New kids on the block
New kids on the block
Last season saw a number of young riders impress, with British twins Adam and Simon Yates and Italian ace Fabio Aru among them.
The coming year could well see the three continue their upward trajectory too, with Aru in particular a major shot for Grand Tour success.
While Vincenzo Nibali remains Astana’s leader, Aru is likely to get another tilt at the Giro d’Italia after his stage win and podium finish last year.
The Yates brothers, meanwhile, are sure to be at the heart of Orica-GreenEDGE’s stage race ambitions during the next season.
Adam’s performances at the Criterium du Dauphine, Tour of California and Tour of Turkey were hugely impressive while Simon proved his ability with gutsy showings during his fortnight at the Tour de France.
The key for both will now be to keep it up as marked men next year, but with Orica-GreenEDGE likely to allow them to flourish with little pressure from the top it could be another big year for them.