Meyer Selected for the 100th Riding of the Grand Tour
Western Australian Institute of Sport cyclist Cameron Meyer has been selected to ride in the 100th edition of the Tour de France after earning inclusion in the nine-member Orica-GreenEDGE team.
Meyer becomes the first Western Australian to compete in road cycling’s premier event since Henk Vogels, and enters the tour in excellent form.
The six-time world track champion has secured top ten finishes in the recent tours of Turkey and California, whilst at this week’s Tour de Suisse, Meyer claimed the opening time trial and spent two days in yellow in finishing tenth.
GreenEDGE Sport Director Matt White said Meyer’s impressive form coupled with his ability to climb the high mountains factored in the decision to hand the Mt Helena resident his first Tour de France start.
“Cam comes to the Tour off the back of a consistent last couple off months where he finished in the top ten overall at Turkey, California and Switzerland,” said White. “He’s been building steadily since his setback after an operation to treat a saddle sore early in the season.”
“We haven’t previously had anyone for the high mountain stages,” White continued. “With the form he showed us last week in Switzerland, we realise that Cam gives us an option. He can climb with a very select group of riders, and that opens us up to opportunities on stages that we’ve been forced to overlook in the past.”
Running from Saturday June 29th to Sunday July 21th 2013, the 100th Tour de France will be made up of 21 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,479 kilometres.
This year’s tour includes seven flat stages, five hilly stages, six mountain stages including four summit finishes, two individual time trials, one team time trial and two rest days.