Genesys looking for back-to-back victory in Mersey Valley

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Genesys Wealth Advisers is looking to make history at this weekend’s Mersey Valley Tour in Tasmania, with the Continental team aiming to make Dylan Newell the race’s first back-to-back winner. With the race staged on home soil and a lineup that includes both the defending race and series champions, Genesys Wealth Advisers is hoping for a strong start to the domestic season.

The Mersey Valley Tour, a three stage race held over Saturday and Sunday, is the opening event of Cycling Australia’s 2010 National Road Series. Points will be on offer in both the men’s and women’s national series at the weekend, however the teams’ series doesn’t commence until July’s Tour of Gippsland.

“We are sending a strong team to the Mersey Valley Tour,” said team manager Andrew Christie-Johnston. “Will Clarke will be looking to defend his National Road Series title this year, so he will be hoping for a solid performance in the first round. Dylan Newell will be trying to go back-to-back; no rider has ever won the tour twice.”

Christie-Johnston has no hesitation in naming Jayco-Skins rider Luke Durbridge as the man that stands between his team and possible victory. He also expects the new Virgin Blue-RBS Morgans team to be in the mix, singling out Andrew Roe, Ben Dyball and Michael Freiburg as riders to watch.

“We want to establish an early lead in the NRS which will hopefully setup the rest of the year for the team,” said Christie-Johnston. “A win will build the confidence in the team, which is extremely important early in the season. The longer a team goes without a win puts more pressure on the riders so hopefully we can put that to rest this weekend.

“It will be the strongest field every seen at Mersey Valley which should make for some great racing,” he added.

Genesys Wealth Advisers Mersey Valley Tour roster: William Clarke, Nathan Earle, Ben Grenda, Ben Grieve-Johnson, Nathan Haas, Dylan Newell and Thomas Robinson.