eye on, like first year professional Luke Plapp who has the time trialling capabilities of two-time world time trial champion Rohan Dennis and fast emerging as another all-round star to be.

These are exciting times for Australian men’s road cycling; as they are for women’s cycling that we will analyse in an upcoming review on CODE Sports.

Here are the most exciting Aussies to watch this season and where they are likely to strike.

BEN O’CONNOR

From Subiaco, Western Australia, age 26

Team: AG2r-Citroën (France)

Strength: Climbing. All rounder

Season form: 1st stage 3 and 6th overall Volta Ciclista Catalunya; 7th overall, 9th stage 4 Vuelta a Andalucia

Career highs: 4th overall, 1st stage 9 2021 Tour de France; 6th overall 2021 Tour de Romandie; 8th overall Critérium du Dauphiné; 1st stage 17 2020 Giro d’Italia

Races to watch: Huge hopes (his own and that of others) that he will step up another level in a marquee race calendar that includes the Tour de Romandie (26 April-May 1), Critérium du Dauphiné (5-12 June), Tour de France (1-24 July) and the Vuelta a España (19 August-11 September). Anything is possible after narrowly missing a Tour de France podium last year.

JACK HAIG

From: Southport, Queensland, age 28

Team: Bahrain-Victorious (Bahrain)

Strength: Climbing. All-rounder

Season form: 6th overall Paris-Nice, 6th and 4th stage 2 and 7th stage 4 Vuelta a Andalucia

Career highs: 3rd 2021 Vuelta a España, 5th 2021 Critérium du Dauphiné, 7th 2020 Paris-Nice, 4th 2019 Paris-Nice

Races to watch: Podium finishes at the Critérium du Dauphiné (June 5-12), Tour de France and Vuelta a Espańa are all possible for this calm, collected rider who is hitting his straps.

MICHAEL MATTHEWS

From: Canberra, ACT, age 31

Team: Bike Exchange-Jayco (Australia)

Strength: Sprinter, especially on hilly finish

Season form: 1st stage 1 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya; 4th Milan-San Remo; 7th Amstel Gold Race; 7th De Brabandtse Pijl-Flèche Brabançonne; 11th Tour of Flanders

Career highs: Green jersey winner, 1st stage 14 and 16, 2017 Tour de France; 1st stage 16 Tour de France; 1st 2019, 2018 Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec; 1st Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal; 2nd 2015 World Road Race Championships; 1st 2010 Under 23 World Road Race Championship; 1st 2020 Bretagne Classic; 3rd 2015 and 2020 Milan-San Remo

Races to watch: Has great form and on cusp of a big result, quite possibly on Sunday in Paris Roubaix. Main focus is Tour de France and pursuit of stage wins and green points jersey.

JAI HINDLEY

From: Perth, Western Australia, age 25

Team: Bora-hansgrohe (Germany)

Strength: Climber. Overall contender

Season form: 5th overall and 6th on stage 6 Tirreno-Adriatico; 13th overall and 8th on stage 4 in Volta Ciclista a Catalunya; 14th overall and 7th stage 4 of Tour of UAE

Career highs: 2nd overall, 1st stage 18 2020 Giro d’Italia; 2nd overall 2020 Herald Sun Tour; 2nd overall 2019 Tour of Poland

Races to watch: High expectations for a big season. Will lead Bora-Hansgrohe in Giro d’Italia and every chance of a podium at least, a real chance for the race overall.

UPDATE, MAY 30: Hindley wins the Giro d’Italia

KADEN GROVES

From Sunshine Coast, Queensland, age 23

Team: Bike Exchange-Jayco (Australia)

Strength: Sprinter

Season form: 10 podiums, including 3 stage wins. Stage 2 at Tour of Turkey; stage 2 and points jersey Volta a Catalunya; 3 podiums at Tour of Oman, 2 at Tirreno-Adriatico

Career highs: 1st stage 2 and points jersey in 2022 Volta a Catalunya; 1st stages 2 and 3 in 2020 Herald Sun Tour; 2019 Australian Criterium Championship; 2016 Australian Junior Road Race Championship

Races to watch: One of the best sprinters on the tour so far this season. Tour de Suisse (June 12-19), Tour of Poland (June 30-July 5) and Vuelta a España (19 August 19-September 11).

CALEB EWAN

From: Bowral, NSW, age 27

Team: Lotto/Soudal (Belgium)

Strength: Sprinter

Season form: 4 stage wins. Stage 1 Tour of Turkey; Stage 3 Tirreno-Adriatico; stage 1 Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var; stage 1 Saudi Tour

Career highs: 5 Tour de France stages (2020, 2019), 5 Giro d’Italia stages (2021, 2019, 2017), 9 Tour Down Under stages (2020, 2018, 2017, 2016)

Races to watch: Will have eyes on stage wins in the Giro d’Italia (May 6-29) and Tour de France and the points jersey in both. Will also focus on the World Road Race Championship (September 24) in Wollongong, NSW, despite tough hilly course on his home roads totalling 4000m of elevation.

MICHAEL STORER

From: Born Sydney, NSW. Lives Perth, Western Australia, age 25

Team: Groupama-FDJ (France)

Strength: Climbing. All rounder

Season form: Moderate start building to a mountainous run to the Tour de France. Best result 6th in stage 3 Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var

Career high: 1st stage 7 and 10 and King of the Mountains 2021 Vuelta a España, 1st overall and stage 3 2021 Tour de l’Ain

Races to watch: After the Tour of the Alps, Tour de Romandie, and Critérium du Dauphiné, he will race the Tour de France for the first time in five years as a professional. Touted as a team leader with Frenchmen Thibaut Pinot and David Gaudu.

ROHAN DENNIS

From: Adelaide, South Australia, age 31

Team: Jumbo-Visma (The Netherlands)

Strength: Time trialling, climbing

Season form: 1st Australian Time Trial Championship; 3rd stage 4 time trial Paris-Nice

Career highs: 1st 2019 and 2018 World Time Trial Championships, 1st overall 2015 Tour Down Under, 1st stage 1 time trial 2015 Tour de France; 1st stages 1 and 16 time trials 2018 Vuelta a España; 1st stages 1 and 17 time trials 2018 Giro d’Italia; 3rd 2021 Olympic Games time trial, 1st Prologue time trial 2021 Tour de Romandie, 1st stage 2 time trial 2021 Volta a Catalunya

Races to watch: Time trial win and helper duties for team leaders Piotr Roglic and Wout van Aert in Tour de France (July 1-24). Will race Tour de Romandie (April 26-May 1) before the French Tour, and target time World Championship time trial at Wollongong, NSW (September 18), and help Australian team in the world road race title (September 25).

LUKE DURBRIDGE

From: Perth, Western Australia, age 31

Team: BikeExchange-Jayco (Australia)

Strength: Time trial. Team helper or ‘domestique’

Season form: 2nd Australian time trial Championship; 7th Australian road race Championship

Career highs: 1st prologue time trial 2012 Critérium du Dauphiné; 2020, 2019, 2013, 2012 Australian time trial championship; 2nd stage 21 2015 Giro d’Italia; 3rd 2016 World time trial Championship

Races to watch: Will be one to seriously watch in Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix. For strapping powerful domestiques like Durbridge, events like Paris-Roubaix are a prime chance to ride for their own results. He has fared well in this event before with a career best of 18th in 2016 from eight participations.

RICHIE PORTE

From: Launceston, Tasmania, age 37

Team: Ineos-Grenadiers (UK)

Strength: Climbing. Time trial. All-rounder.

Season form: 4th overall, 5th stage 5, 4th stage 6 Tirreno-Adriatico.

Career highs: 3rd 2020 Tour de France; 1st 2015, 2013 Paris-Nice; 1st overall 2021 Critérium de Dauphiné; 1st overall 2020 Tour Down Under; 1st overall 2018 Tour de Suisse; 1st overall 2021 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya; 5th overall 2016 Tour de France; 7th overall, 1st white jersey young riders’ category and 3 days in pink leaders jersey Giro d’Italia

Races to watch: In his retirement year, to go out with a bang and give his all in the Giro d’Italia where he first etched his potential as an overall grand tour contender in 2010.

LUKE PLAPP

From: Melbourne, Victoria, age 22

Team: Ineos-Grenadiers (UK)

Strength: Time trial. Climbing. All-rounder.

Season form: 1st 2022 Australian Road Race championship; 12th overall and 5th Stage 7 UAE Tour; 6th stage 1 Circuit de las Sarthe

Career highs: 1st 2022 Australian Road Race championship; 1st 2021 Australian time trial championship; 1st stage 2, 2nd stage 3, 2nd overall 2021 Tour Down Under; 2nd Under 23 World Time Trial Championship; 3rd Team Pursuit ‘2020’ Olympic Games in 2021; 4th Team Pursuit 2020 World Track Championships

Races to watch: The Tour de Romandie will provide a good barometer of how he is standing nearing the end of his first rookie year in a three-year deal with Ineo-Grenadiers.

LUCAS HAMILTON

From: Bendigo, Victoria, age 26

Team: Team BikeExchange-Jayco (Australia)

Strength: Climbing. All-rounder.

Season form: Season stalled by Covid in February. Struggled in Paris-Nice, but found form at the Itzulia Pays Basque (April 4-9) despite not finishing due to penultimate stage crash.

Career highs: 1st 2016 under 23 Australian Road Championships, 2nd stage 12 2021 Giro d’Italia, 3rd stage 15 2021 Vuelta a España, 6th overall 2019 Tour Down Under

Races to watch: Aim is to be in good form for Giro d’Italia as support rider for British teammate and overall hope Simon Yates. Has never raced two ‘grand tours’ in a season, but may do so for the first time this year and race Vuelta a España late in the season.

SIMON CLARKE

From: Melbourne, Victoria, age 35

Team: Team Israel-Premier Tech

Strength: Climber. All rounder

Career high: Stage win stage 5 in 2018 Vuelta a Espinal; 1st stage 4 and King of the Mountains Vuelta a Espinal; 1st overall 2014 Herald-Sun Tour; 1st 2020 La Drôme Classic; 2nd 2019 Amstel Gold Race; 7th World Road Race Championship; 8th 2019 Strade Bianchi; 9th 2019 Milan-San Remo

Season form: 2nd stage 3 Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista del Sol; 3rd Grand Prix de Miguel Indurain, 3rd Trofeo Serra de Trumuntana, 5th Trofeo Calvia, 7th stage 1 Volta a Ciclista a Catalunya

Races to watch: A strong climber and all-rounder whose capabilities in varying scenarios serves him well as a team captain and tactician across the whole season. Can make best of opportunities that come his way, but an exceptional support rider for the big team leaders, and an excellent mentor for younger riders.

SAM WELSFORD

From: Subiaco, Perth West Australia, age 26

Team: DSM (The Netherlands)

Strength: Sprinter

Season form: 1st Stage 6 Tour of Turkey, 3rd Schelderprijs, 4th Bredene Koksijde

Career highs: 3rd Team pursuit, 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games; 2nd Team pursuit 2016 Rio Olympics Games; 1st Team pursuit and scratch race 2019 world championships, 1st Team pursuit 2016 and 2017 world championships

Races to watch: A budding sprinter on the rise. Has had great form in his rookie professional season. Beating the likes of Caleb Ewan to win stage 6 in Turkey speaks for itself.

CHRIS HARPER

From: Thursday Island, Queensland, age 27

Team: Jumbo-Visma (The Netherlands)

Strength: Climbing. All-rounder.

Season form: 9th Australian Road Race Championship (16th January), 13th overall UAE Tour (20-26 February)

Career high: 4th overall 2021 UAE Tour; 1st overall and stage 6 time trial in 2019 Tour of Japan; 1st 2018 Oceania Continental Road Race Championship

Races to watch: The Giro d’Italia as a key support rider for Dutch leader and 2017 Giro winner, Dutchman Tom Dumoulin and Norway’s Tobias Foss who was 9th last year.

HEINRICH HAUSSLER

From: Inverell, NSW, age 38

Team: Bahrain-Victorious (Bahrain)

Strength: Sprinter.

Season form: Modest results, but always rises to occasion when opportunity for him or his team leaders knocks. Season best of 10th in the Miverva Classic-Brugge de Panne.

Career high: 1st Stage 13 2009 Tour de France; 1st stage 19 Vuelta a España; 2nd stage 15 2014 Tour de France; 2nd 2009 Milan-San Remo; 2nd 2009 Tour of Flanders; 14th 2019 Paris-Roubaix

Races to watch: Haussler is a rider who can rise for the occasion, in this instance Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix. A two times Tour de France stage winner, he is blessed with speed and road smarts. His elder age brings wisdom to his team. Winning form or not, his presence will help morale.

JENSEN PLOWRIGHT

From: Melbourne, Victoria, age 21

Team: Groupama-FDJ/Continental (France)

Strength: Sprinter

Season form: 1st Stage 2 Le Triptyque des Monts et Châteaux; 2nd stage 5 Tour de Normandie

Career high: 1st Stage 2 2020 New Zealand Cycle Classic; 2nd stage 4 2021 Tour de l’Avenir; 4th overall 2021 A Travers les Hauts de France

Races to watch: One of the top sprinters entered for le Tour de Bretagne Cycliste (25th April-1 May). Another major stepping stone to hone his trajectory towards the World Tour in 2023.

CYRUS MONK

From: Warragul, Victoria, age 25

Team: MEIYO CCN/Continental (Taiwan)

Strength: Sprinter. Time trial. All-rounder.

Season form: 3rd overall, 1st stage 1 time trial, 3rd stage 4 at Tour of Sharjah; 3rd stage 2, 7th stage 5 Tour of Thailand; 12th Australian Road Race Championship; 13th Oceania Continental Road Race Championship

Career high: 3rd 2018 Oceania Continental Road Race Championship; 9th Grand Prijs Jean-Pierre Monseré

Races to watch: Expects to continue to progress on the Asian circuit.