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Sure, many track cyclists have turned to the road, among them Stuart O'Grady, Brad McGee, Cameron Meyer, Rohan Dennis, Luke Durbridge and now Luke Plapp. Their priority has long been the track, where it is easier to target the Worlds, Olympic and Commonwealth Games medals that provide federal government funding. It is not due to any deliberate initiative by the national body, now named AusCycling. What's certain is that Australia is no longer a world road racing minnow, even if the myth of the country as a cycling outlier is a persistent one.Īustralia is no geographically closer to the European centre of road racing, but culturally, the country is no longer a 'new' cycling one, even if it's still a long journey for Australian racers to the pinnacle of the sport. It is still too early to say if Australia is a new conveyor belt of future champions. Evans won the world championships road race in 2009. Mat Hayman and Stuart O’Grady have Paris-Roubaix titles. Australians have won four of the six biggest one-day races in the world - Matt Goss and Simon Gerrans have won Milan-San Remo, while Gerrans also has a Liège-Bastogne-Liège victory to his name.
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The same can be said of Australians in so many other races, from the Vuelta a España to world titles and classics. In 2010, Matt Lloyd was the first Australian to win the King of the Mountains green jersey. Australians have also won stages and worn the pink leader's jersey. Hindley’s second place overall in 2020 bettered Evans’ third in 2012 which was the best result by an Australian since his own fifth in 2010, the year Porte also first put his head above the parapet by placing seventh and winning the white jersey as best young rider. Australians have also won a swag of Tour stages and enjoyed spells in the overall race leader’s yellow jersey. The green points jersey has been won five times by Australians - Matthews in 2017, Baden Cooke in 2003 and Robbie McEwen in 2002, 20. Cadel Evans clinched Australia’s first victory in 2011, a win that led to record bicycle sales and cycling participation in Australia. In the Tour, Richie Porte placed third overall in 2020 and fifth in 2016. The 21st century has been prosperous for Australian road racing so far.