No frontline sprinter in Orica-Greenedge’s nine-man Tour de France team

AUSTRALIAN team Orica-Greenedge announced a raw nine-man team without a frontline sprinter for the Tour de France.

Herald Sun Tour Stage 1. Simon Gerrans of the Orica GreenEdge team during todays stage to Ballarat. Pic Michael Klein

AUSTRALIAN team Orica-Greenedge Wednesday announced a raw nine-man team without a frontline sprinter for the Tour de France.

Five of them will be making their debut in the race starting Saturday in Leeds, England — Australians Luke Durbridge, Mathew Hayman and Michael Matthews, Belgian Jens Keukeleire and Briton Simon Yates.

They will ride alongside Simon Gerrans, Simon Clarke, Michael Albasini and Canadian road and time trial champion Svein Tuft, who last year helped the team score two Tour stage wins.

“This year we are going to the Tour without a sprinter for the flat stages and will be targeting numerous stages,” said the team’s sport director Matt White.

“The goal for the team is to walk away with a stage win.”

Gerrans is the team leader and is in good form having won the Australian national road title, his third Tour Down Under race and his second monument (one day classic) at Liege-Bastogne-Liege this season.