UniSA-Australia loads up on veteran talent for TDU after CA misstep

Cycling Australia today named the seven riders who will make up the UniSA-Australia squad for the Santos Tour Down Under with some missing the cut due to miscommunication over a change to the UCI anti-doping rules.

Santos Tour Down Under

Steele Von Hoff won a TDU stage in 2015 and will again ride with UniSA Australia in 2018. Source: Getty

The core of the team will be powered by Bennelong SwissWellness riders Scott Bowden, Alex Porter, Tim Roe and Steele von Hoff.

Roe and Von Hoff have past WorldTour experience, Roe with BMC and Von Hoff with Slipstream Sports, and both will be keen to prove they still belong in the big show.

"The Tour Down Under is my favourite race of the year, it is my home race, I train on these roads almost every day, so to be able to race in front of my family and friends makes it a perfect way to start the season,” said Roe.

"Gaining another start in the Tour Down Under has been a goal of mine as it has played a big part in my cycling career.

"We have excellent riders that can compete at the World Tour level and fight for wins. I want to target the overall general classification - top ten is a goal of mine to show that I can still compete at this level."

Experienced campaigners Zak Dempster and Nathan Earle, both now with the Israel Cycling Academy ProContinenal squad, will add extra veteran muscle to the UniSA-Australia outfit.

The Australian Cycling Academy's Sam Welsford will also bring his track speed to the 16-21 January WorldTour race.

The team will be managed by Bennelong SwissWellness boss Andrew Christie-Johnson.
However, miscommunication by Cycling Australia (CA) has cost rising stars Chris Harper and Cyrus Monk starts at the Tour Down Under with the team.

Harper and Monk would have been certain starters in the composite UniSA team. Their outstanding rides at the national road championships should have earned them a selection, which is picked by CA.

But instead mystery surrounds why the national body failed to follow up on a directive last March from cycling's world governing body, the UCI.

The directive outlined stricter guidelines for anti-doping rules. But yy the time CA officials realised the oversight, it was too late for riders such as Harper and Monk who had not been in the sport's international testing regime for the required six weeks.

CA chief executive Nick Green acknowledged the oversight in a statement.

"CA is required to be up to date with all the UCI regulations and there is a gap here that we have to rectify," he said.

"The lines of communication between CA and UCI on this are now clear and we are continuing to discuss the matter with the UCI."

While CA would not confirm which riders were affected by the issue, Harper and Monk are obvious victims.

Harper, who rides for the domestic Bennelong Swiss Wellness team, finished third on Sunday in the elite men's road race.

The day before, Monk won the under 23 road race.

There is an added curiosity about Monk not fulfilling the new UCI drug testing rules.

While Harper rides for a domestic team, Monk is already a stagiaire, or development rider, at WorldTour team Drapac.


Share
Watch the FIFA World Cup 2026™, Tour de France, Tour de France Femmes, Giro d’Italia, Vuelta a España, Dakar Rally, World Athletics / ISU Championships (and more) via SBS On Demand – your free live streaming and catch-up service. Read more about Sport
Have a story or comment? Contact Us

Watch the FIFA World Cup 2026™, Tour de France, Tour de France Femmes, Giro d’Italia, Vuelta a España, Dakar Rally, World Athletics / ISU Championships (and more) via SBS On Demand – your free live streaming and catch-up service.
Watch nowOn Demand
Follow SBS Sport
3 min read
Published 10 January 2018 2:14pm
Updated 10 January 2018 7:49pm
Source: Cycling Australia


Share this with family and friends