Meyer Sixth in Road Time-Trial in Tour de Suisse

AIS-WAIS athlete Cameron Meyer has up staged a host of cycling’s biggest names in finishing sixth in the ninth and final stage time-trial at the Tour de Suisse this week.

Meyer – who already boasts a Points Race world championship medal in 2009 – clocked a quick time of 47:49mins over the 38.5km circuit to secure a top ten finish for his Garmin-Slipstream team.

Meyer finished ahead of some of cycling’s biggest stars, with Andreas Kloden, Thor Hushovd, Andy Schleck and Stuart O’Grady all behind the talented 21 year-old. The stage was won by Swiss time-trial great, Fabian Cancellara, who won gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympic time-trial.

WAIS Head cycling coach Darryl Benson said Meyer’s efforts were even more impressive considering his busy recent schedule.

“To finish sixth in the time trial in the Tour de Suisse after a tough tour through difficult terrain, plus having to back up from the Giro de Italia as a neo-professional is a terrific result, and Cameron is earning a lot of respect in his first year of the pro tour circuit,” said Benson.

“His Garmin-Slipstream team are very pleased with his progress and are keen to further develop his opportunities on the road.”

This weekend hosts the Perth winter track Grand Prix with a very strong field of track, sprint and endurance athletes all converging at the Midvale Speed Dome on Sunday June 28.

AIS-WAIS World Champion cyclist Josie Tomic will compete in her first competition on home soil since taking the rainbow jersey in the women’s Omnium in March.

Tomic will compete against fellow national WAIS world medallist Sarah Kent and WAIS junior world representatives Melissa Hoskins and Michaela Anderson. Young WAIS cyclist Holly Williams will also be competing in a very strong field that contains Olympic and World Champion Anna Meares.

Tomic and Kent then depart to Holland for a series of road and criterium events with the AIS women’s track endurance squad and will race sixteen events in a busy European summer campaign.

In the men’s sprint category, WAIS athletes Scott Sunderland and Jonathon Bathe are expected to go head to head. Sunderland has been in Adelaide training with the AIS sprint camp.

WAIS cyclist Luke Durbridge will head up the men’s track endurance competition in his final track competition before leaving for the junior world championships in Russia. Durbridge, Hoskins and Anderson will travel to Adelaide for a training camp in between.

AIS-WAIS cyclist Adam Semple has returned from his Team-AIS road commitments in Italy and will dust off his track cycle to compete in the track endurance events, including the scratch race, points score and elimination events.

The Perth winter track Grand Prix will also showcase the Grand Prix wheel race, which pits sprint, endurance, male and female cyclists together in a handicap race.

AIS-WAIS athlete Travis Meyer returns back to Perth next week following a very busy race schedule in Europe and Japan. Meyer will concentrate on national events in July – August before returning to Europe to prepare for the U23 World Road Championships in September.

WAIS cyclist Michael Freiburg has traveled to the US for a month’s competition. The tour is expected to provide good experience and he will build a solid road competition base before he attends the national track endurance camp in Adelaide in October.