Will Clarke returns to WorldTour and will ride in Tour Down Under

TASMANIAN workhorse Will Clarke is back on cycling’s WorldTour and coming back to the Tour Down Under next month — the scene of his memorable breakaway stage win in 2012.

Herald Sun Tour Prologue winner Will Clarke of Drapac powers towards the finish line.

TASMANIAN workhorse Will Clarke is back on cycling’s WorldTour and coming back to the Tour Down Under next month — the scene of his memorable breakaway stage win in 2012.

The 31-year-old has been thrown a lifeline to continue racing in the sport’s top tier when he migrates from Drapac’s current pro-continental squad to the new-look Cannondale-Drapac on the WorldTour in 2017.

His return to the top level follows the most successful season of his career with race wins in Australia, Austria, Portugal and Taiwan.

His season finished in early September and he’s spent the majority of the past three months training back home in Tassie which included a few weeks with BMC star Richie Porte.

Will Clarke powers to the line at the 2016 Herald Sun Cycling Tour.

Clarke was overlooked for a spot in Drapac’s roster for the TDU last year and admitted his form wasn’t great at the time, but he rebounded strongly to win the prologue at the Herald Sun Tour for the second year in a row and the wins kept coming.

“As far as wins go it was my best season,” Clarke said.

“I got a couple in Europe and I hadn’t done that before.

“I’m not a sprinter and I’m not a climber but my strengths are in prologues and breakaways so I just tried to race as hard as I could.

“This year was about trying to get back up there (WorldTour level) and if I didn’t I probably would have had a few offers to stay at pro-conti but this was my last chance and hopefully next season I’ll do some bigger races.”

Clarke last rode on the WorldTour with Argos-Shimano in 2013 and said he had matured as a rider on and off the bike since then.

“I’m more professional in some ways,” he said.

“In the past I’d go full gas for the Australian summer and then I perhaps wasn’t as focused on other aspects of the season.

“So I’ve learnt to look after myself in between races a lot more and especially in Europe.”

He will do the road race only at the national championships in Buninyong in January which will give him a good indication of his form ahead of the TDU which he says is not going to be easy.

“I’ve done the Tour Down Under five times and twice with Drapac,” he said.

“It was the place of my first pro win (in 2012 with UniSA-Australia) and it does seem like a long time ago, so it would be nice to add another one that’s for sure.

“Next year’s course looks pretty hard — there are a few days for the GC guys so hopefully I can help out my teammates and I might get a breakaway opportunity.”

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Originally published as Will Clarke returns to WorldTour and will ride in Tour Down Under