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Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Tuesday, December 12, 2017

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New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common. - John Locke

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Orica-Scott to become Mitchelton-Scott in 2018

The team sent me this news release:

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GreenEDGE Cycling team will be known as Mitchelton-SCOTT in 2018 as a new name and look for the coming season were launched today.

The new identity, complete with a new black and yellow jersey courtesy of apparel sponsor Giordana Cycling, will be adopted by the WorldTour men’s and women’s outfits with the Continental team to be launched at a later date.

The move comes as Mitchelton increase their international focus following the opening of the boutique Mitchelton Hotel and Day Spa in late 2017 to complement the existing Winery & Chocolate Factory in regional Victoria, Australia.

Mitchelton Managing Director Andrew Ryan said the opportunity of naming rights sponsorship of the cycling team opened new doors for the business. “The past number of years Mitchelton has focused on domestic business, but we are now ready to target export markets and cycling is a great vehicle to promote our brand to the various global markets,” Mr Ryan said.

“With the new Mitchelton Hotel and Day Spa, we have seen an increase in international tourism to the estate and this association with the team will enable us to broadly promote our estate to the world.”

Mitchelton-Scott jersey

The 2018 Mitchelton-Scott jersey

SCOTT Sports, who have supported the team since its inception, will continue as dual naming rights sponsors after a successful debut in 2017 saw the men’s and women’s teams achieve a combined 44 UCI victories. “We are very proud to continue this successful partnership into its seventh season,” Pascal Ducrot Vice-President SCOTT Sports said.

“It is quite remarkable what the team has achieved until this point. To be competitive in all major classics and Grand Tours is unique these days and additionally to achieve most of this success via young, talented and home grown riders is fantastic.  We believe it is only a matter of time until they will win their first Grand Tour.

"SCOTT has a strong performance and racing heritage. We are very happy to have the team now in our RC (Racing Concept) colours for 2018. This will link the team even more to our other world class athletes in MTB and Triathlon.”

Team owner Gerry Ryan welcomed the changes for the upcoming season. “We are excited to get the 2018 season underway in Australia next month with a new invigorated identity,” Mr Ryan said.

“We believe we have the perfect platform to showcase the Mitchelton and SCOTT Sports brands to the world as we strive for further success on the road.”

Following their planned departure, Ryan also spoke fondly of the support ORICA has provided over the past five and a half years. “ORICA signed up to support our team very early in the piece, putting their trust in this organisation and its people, and providing us with the platform and security to grow,” Mr Ryan said.

“We are tremendously proud of how far we have come thanks to their support. We have won monuments, stage races, Grand Tour stages and after two Grand Tour podiums, a victory in a three-week Tour is next on our list.

“ORICA will forever have a place in this team’s DNA and we are extremely thankful for their support over the years.”

BMC unveils 2018 racing kit

Here's the team's news release:

BMC Racing Team today revealed the 2018 racing kit made by ASSOS of Switzerland, featuring the addition of blue panels on the collar and back of the bib short which highlights BMC Racing Team's Official CyberSecurity Partner, Sophos.

Richie Porte

Richie Porte in BMC's 2018 jersey

BMC Racing Team targets Santos Tour Down Under defense

BMC also sent me this release:

11 December, 2017, Denia (ESP): BMC Racing Team is set to animate January's Santos Tour Down Under with the winners of the past four editions, Richie Porte, Simon Gerrans and Rohan Dennis, set to line up at the first UCI WorldTour race of the season, General Manager Jim Ochowicz today announced at BMC Racing Team's pre-season media day.

2017 Australian National Road Race champion Miles Scotson, BMC Racing Team's first New Zealander, Patrick Bevin and the Swiss duo of Tom Bohli and Danilo Wyss complete the seven-rider roster.

"The Santos Tour Down Under is one of our key races of the season and we're excited to go there with the formidable team that we have. I don't think we have ever started with such an impressive line up and with Richie Porte as our captain, and former champions Rohan Dennis and Simon Gerrans at his side, both of whom are obviously capable of winning the race themselves, we are in for a great start to the season," Ochowicz said.

Richie Porte

Richie Porte celebrates his 2017 Down Under win. Sirotti photo.

After winning his first title in 2017, defending champion Porte is looking forward to returning to the race where he has earned the title of 'King of Willunga Hill' having claimed the iconic stage win for the last four consecutive years.

"I'm excited to go back to the Santos Tour Down Under in 2018 and try to defend the ochre jersey. After mostly missing the last part of the 2017 season, it will be good to get 2018 underway, especially at the Santos Tour Down Under which is one of my favorite races of the calendar," Porte explained.

Sports Director Fabio Baldato expects strong competition with the first UCI WorldTour points of the season on offer. "Richie Porte is the defending champion and we know what he can do so we are ready to support him in his bid to win again. But, with Rohan Dennis and Simon Gerrans, who are both past winners, we have a lot of options to choose from," Baldato added.

Dennis, who claimed the ochre jersey in 2015 with BMC Racing Team, is looking forward to racing on home soil at the start of the season. "I do enjoy going back to Adelaide, my hometown, for the Santos Tour Down Under. I get to see my family and they get to see me race, but that always adds pressure. It's definitely a full-on week for me as I don't go back often but we know how to manage it. The racing itself is really exciting. It's short, it's fast, and there aren't any 200km transfer stages. It's a great race, and the crowds treat us as if we're at a big European UCI WorldTour race," Dennis said.

Gerrans returns to the Santos Tour Down Under as the winner of a record four editions at what will be the 20th anniversary of the race. "I'm really excited about the Santos Tour Down Under this year especially because it is my first race with BMC Racing Team. We're going to have a really formidable line-up, and I think there will be a lot of attention on us. I have always made a point of trying to start my seasons in good shape, and for my entire career this race has always been on the calendar, so it has worked out really nicely for me that I have been able to target a race on Australian soil at the beginning of the season," Gerrans said ahead of his first UCI WorldTour race in the BMC Racing Team kit.

Porte, Gerrans and Dennis have won a combined six General Classification titles and 11 stages since 2006.


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