So far, most of us don't know a great deal about them, so - as I'm still off work with a mega stiff neck (it's ok, it's improving now, but the weather is awful so I'm quite happy to stay indoors) - I thought I'd do a bit of digging.
After all, Our Stuey has gone there, leaping in joyful bounds like a playful little kangeroo. Oh, all right, Leelu, I can hear you - a kangAroo, then! By the way, that kangaroo that was spotted in a domestic garden in southern England is still on the loose......
Plus, senior Schlecklanders Leelu and Nim live in Oz, along with quite a few other Schlecklanders, so we naturally have an interest in them.
Plus, they sound as though they're going to be fun! Can you imagine a team comprising 75% Aussies? Oh, those hotel rooms! Oh, those podium girls!
Anyway, back to the research:
Back in January 2011, GreenEdge announced that they had their financial backing in place, and were in discussion with the UCI regarding their application to join the ProTeam calendar. This shows that they haven't rushed into it, but have been "doing it right" from the very beginning.
The quotes are good, too from Shayne Bannan, the Team Manager, who is described as "a former high performance director at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS)":
“The critical point is that we already have committed funding in place.” We like to hear that, let's hope it's from a range of government and business sponsors, with not too much of the private individual... I think we've all learned that lesson. So far, their sponsors are Scott (who make bikes) and Santini, who make sports clothing. Well, that's a good start - something to ride, something to wear.
They also have funding from Jayco, Cycling Australia, Australian Institute of Sport and Canyon, so that seems like a nice spread of backing.
“We are aiming to create a team that will stay at the top end of world cycling for a long time to come.” Well, we all like the sound of that.
And finally, "Bannan insisted he would not resort to illegally poaching riders from other teams for the new outfit." Poaching? Sounds more as though most of them flung their contracts out of the window with great glee, and leapt on to the nearest plane!
Their rider roster is looking good - the recent news reports have them saying they are 90% full - so there might be room for a couple of spare Leopards - and they have certainly confirmed the following list, in no particular order:
Jack Bobridge (comedy name - why does that make me laugh? Oh, the Bobbit case. Sorry.)
Cameron Meyer
Travis Meyer (who has just GOT to be related to Cameron Meyer)
Michael Albisini
Matt Goss
Simon Clarke
Daniel Teklehaimanot (how's that for a name? Bet they call him Tek for short)
Sebastian Langeveld (a traditional Aussie name)
Stuey - yay! go, Stuey!
Simon Gerrans - who went from my No 1 team, Team Sky, with my kind permission... joking...
Matt Wilson
Baden Cooke (something to do with boy scouts? Let's hope not)
Pieter Weening (something to do with sausages? Again, let's hope not)
Jens Mouris
Svein Tuft - who of course we already know in Schleckland. Go, Tufty Boy!
This lot have a total of 563 UCI points - yes, troops, breathe a sigh of relief, I did it for you: I risked my soul by spending time on the UCI site, checking out the individual rankings. Not quite as soul-sapping as reading the rulebooks, or the press releases, but still not an activity to be undertaken lightly.
563 points puts them 10th or 11th as things stand at the moment, which means that they should get a ProTour licence with ease. The bottom 4 at present have 367 points down to 297, so they are the ones who will be quivering in their boots come the end of the year.
As an aside, now that the UCI has made it all about points, I do wish that they would also publish a table of the Pro-Continental Teams by ranking of ProTeam points, as well as by their own Continental tour points. This would make it very easy to see which of them are in a position to take over a ProTeam place.
So all in all, they are pretty much ready to take their place, and to fill the gap left by the so-called merger of Leopard and the Shack.
I think - haven't actually checked this yet - that we should have the same number of teams next year.
Omega-Pharma-Lotto have split into two, but Quickstep are merging with Omega Pharma. No net gain/loss.
Leopard and the Shack are "merging", and GreenEdge are starting. Again, no net gain/loss.
So it should still be 18 teams at the highest level. Unless I've forgotten anyone, in which case do feel free to tell me.
Talking of buses, digression, I wonder if Mercedes will, in a fit of pique, take back all their team buses and cars? That would serve Leopard right, don't you think? Then Nissan would have to hand over some hastily-sign-written vehicles to get them about to the final few races of the season. Or maybe they'd just give them whatever they had hanging about in the yard, which could be amusing.
Ooh, what a mean thing for me to say. But if they do, then remember, you heard it first on here!
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